Happy Holidays!

Hi everyone! How about a late-for-Christmas present?

I cobbled together this cowl as a present for my mom and to use up some really nice fingering cashmere I had from School Products. It's kind of a combination of the shape/button of Knitty Gritty Thoughts' Spiral Cowl (a pattern you know I love) with the stitch pattern in Leila Raabe's Shaelyn, another beautiful pattern I'm dying to try. I have to admit I didn't buy the Shaelyn pattern -- just eyeballed it and assumed that the wavy stripes were done in "Crest of the Wave," an old Shetland lace pattern.

I see that School Products no longer has the yarn I used, but this would be a good project for one skein of Jade Sapphire 2-ply.

The pattern is for a woman's cowl -- if you want to make one for a child, it could easily be done by taking out one or two pattern repeats (the pattern repeat is 12 stitches) and knitting only three stripes of the lace pattern. Or if you want your cowl to be bigger, cast on an extra 12 stitches and work five stripes of the lace pattern.

Update 1/14: Thanks to Marina Carelli, who has translated the pattern into Italian. You can download the pdf (in both languages) here.

Grazie a Marina Carelli, che ha tradotto il disegno in italiano. È possibile scaricare il pdf (in le due lingue) qui.

Update 1/14: Thanks to Lilian Sant'Anna, who translated the pattern into Portuguese.
Obrigado a Lilian Sant’Anna, que traduziu o padrão de Natal Cowl em Português.
 

Christmas Cowl

Size: 21 inches circumference, 9 inches tall
Gauge: 7 stitches and 9 rows = 1 inch
Yarn: 200-300 yards fingering weight yarn in something light and luxurious, like cashmere.
Needles: 16-inch circular needle, size 3 or whatever size will give you gauge
Notions: one stitch marker, tapestry needle, one coordinating button

Glossary
K: knit
P: purl
K2tog: knit two stitches together
Ssk: slip-slip-knit: slip the next two stitches one by one as if to knit. Return both stitches to left needle, then knit them together through the back loop
YO: yarn over

Instructions

Cast on 144 stitches and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round (where you just joined yarn).

Work two garter ridges: Knit one round, purl one round, repeat these two rounds once.

Work one repeat of Crest of the Wave pattern:

Round 1: Knit
Round 2: Purl
Round 3: *k2tog twice, (YO, k1) x 3, YO, ssk twice, k1, repeat from * to end of round
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: Repeat round 3
Round 6: Knit
Round 7: Repeat round 3
Round 8: Knit
Round 9: Repeat round 3
Round 10: Knit
Round 11: Knit
Round 12: Purl

Work 12 rounds stockinette (knit all rounds).
Work another repeat of Crest of the Wave pattern.

Continue alternating 12-round stripes of stockinette and stripes of Crest of the Wave pattern until there are four stripes of Crest of the Wave. Then work two more garter ridges (knit one round, purl one round, repeat these two rows once). Bind off loosely (I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bindoff).

Weave in ends and block very well -- I recommend wet blocking. You can stretch your cowl slightly in blocking it to open up the lace pattern and to make sure your fabric has some drape. You will find that the lace pattern is more "wavy" on the bottom than the top -- feel free to try to pin it in such a way that you make both the top and bottom as wavy as possible. I did this, and it sort of worked.

To finish your cowl, pick up three stitches at the top edge and knit a length of i-cord about 1.5 inches long. Make this length of 1-cord into a buttonhole loop by tacking down end of i-cord next to where you picked up the stitches and weaving in the end. Try on your cowl with the buttonhole loop at the top and fold over the loop to overlap cowl at the neck as tight as you would like it to be. Mark the place where the buttonhole falls when you do this, then sew your button at this place.

Your cowl is done! You can wear it loose and unbuttoned (like my lovely Mom is wearing it in the picture), or you can tighten it around your neck with the button to keep out the wind.

Snow day update

The snow is falling into the trees outside my window; school is canceled; I'm sitting here in my nightgown and grandfather's old sweater knitting a sock heel and reading Judith Butler for orals. It's just a lovely day.


A few quick updates:

1. Thanks so much for buying my patterns this past month! I was able to donate $125 to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief because of pattern sales during my pledge period.

2. The giant doily blanket is coming along well. I don't know how to crochet so I am finishing the edges with an easy knitted-on lace; picture above. It's an eight-row repeat that goes on sideways and eats up 1 doily stitch every other row (so four rows total each pattern repeat). It's slow going, but I like the way it looks. I've done about 1/4 of the blanket edge so far.

3. The elephant sweater is all finished and awaiting buttons. It's heart-squeezingly cute. Still working on the pattern. The elephants are an 18-stitch repeat, so it's kind of hard to figure out whether it's even possible to write it for different sizes than the one I made it in.

