Outlander Cowl

 

 

I published my "Outlander Cowl"! I have made three of them so far and I love each of them. I wanted to design something that was easy to knit, but very functional to wear. I wanted it to be mostly mindless, but still interesting enough that I didn't get bored.  I also wanted to design something that would work with all weights of yarn from fingering to bulky and everything in between. I also wanted a pattern that would work well with hand dyed yarns, hand spun and one of kind skeins.  I tend to find that I fall in love with yarns at fiber festivals and I break down and don't buy it because I don't know what I am going to do with it. This pattern and my next one to be released should cure that problem of not knowing what to knit.

 

My wonderful friend Ryan modeled the cowls for me and my sister Leanne did the graphic design work.  I took Ryan to a friends farm for pictures and we had so much fun.

 

 

The cowl can be worn looped once around your neck or draped over your shoulders. It even fits as a sleeveless top!  This amazing pink / purple color is Fable Fibers Novel "Amelie". I am slightly obsessed with the color.

 

The horse was more interested in eating the cowl then standing nicely for pictures.

If you remember back a while ago I dyed some yarn using the kettle cooked cake dying method. This is the skein of prime alpaca I dyed. 

 

The goats were much better behaved.

This yarn is made from three of my parents alpacas. It is a blend from last years shearing. It has Reno, Jatoba & Francesca. It was processed by a fiber mill. I've had a slight challenge finding good patterns for small fiber mill yarn and I wanted to cater this pattern to that type of yarn. I love how it knitted up.  It is so warm and cozy!

 

I have to say a huge thank you to the Corson's for letting us run a muck all over their farm. We had such a good time. The "Outlander Pattern" is available for purchase in my Ravelry store.

 

I consider this pattern a beginner / advanced beginner pattern. You must be able to: knit, purl, yarn over, increase, knit in the round.  The directions are written and there isn't a chart.  This is good project for learning to knit in the round if you haven't done so before.  This is a good project also for any impulse yarn you bought at a LYS :)

 

For reading I finished listening to "Outlander".  Do you wonder where I got the name for this pattern from? I really really really enjoyed the first book and I started the second book in the series "Dragonfly in Amber".  I can't tell you how much I want to go to Scotland after listening to these books! Each book is over 30 hours long and I am so into the characters and the stories I can't get enough. I am so glad there are so many books! I know what I'm listening to all summer. As an added bonus Starz is producing an original series based on the novels here is a link to the trailer.  I can't wait!!!

 

My next pattern I am publishing is "Standing Stones".

 

 

This has a very similar construction to the Outlander Cowl, but it involves an additional section that has a chart (the chart is also written out). I will be releasing it very soon in a worsted weight version. I have ordered this yarn for a fingering version and this yarn for another worsted version. I couldn't resist buying some Miss Bab's yarn! I was so sad at Rhinebeck when I didn't come home with any of her yarn, but I didn't have a project lined up for it. Now I do!

 

Happy Knitting!!!

 

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along

 

*****UPDATE*****

I have released the Standing Stones Pattern.