Finished object: Castilleja Cowl | Spud & Chloe Sweater

Castilleja Cowl knit in Spud & Chloe Sweater.

It's been school holidays here and I have been busy with the kids every day so far.  I have had little knitting time and the blog has been a bit neglected. But today I've managed to get some rest time out of the kids and so it's blog time.

Throughout June I was working between 4 projects and just casually switching between them depending on what I felt like working on at the moment. I've been plodding through my Maeve Shrug and also cast on at the beginning of the month for the Skein podcast shawl KAL. I had also been slowly working on a mini version of the Moto Vest for my girl and an anniversary present for the husband. Between these projects I was starting to feel a little unmotivated since I wasn't getting anywhere near finishing any of them. 

I love the cosiness of a cowl in winter.

Then my little guy got invited to a kinder friend's birthday party and we only had a week's notice. I don't enjoy taking the kids to the shopping centre these days so I decided to knit the little girl something. I figured a quick gift knit might help me get my knitting mojo back.

Sir S choose some yarn out of my stash and we found an easy (and free) cowl pattern  off Ravelry called the Castilleja Cowl. It calls for a worsted weight yarn and I used some grape coloured Spud & Chloe sweater yarn. The yarn is beautifully soft and squishy with a wool and organic cotton composition. 

Simple details kept this knit interesting.

I knit this up in two days and I'm quite pleased with the results. The cowl design has regular elongated stitches set within reverse stockinette stitch and is bordered by fisherman's rib sections. There was just enough variation in it to keep it an interesting knit. 

The pattern is well written with easy to follow instructions and if a bigger cowl is desired it can be adapted without too much difficulty. The pattern needs a multiple of 6 stitches cast on and a wider cowl can be achieved with more repeats of the pattern.

I hope the birthday girl will enjoy the cowl as the cold weather sets in. I guess even though I had wanted to reevaluate my gift making I can't help myself; making gifts still feels better to me than buying.

What to knit Wednesday: Essential Winter Accessories

I'm keeping rugged up to keep out the winter chill.

When I look at the forecast for next week and seeing a series of 13 degree Celsius days for Melbourne my mind is instantly starting to work out how I am going to wool up to stay warm. My key woollen accessories are cowls, mitts, beanies and shawls and this year I am desperately wanting some handknit socks to keep my tootsies warm. My top 5 today are patterns that I have in my wardrobe or I want to add in the near future.

Image source: Purl Soho

1. Big Herringbone Cowl by Purl Soho.

For me a cowl is essential and this cowl has been on my wishlist for ages. I can see that it is designed by Purl Soho with the New York winters in mind because it is a grand long loop that can be wrapped multiple times around the neck. There is no way that the chill can get through this cowl. I also love the classic style of the herringbone stitch.

As a free pattern on their blog it is easily adapted for different yarn weights and yardages. I will probably not make it as big as the designed size but one large enough to wrap around my neck twice would be a perfect cosy accessory for me.

Can never have too many of these angora/lambswool gloves.

2. Fingerless gloves by Penelope Durston.

Not exactly a handknit but these gloves are the bomb. Penelope Durston is a Melbourne maker and designer who hand dyes these beautiful angora and lambswool blend gloves herself and sells them in her Fitzroy shop, Cottage Industry. I came across these gloves many years ago, probably after reading a Frankie Magazine and I instantly loved the vibrant colours and the delicious softness. 

I must confess that I own too many pairs of these and at least one of each of the lengths (hand, wrist and elbow length). Sadly I have lost a couple of pairs over time and I can't stop myself from buying replacements. They range from $45-$60 and are so worth it.

I love the cable panel on this hat.

3. Rosebud Hat by Jared Flood.

I wrote about this hat recently in a finished object post. It turned out much bigger than the designed sized because I did not follow gauge, but it is so cosy. The Road to China Worsted yarn from The Fiber Company is so soft and undoubtedly the cashmere, camel, alpaca and silk blend is the reason behind this. On those bitingly cold mornings this has been my go to hat this winter.

4. Pure by cabinfour.

When I purchased 300g of Ton of Wool Cormo I decided to turned this beautiful wool into this shawl. Pure is a subtly textured triangular shawl that will look perfect with the undyed cream cormo wool. The shawl is designed to represent it's name; pure, clean, unmixed and plain. The aran weight cormo is super squishy and is so cosy to touch. I just know it will turn into a wonderfully warm shawl.

5. Elementary Watson Socks by Sherry Menton.

I chose these socks because I am a fan of the BBC 'Sherlock' series. The cable pattern was inspired by the cabled jumper that Martin Freeman's Doctor Watson character wore in the first season. The nerdy part of me will take pleasure in making and wearing these cute socks and I'll also appreciate being able to keep my cold feet warm too.

Stay warm this winter if you're in the southern hemisphere like I am. 