2010: A (Storage) Space Odyssey

Because the new place has less closet space and I am using some of my furniture differently, I've been experiencing a bit of a storage crunch. Combine that with the fact that my mom shouted, "Stop the insanity!" as we were unpacking my yarn stash at the new place, and it seemed like a good time for a little destashing. SO! Here's your opportunity to help me out: anyone want any of this stuff? Write me at the e-mail address listed in the sidebar and let me know if you'd like to buy any of the following (paypal only, please; prices include US shipping; international shipping would be extra):

6 balls Lana Grossa "Merino 2000" in a nice slate/cadet blue (413). Sportweight 100% merino, 176 yards/ball for a total of +1000 yards. $40.

3 skeins hand-dyed laceweight silk (originally from School Products). Can't remember the yardage on this; one skein is untouched and two have been wound into balls. This was definitely enough to make a lace shawl, which was the reason I bought it in the first place. It is quite thin. $12. SOLD.

Two skeins each of Knitpicks Imagination hand-dyed alpaca/merino blend in "Wicked Stepmother" (purple blend on left) and "Frog Prince" (the green blend on bottom right). Fingering weight 50% superwash merino, 25% superfine alpaca, 25% nylon, 219 yards/skein for a total of +400 yards in each color. One skein of each has been balled but has not been knit. $8 each color or $15 for both colors. WICKED STEPMOTHER SOLD.

7 skeins Ella Rae Classic wool in periwinkle blue (46). Worsted weight 100% wool, 219 yards/skein for a total of +1500 yards. $30.

1 skein Cascade Heritage sock yarn in tan (5610). Fingering weight 75% superwash merino, 25% nylon, 437 yards/skein. This has been balled, and about 75 yards of it have been knit and frogged. $10.

12 skeins Jo Sharp Classic DK wool in forest green ("venice"). DK weight 100% wool, 107 yards/skein for a total of +1200 yards. I knit one small swatch with it, so one skein is slightly smaller than the others. $40.

And one hand-knit for sale (this one I am sad to part with, but I don't have a baby to give it to, and it's depressing to have beautiful baby sweaters sitting around one's apartment, not to mention the fact that it seems like it will jinx one's ability ever to produce such babies on one's own):

One size 3-6 months baby sweater, brown prototype for my "Chronicles of Narnia" pattern. This was knit in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. $125.

And, so that this post is not entirely capitalist whoredom, here's a shot of my most recent knitting project: a blanket-sized doily knit with aran-weight Reynolds Candide on size 9 needles. The pattern I'm using is "Stor Lysedug" from Yarn Over free patterns. I decided I needed a TV-watching afghan because my living room is cold, and it's fun to knit a big beautiful lace thing with big yarn. This has been so much fun that I might take a crack at a Hemlock Ring next, perhaps in softer, slightly lighter wool, for a friend's baby (one that really does exist).

Oink.

Guess whose school is canceled because of possible swine flu?


We're supposed to be continuing to "teach" our classes over the internet, but who are we kidding? I'm taking full advantage of the serendipitous free time to knit a swatch with the lovely birthday BFL. Even winding it on my new ball winder has been a treat!


This stuff is even prettier knitted up than in the skein! The color's called "harvest," and it really does remind me of beautiful, warm wheatfields.


I've got an idea in mind for a cardigan with a stripe of Barbara Walker's "Swiss Fan" lace down either side of the button band. I'm trying to decide whether to make it empire-ish waisted with a peplum, or just straight.


Opinions, anyone? I was all for the peplum, but now when I look at these sketches, I wonder if simplicity is better and will show off the lace pattern better.

Other recent activities have included tearing up my windowsill planters and laboriously spraying and washing each plant; I've been dealing with an infestation of mealybugs.


Now each plant is quarantined in its own little pot while I wait and see if the mealybugs come back. So far I've had to throw out about half of them. Poor plants! Stupid mealybugs!


Anyone have any suggestions? Everything I read online makes it sound like this is a really futile effort, but I am loath to throw these guys out because they've been my chance to prove that I'm not a total black thumb. I was seriously considering getting a box of ladybugs to eat the mealybugs, but then my plants are covered with ladybugs, and is that really any better?

There's a name for this kind of behavior...

It's been a week of hard work here at Looking Glass Knits. Remember that last post? The one about all the schoolwork I had to do? Here's a rundown of what I've done in the last five days (five days!!!), which I had set aside to do nothing but write:

Revise paper on St. Margaret: check (reluctant check).
Write paper on St. Andrew: uh...
Write paper on Margery Kempe and St. Perpetua: er...

BUT!

Finish body of green Peach Blossom sweater with absolutely no recipient?

Check!


Begin working on another baby sweater for nobody, this time with barely-discernible fair isle yoke?


Check!!


Cast on for an Icarus shawl using yarn I stashed two years ago, nominally for my mother, even though she told me she would never wear a triangular shawl?


Check!!!


Take a drunken water taxi ride up and down the East River with equally drunk friends?


CHECK, BABY!


Shut up, conscience. Here's a monkey to distract you:

Eyelet Baby Cardigan pattern

8/25/08 note: there has a significant amount of minor tweaking to this pattern (stitch counts, mostly) in response to discerning knitters' eyes. The pattern as posted now has been updated and should be error-free.

