Thursday, December 29, 2011

Feather and Fan cowl -- pattern under development


I was so inspired by the yarn I used to make Leah's hat, I had to keep knitting with it.  I usually knit socks and mitts on size 3mm needles, so using 5mm and larger was a real treat.  Things grow fast when you use thick yarn and large needles.  Duh.

I am in love with the Feather and Fan lace pattern. In fact, I've been dabbling with it for a while. The knitting magazine I received in my stocking this year contained an article about the Feather and Fan patterns and all the delightful variations on the theme.  There are dozens. If you haven't yet explored it, consider doing so.  It is simple and elegant-- of the four rows of the pattern, only one row requires you to pay any attention at all -- with a series of rhythmic k2togs (knit two together) and yos (yarn overs).  The article ended with instructions/ideas for making items with this pattern.  One of them was a cowl.

Hence, I grabbed the rest of the placid waters yarn and another similar bundle -- coal harbour, all from Sweet Georgia Yarns, and cast on. The nice thing about making a hat or a cowl, is not only that it goes by quickly, but it is that you only have to make ONE.  You can make changes and additions and variations, and unless you are trying to design a pattern, you don't have to worry about repeating it.  Just create as you go.  It's like free form drawing. 

So here it is, the photo shoot:

Here it is right near the end when I started thinking about taking photos.



Here's what it looks like after it is washed and blocked.  Quite a simple item don't you think? It is essentially an 8" (20 cm) tube with a bit of a skirt.



In this last view you can see the effect of the skirt.  I have cast on again, planning another Feather and Fan lace cowl, but this time making it much more snug.  The Feather and Fan lace has quite a bit of stretch, so it will fit over the head even if it more snug around the neck.

Stay tuned.  I am on holidays and have all the time in the world for knitting and playing around with fibre.


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