Custom Cowl!

I am so excited to begin this project! My dear friend Erin from grad school wanted a cowl so she asked me if she found some yarn she couldn't live without if I would make her one. And of course I said I would!

Look at what she found! It is gorgeous and feels so very soft. Made of pure Merino Wool is why it is so fabulous. I love the colors also. Reminds me of a sunset.

Got to get the pink cowl off the needles so I can get going on this one!  I will keep you posted with further pictures. I just hope she loves it as much as I know I am going to!

Have a great day and do something you love!

Black Sparkle Cowl!

Whew, finally done with this gorgeous extra large cowl. Yes, cowl! A tube for your head! ha, ha...

I created this on circular needles

So I started this lovely in early fall. Made a huge mistakes, ripped it out, made another huge mistake and ripped it out completely again. Finally, I got it finished up. It is super soft and has a nice band of contrasting yarn with a bit of sparkle on each end of the cowl. Adds that little extra fun.

Close up of detail yarn added for sparkle

I love cowls! They are the most fun. You can wear them around your neck as a super warm scarf or you can pull them up on your head as well as a hood/scarf. So very versatile and adds that extra to a simple dress or basic coat.

Black Sparkle Cowl!

I created this by alternating 4 pearled stitched rows with 4 knit rows. I noticed this keeps it from curling up on itself.

It really is a tube!

I am very glad I hung in there with this project. I think I made the mistakes I did because of the dark yarn I was working with. It is harder to see than a lighter yarn. So I learned to move into really good working light. It made all the difference. And I just keep on going! Now I have a fun project to sell and I have lots of new ideas in mind to try for the next few cowls I am planning to create!

I'll Probably Die with Fiber in Hand

I told that above to a friend yesterday and I am completely convinced I will. You know it's true. I know it's true. Fibers are becoming more and more a part of my life because I want them to be.

But have you ever loved something so much it's very hard to put it down? Think about it. Music in your headphones as you run down a beautiful path or a book that has you captivated. That's how I am with fibers. There's something to making something by hand. I put myself into every stitch I make. A part of me is in every pass of the shuttle when it flies through the shed as I weave. Creating is an extension of me.

I am completely drawn to the feel of some yarns and threads. They are just incredible. Some are soft and relaxed while others are more rigid and refined. Some have slubs, bumps, lumps in them that make for a fun texture. They are all unique and have their own characteristics that defines what they will be made into. It's up to the artist to figure out how to manipulate them and make them into something new.

I will probably create as long as I live and I figure I'll die creating. Because really living means doing what you absolutely love. You should do what you love as long as you can. That is exactly what I intend to do.

Autumn Cowl hot off the needles!

Cowls are all the rage these days

Really, I have seen more cowls in the past year than I have in all my life! Big huge ones you can loop around your neck a couple times to small knit ones that fit nicely around your neck. All in different types of yarn from big thick yarn to sock yarn. Some even just over the shoulder or up over your head like a hood. I do like the versatility of the look and can see how they would be very nice to wear keeping you warm and snug on an outdoor day.

Now, I hear from some of my fans on facebook that they are interested so I am going to take a stab at this with my knitting needles. I do know I need to use circular needles and I will probably start out with a chunky styled one.  Seems simple enough. I might even give it a go on my knitting loom - the biggest one which I think is yellow. I'll have to dig that out, but basically instead of working back and forth like for a scarf or rectangular object I am going to work in the round. I use safety pins as markers so that way I know where my beginning stitches are (plus safety pins are a lot cheaper than markers you can buy in the store).

There are also several nice and easy patterns out there with Lion Brand Yarn and Ravelry. You might like to look around and try one for yourself. If you don't  know what Ravelry.com is then I suggest you go and find out! What a valuable too this is to do so many things from keeping track of your yarns, needles and such to finding patterns and groups/friends to connect with online.

So I'll be plotting and planning my cowls to knit over the summer as to have them ready for the cool weather in the fall. I'm sure they will still be around next fall and winter seasons. Usually things like this stick for a year or two. At least that is what I am banking on!