3/29/08 note: this pattern is also available as a PDF download from Ravelry. Click here to download it if you'd rather have it in that format!


I've had a few requests to share the pattern I unvented for this baby sweater. It is, as I said, heavily inspired by this Drops pattern, but worked top-down without the picot collar and with different eyelet motifs. I can't say that it really counts as an original pattern, but since the Drops pattern is also free, I feel I can safely offer my adaption.

Note: eyelet/lace patterns are from Barbara Walker's First and Second Treasuries of Knitting Patterns.

Note #2: there was an error in the pattern as originally posted: rows 25 and 43 of the yoke were duplicated. The duplication has been corrected on the pattern below.

Note #3: there was another error which has been corrected below: row 46 now reads "increase 24 stitches" instead of "increase 9 stitches."

Size: 9 months
Gauge: 8 st = 1 inch

2 skeins Dale Baby Ull
size 3 needles
tapestry needle
waste yarn or stitch holders
matching buttons (about 6)

CO 84 st. and work 3 rows in garter stitch (knit all rows). In next row, make a buttonhole as follows: k2, yo, k2tog, k to end of row. Work 4 more rows of garter stitch (8 rows altogether).

NOTE: continue to make buttonholes in this manner at the beginning of RS every 2” or 10 garter ridges.

Begin yoke increases and eyelet pattern:
Rows 9, 11, and 13: k4, p to last 4 stitches, k4.
Rows 10 and 12: knit, increasing by eight stitches spaced evenly across row**
Row 14: knit, increasing by SEVEN stitches spaced evenly across row (107 st.).
Row 15: knit.
Row 16: k4, *k2tog, yo; rep from * until five st from end, k5.
Row 17: knit.
Row 18: knit, increasing by SIXTEEN stitches spaced evenly across row (123 st.)
Rows 19, 21, and 23: k4, p to last 4 stitches, k4.
Rows 20, 22 and 24: knit, increasing by eight stitches spaced evenly across row.
Rows 25 and 27: knit.
Row 26: knit, increasing by eight stitches spaced evenly across row (155 st).
Row 28: k4, *k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1; rep from *, end k4.
Row 29: k4, *p2tog-b, yo, p3, yo, p2tog; rep from *, end k4.
Row 30: k4, *k1, yo, k2tog, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k1; rep from *, end k4.
Row 31: k4, *p1, yo, p2tog, p1, p2tog-b, yo, p1; rep from *, end k4.
Row 32: k4, *k2, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k2; rep from *, end k4.
Rows 33 and 35: knit.
Rows 34 and 36: knit, increasing by SIXTEEN stitches spaced evenly across row.
Rows 37, 39, and 41: k4, p to last 4 stitches, k4.
Rows 38, 40 and 42: knit, increasing by eight stitches spaced evenly across row.
Rows 43 and 45: knit.
Row 44: k4, *k2tog, yo; rep from *, end k4.
Row 46: knit, increasing by TWENTY-FOUR stitches spaced evenly across row (235 st.).
Rows 47, 49 and 51: k4, p to last 4 stitches, k4.
Rows 48 and 50: knit, increasing NINE stitches spaced evenly across row (253 st. and end of row 50).

** NOTE: when increasing in yoke, avoid making stitches within the four garter stitches that serve as the button band to keep band looking consistent.


Divide stitches for arms:
Row 52: k39, slip 51 st to holder, k 73 [back], slip 51 st to holder, k39.

Work body (151 st):
Work the following eyelet pattern until body measures 10":

Row 1 and all other wrong sides: k4, p to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 2: knit.
Row 4: k4, k2, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, *k5, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo; rep from *, end k2, k4.
Row 6: k4, k3, yo, ssk, *k6, yo, ssk; rep from *, end k2, k4.
Row 8: knit.
Row 10: k4, k1, *k5, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo; rep from *, end k6, k4.
Row 12: k4, k7, *yo, ssk, k6; rep from *, end k4.

When body measures 10", work three repeats of feather and fan, increasing two stitches in the first "row 1" and making a final buttonhole in the last "row 3" (153 st):

Row 1: knit.
Row 2: k4, p to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 3: k5, (yo, k1) three times, (k2tog 6 times), *(yo, k1) six times, (k2tog 6 times); rep from * until last 7 stitches, (yo, k1) three times, k4.
Row 4: knit.

Work two rows of garter stitch and bind off.


Work sleeves:
Put 51 arm stitches on a needle. Work in eyelet pattern as established above for sweater body, but omitting the four button band stitches on either end, centering pattern between extra stitches (there will be two extra stitches on each end at the beginning of the arm). After first pattern repeat, decrease by one stitch at each end every sixth row (in the plain knit row) until there are 39 st. left on needles; continue in eyelet until you have worked four pattern repeats. Work eight rows of garter stitch and bind off.

Sew arm seams, weave in ends, block sweater, sew buttons to band to match buttonholes.