Procrastination & Progress

Still working on the sock pattern. That's the procrastination bit.

The progress bit is that I have a cowl pattern for anyone who wants it. Feel free to print the pattern, use it for whatever, sell products made from it - but please, link back to my blog rather than posting the pattern online. There will be matching fingerless mitts to come, I've nearly finished those too, but for now, here's the cowl.

Sapphire & Steel Cowl

(Apologies for the blurry pic, I've only got my cellphone camera at the mo)

Ok, you will need:

• 3.25mm circular needles (ETA: I'm doing this again in fingering sock yarn and have discovered that the gauge is much looser. Perhaps the yarn I used previously might have measured sportweight by wpi. Would suggest a smaller needle size, just for the inside of the cowl, so instead of 3.25, maybe 3mm or even 2.75)
• 4mm circular needles
• fingering yarn (I've used a discontinued brand for this one, any fingering should work just fine. Would look lovely in a variegated/semisolid sock yarn). Approximately 70 - 75gm should do it. I used a fraction over 50gm for the prototype but it really does need to be longer.
• 1 x 1" button for accent

Cast on 156 stitches on 3.25mm needles. I used longtail cast-on, just make sure that your cast on is stretchy. Join for knitting in the round (be careful not to twist stitches).

Work in K3, P3 rib for 4". In mine I only did 3" but it is a little short in the neck.

Change to 4mm needles. Now is the time to stop working in the round, you will be knitting the rest flat (yep, backwards and forwards).

Knit 1 row, Purl 1 row. This will create the foldover. The side that sits nicely outside the cowl is the Right Side (RS).

Now you'll be working the opposite rib, so it'll be P3, K3 rib for the next 5". I only did 4" in the sample shown, but again, it could be a little longer.

Cast off/bind off (you choose depending on where in the world you are ;-p) after a wrong side row, knitwise.

Work ends in.

Sew button at the top of the cowl where you began to knit flat. I used that opportunity to close up the gap just a little so that it didn't gape too much.

Done! Now knit my matching mitts and you'll be away.