Thursday, September 22, 2016

The swatch that turned into a cowl


Okay, I admit it. I wasn't really swatching (exactly). I was hoping that I would just be able to continue on to get the desired result. Luckily I decided to do some number-crunching to see what I was heading for and discovered that I was well on my way to knitting a Hagrid-sized shawl. This required some regrouping to get a more reasonable size and use about 800 yards instead of 1320. Although a shawl that size would be fabulous, knitting it in linen stitch might take the rest of my life.

Because I had become so fond of this swatch I decided to bind it off and keep it. (My favs get stuck up on the bulletin board in my work room.) Then I discovered it went around my neck nicely with just enough overlap for a snap closure. Hmmmm. We were heading to Newfoundland, this just might come in handy....  I love cowls, but with my crazy hair, weather that requires frequent on-and-off maneuvers can be a disaster. Scarves work but they are big - this will fit in my purse/backpack/coat pocket.



Just on the off chance that someone else might want to make this, here's the "pattern". I decided to call it Alias (I was watching Jane Got a Gun while working on this. There may be a connection.) It's very basic - just linen stitch with increases to form the triangle. Stripe it if you like. (My stripes were 4 rows/6 rows/6 rows/4 rows/16 rows.) The stranded colorwork pattern is not included (it will be in the shawl pattern when it's released).  I wrote it up for the weight/gauge/yardage I used, but there's lots of room for playing here.

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ALIAS
Skills required
Increasing
Slipping stitches
Gauge
24 stitches and 38 rows in linen stitch
Approximate measurements
24 inches across the top and 11.5 inches deep
Materials
Approximately 150 yards if you're using worsted weight yarn – as many colors as you like. Preferably in something that feels nice around your neck (I used Cascade 220 and Wool days Scout, feel free to substitute a different weight and yardage)
US 9/5.5 mm needle, or size needed to obtain a fabric you like with your yarn. Linen stitch is dense, you'll need to work with larger needles than usual. Personally, I wouldn't swatch  (obviously). This starts small so you can just start over if necessary.

Needle two sizes smaller for the set up and for binding off
Large snap and supplies to attach
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Abbreviations
[  ]
repeat enclosed instructions as many times as possible (you may not end with a full repeat)
k
knit
kfb
knit into the front and then the back of the same stitch
p
purl
RS
right side
sl1
slip 1 stitch purl-wise
WS
wrong side
wyib
with working yarn held in back
wyif
with working yarn held in front
Instructions
Set-up
Using smaller needle, make a slip knot on your needle.
Row 1 (RS): kfb
Row 2: p2
Row 3: kfb, k1
Row 4: sl1 wyif, p2
Row 5: sl1 wyib, kfb, k1
Row 6: sl1 wyif, p3
Row 7: sl1 wyib, kfb, k2
Row 8: sl1 wyif, p4
Work in linen stitch
Switch to larger needles and work in linen stitch until you have 86 stitches or a size that works for you and your yarn, ending with a RS row.
RS rows: sl1 wyib, kfb, [k1, sl1 wyif] OR [sl1 wyif, k1] always ending with a knit stitch
WS rows: sl1 wyif, [p1, sl1 wyib] OR [sl1 wyib, p1] always ending with a purl stitch
(Determine the stitch order in the brackets by alternating which stitches are worked or slipped.)
If you are using more than one color, work the first row (RS) of the new color as follows:
sl1, kfb, knit to end. Begin linen stitch on the next (WS row), looking to the last patterned row to see whether to start with a slip or a purl.
Finishing
Bind off knit-wise on WS using smaller needles.
Weave in ends.
Sew a giant snap to the top corners. (Try it on to get the perfect placement.) If you don't want to fool with sewing on a snap and are okay with pulling it over your head, you could tack the ends together instead.
Block as desired.

Enjoy! 
 

update: I did indeed wear this as a cowl in Newfoundland and I just found out it works like a head scarf too - the wind is making my ears cold at the campground on the Nova Scotia coast this morning.