torto beginner’s cowl

sometimes i challenge myself.

sometimes someone else fuels the fire.

this time elizabeth, owner of lys “auntie zaza’s”, asked for a cowl pattern.

IMG_3281crop

‘something,’ she said, ‘for a beginner, but interesting.  maybe with a cable.’

it’s funny how working to simplify this cowl

down to the very basics and

finding the most straightforward ways to construct it around the cable

was harder than designing a more complex piece.

IMG_3238collagei think that’s because i wanted every stitch to count.

if you’re learning to cable,

you want bang for your buck, you know?

long, wide cables are minimal on fuss

and maximize the drama.

IMG_3273cropb&w&cropif you’re going to try your hand at knitting in the round,

you want to not get two rows in

only to realize that you twisted it into a mobius by mistake.

since this cowl’s ribbing is knit flat,

by the time you join to knit in the round

it’s easy, almost foolproof, to see when you’ve got the twists out.

IMG_3247cropwashproblem solved.  now if only there was an easy way

to do gorgeous colorwork with 5 shades per row…

‘time’ taken from 15:32 in job.

darker cowl is cascade eco+ in ‘berry’.

lighter cowl is debbie bliss rialto chunky in ‘sea green’.