Handspun Collar

Continuing to work towards a thicker cowl, this is the ultimate. It is another collar really, but hand knitted as a short scarf.  I saw the pattern on Ravelry and thought it a great idea. It is a sampler of 6 cable patterns and such fun to do. It’s called a cable sampler neck wrap if you look for it. You work seven squares of different patterns with a nice rib border all round. There are instructions to get the buttonhole in the right place too. I decided it was just right for some of white yarn from ‘Elf’ one of my lovely Jacob fleece from m friend Becky in Norfolk.

The finished collar is lovely, and I am going to fix the button is such a way that I can change it easily.

What is amazing is it just looks the wrong shade of cream with me new cream jumper – this (latter) is very bleached and rather than match the two ‘clash’ to my critical eye. I so like the effect with the blue ‘shell’ button that I am thinking about dyeing the entire collar a lighter shade of blue! This looks like a chance to experiment with my acid dyes to get the exact shade I want. What fun.

Fashined lace Cowl

I've been investigating transfer lace on my knitting machine and making time to understand how the machine works. Having spent several days on this I am now in a position where I can develop my own lace where there are several stitch movements before you even knit a row. This is called fashioned lace as you’ll know if you are a machine knitter- if a hand lace knitter  its  lace like feather and fan.
So I decided to knit another lace cowl- thicker than the last fine one but not very thick. I choose a 4 ply acrylic so I could steam press the cowl so it has a good drape.

I called the pattern I did horseshoe lace and having worked out how to hand tool it, I decided  or use a punchcard although I was a little anxious about having 3 stitches on a needle in the pattern. I've devised a custom cast off to mirror the curves that develop at the cast on edge during knitting.

The key to a good result is to take it slowly and check each transfer carefully.
Success first time and another cowl for the cream jumper, both of which I love.
I've added a little custom button modification to help stabilise it as I move.
This confirms, to me, taking time over the planning, making and finishing and attention to detail.

Now for cowl number 3- thicker still!