Photo credit Heather Hands
As the weather gets colder, there is nothing like the cozy feeling of a great scarf. The end of the fall/beginning of the winter is the perfect time to wrap yourself in one, snuggle with puppy and a blanket, enjoy a good book and dream of a fireplace. I love cowls because I don't like dealing with the ends, bunching up under my coat or catching in the wind. To be honest I wear scarfs most of the wear, the lighter and looser ones in the warmer months, and the thicker and tighter ones in the colder months.
As I was finishing my beginner knitting class a few months ago, I bought a few balls of this great Autunno Italian merino yarn that was so soft, without a clear plan in mind for its use. I started using it to make a cable pillow, and got distracted. Mostly, I think that the nuances of grey in the yarn didn't work so well at highlighting the cable pattern, and I lost interest.
When the air got crisper, I finally knew what to do with the yarn. I didn't look for a pattern and instead decided to just play it by ear. On those colder fall and early winter days, I never seem to get warm enough. A lot of cowls seem too loose around the neck, so I improvised. I wanted my scarf to be very tall so I could fold it in half if I wanted it to be warmer, or let it fall naturally for a looser look. I casted on 60 stitches, which was my chosen height, and just knitted in garter stitch (alternate knit row and purl row in the round) until I had the right length. I used 3 1/2 skeins of Autunno Merino wool and size 9 24" circular needles. I finished by joining the ends with the mattress stitch, and was done.

Photo credit Heather Hands
Love this cowl. I am thinking about making one for myself, once I can figure out how to knit ;)
ReplyDeleteGlad to inspire you! Would be happy to help :)
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