Pivot Cowl

This summer when I purchased this yarn I had no plans for what would come of it. Cut to a week ago when I realized I brought no real cold weather clothes to China. Now that the weather is finally changing, and I have some trips planned to head north, I need to whip up some cold weather accessories.

First, I was going to make the Duotone Cowl with a matching hat. However, the colors I was using didn’t contrast enough for my personal liking. I did a little more research and found the Pivot Cowl by Purl Soho. I loved the simplicity of the pattern and knew it would let my yarn shine. The Pivot Cowl is super easy to create yet, has construction elements that keep even the advanced knitter interested. I made some modifications to the pattern that you can see here on my Ravelry page. Basically, I made the cowl shorter to fit my measurements better. I also used a variegated yarn (Magpie Fibers in Frankie Says Relax) on the front panels to give the cowl an additional dimension.

While I was knitting, I used my Knitter’s Pride Dreamz fixed circular needles. I love these needles. They are lightweight, perfectly pointed at the ends, and have good slip. The glide of the wood and the super soft yarn made this project fly off the needles. I have to say the rhythm I developed while knitting was quite addicting! On Sunday, I couldn’t put the project down. I ended up finishing my cowl while a binge watching Sons of Anarchy on Netflix.

Sadly, yesterday when I sat on the couch I pressed my hand into the cushion as well as my needles! One needle snapped clean off the joint! 😭

My beautiful needles!!! I immediately went into fix it mode. I have to save these needles. They are some of my favorites! I may be able to fix the situation with some super glue. The break was pretty clean so there may be hope!

Despite this tragic hit to my needle collection, I am super happy with my new cowl. I am loving the slight sheen and drape that the cashmere combination adds to the wool. If you have the chance (and the budget) I highly recommend picking up a skien (or two or three or five!) of Magpie Fibers’ Swanky DK.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

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I Can’t Resist Cashmere

Cashmere you dreamy fiber. How I love your glorious softness. Generally, I avoid you in the yarn store because I cannot resist your charm. However, on my recent trip to Vermont, I caved. I caved hard and now am the proud owner of three new skeins of Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blended goodness.

I purchased my new skeins from a lovely store called Nido. The shop is located on the second floor of a beautiful old brick building. One side of the store is devoted to fabrics and the other side is fiber. The staff members were perfect. They greeted me when I came in, but gave space to do my perusing (aka petting). After a little while, I was approached and given the full yarn tour. Personally, I like to have time with the yarn before the sales associates try to sway me.

I didn’t explore the fabric side much as my sewing skills are horrific. However, I spent about 20 minutes on the fiber side. Nido carries more of the quality yarns (think Madeline Tosh, Brooklyn Tweed, Quince & Co.) and has a limited variety of brands. This is defiantly the shop you go in when you have a special project in mind. They also carry some very awesome knitting books and possess gorgeous samples.

So what did I buy? Well, I purchased two skeins of yarn from Magpie Fibers. I have never tried nor seen this yarn in my LYS so I was extra excited to be introduced to it. The skiens are called “Jaded” and ” Frankie Says Relax”. I was drawn to the rich colors in each of the yarns. My vision is to intermix the solid skein and the variegated one in a basic sweater silhouette.

I also purchased a skein of String Theory’s Casper Sock Yarn.  Immediately, I thought of these socks and knew that I had to have this yarn. So in the bag it went. The photo doesn’t show it well, but this yarn is variegated with shades of blue and purple. I am quite curious to see how it knits up.

Overall, I am overjoyed with my purchases and can’t wait to get this yarn on the needles. Cashmere is such a treat.

Is there a fiber that makes your heart melt? 

Until Next Time,

-Whit-