Finished object file: Colour Block Cabled Cowl

The pink with a touch of dark grey is quite a nice colour block combo.

I've had quite a few projects on the go lately and this quick little chunky knit is my latest finished object. Completed in a day it is a great kid sized cowl to make for last minute gift giving.

The pattern is shared for free by Ashley from the 'A Crafty House' blog. She has it typed up on a post . Ashley has an adult version of this cowl on the blog too but I was looking for a quick knit for the birthday of one of my son's kinder friends and this chunky knit was perfect. I really liked the chance to try the crochet provisional cast on and the simple cabling in the pattern was easily memorised.

The super easy cable pattern gives the cowl just the right amount of texture for it's simplicity.

I used some left over Drops Eskimo yarn but ran out near then end so I finished it with some dark grey Debbie Bliss Como. The Eskimo yarn is a 100% wool but it isn't the softest stuff that I've felt and I have a few concerns about it being worn so close to the skin of a sensitive part of the body like the neck. I would have loved to have made it all in the Como because it is a soft merino/ cashmere blend but  I decided to risk it and use the Eskimo because I thought the pink would be more appealing for this little girl.

Because it's for his little friend I roped Sir S into modelling it.

We'll be gifting this next weekend when we attend this child's 5th birthday party. I hope she likes it and won't find it too scratchy against the neck.

What to knit Wednesday: Quick gift knits

The Sabi Hat that I knit with Sublime Yarns Baby Cashmerino Silk DK

Hooray, we're over the illness hump and I'm bringing 'What to knit Wednesday' back. I've just finished knitting a present for my SIL so I thought I might take a moment to look at some quick knits that are great little gifts.

1. Mitini Mitts by Colleen Powley.

This pair of dainty mitts is what I just finished for my SIL. I love how the simple cables across the back of the mitt creates texture and a subtle elegance. I received this pattern as a freebie when I purchased a ball of Blue Sky Alpacas Royal Petites, which is a super soft 100% alpaca yarn. One ball of the Petites is meant to be enough for both mitts but my gauge must be off because I was yards off. After knitting the right mitt I found it to be too big for my hands and I knew that it would be even bigger for my SIL's hands. It was also clear that I wasn't going get both mitts out of the 1 ball so I knew I needed some MODS. I CO 50sts (6 less than the pattern's instructions) and to ensure I had enough yarn to BO I made the thumb shorter. Full details of my MODS can be read on my Ravelry project page.

My SIL's birthday is next week so I hope she'll like these little mitts through the winter.

2. Chibi Maruko by Mari Chiba.

I knit this cowl a few months ago as a birthday and farewell present for a friend who was moving back to NZ. I thought a cowl would be a nice way for her to stay cosy during those Kiwi winters and she would be able to remember us whenever she wears it.

The cowl is a lovely textured stitch that is easy to remember and since it's not a fitted garment it is easily adapted for desired size. I chose to knit it with some Quince & Co. Owl Tweet in Boysenberry and I think the texture suited the darker coloured yarn well. The yarn itself is an alpaca/ wool blend with some nubby bits to give it a slight tweed feel. 

3. Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland.

This pattern is a free Madelinetosh download and it is so easy. It uses a slipped stitch to create a honeycomb pattern that is really easy to memorise. It can pretty much be knit with any weight yarn even though the suggested weight is DK/ 8ply. The pattern gives suggestions for a long and short cowl and these instructions can be used as a guide for modifying the pattern. I knit it with 2 skeins of Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted for a long cowl.

4. Sabi Hat by Olga Buraya-Kefelian.

Hats are another one of those small projects that are quick to knit up for gifting. I made this last year for a church friend and it took me just a few days. It's a stylish hat that uses directional ribs to create a zig zag pattern. The ribs also makes it quite a stretchy hat and can fit lots of head sizes and shapes.

5. Windschief by Stephen West.

Here's one for the boys. I made this as one of my Christmas gifts last year and it was such a quick knit with the worsted-aran weight/ 10ply yarn. The design is not overly fussy which appeals to the guys and the rib panel gives it a bit of stretchiness to fit a variety of head shapes and sizes.

Not that it's necessary to point out the obvious but small projects are best for knitting up last minute gifts. I have a preference for cowls, hats and mitts but small softies, socks and small household items like mug cozies are also great gifts that can be knit up quickly.

Also, patterns that have easily memorised instructions are ideal. Once you memorise the necessary steps of the pattern you can sped through the rows or rounds without constantly needing to look up the pattern. Another perk of memorising the pattern is that you can knit on the move without needing to fiddle with checking patterns on paper or on tablets and phones. When knitting to a deadline you can maximise your knitting time by having your projects at hand for any spare moments of knitting. I can usually knock out a row or two while I'm supervising bath time or during a car ride to the grandparents.

Leave a comment and share your quick gift knits.