New design: Sugarcube cowl

It's definitely summer here now, and if you're looking for something seasonally-appropriate to knit, you need look no further than the latest issue of Knit Now magazine (issue 91), which is available in shops now. I have a new pattern in the issue: the Sugarcube cowl.

As summer turns to autumn I find myself wanting a lightweight additional layer: cowls are my favourite solution. The Sugarcube cowl is knitted in Hayfield Sundance* (50% acrylic, 50% cotton; 320 m per 100 g ball), a DK weight yarn with a high cotton content, which gives the yarn a really cool, crisp feel when you're working with it, and a lovely drape once it's knitted. The cowl can be made either short or long (to be wrapped round the neck twice) to add a little extra warmth without resorting to a coat, or to provide a little protection from the sun.

The stitch pattern uses just knit and purl stitches with a 10 st, 20 row repeat, that is pretty intuitive once you've done the first repeat or two, making this a good project to work on when knitting with friends or chatting over coffee. The stitch pattern is fully reversible, so the inside of the cowl is as attractive as the outside.

The cowl pattern is written in six sizes: S (M, L) for each of the short and long cowls.

Knit Now issue 91 is available now from newsagents and supermarkets in the UK, or you can order a copy from More Mags.

*Affiliate link. The cowl is shown in shade 504 Aqua Mist.

All images copyright Practical Publishing.

FO Friday: Storm Trooper Cowl

I mentioned last week that we have entered the cold snap. With very little warning the weather went straight from balmy October to frosty November. One day I will be prepared for the cold snap, but not this year. I managed to find enough hats from last year for everyone to have cosy heads and ears, and several mittens and gloves (not pairs, that would be a stretch, besides, the kids like to wear theirs mismatched), and while I have a small mountain of scarves and shawls, my son did complain that he didn't have a scarf.

I've never been that keen on scarves on small children. Scarves are easily lost, and the ends mean that they pose a choking risk, so I decided that maybe a little cowl knitting was in order.

When asked, my son said he wanted the cowl to have Star Wars motifs on it, so I spent Monday morning searching Google images for something appropriate. There were a lot of options - there is definitely a large crossover between the knitting and Star Wars communities - and I decided to go for a Storm Trooper motif as they looked most distinctive (and only required two colours of yarn per row, which makes the knitting a lot easier).

The cowl was a completely improvised work. I used chunky weight yarn from stash (mostly King Cole Big Value Chunky), and aimed for a circumference a little larger than my son's head, and to make the cowl long enough that it could be squished down round his neck for extra cosiness. Here's my *amazing* sketch. Yes, the Storm Troopers do look rather like potatoes wearing sunglasses.

The knitting was quick and moderately easy. I cast the cowl on at lunchtime on Monday and had cast it off by the end of the day. I will confess that the Storm Troopers were a bit of a pain. Some of the blocks of colour were very wide so I had to catch several of the floats more than once between colour changes. But actually I quite enjoyed the knitting (and the lack of ends - I'm used to intarsia, which creates so many ends!).

And here is the finished cowl. My son is delighted with it, and delightedly wore it to school yesterday.

If you fancy making your own, I've made a project page for it on Ravelry where you can find all the details.

New design: Snowflake infinity scarf

Over the past week I've shown you not one but two shiny new designs, Granny's Button Jar and Leaf socks, and here is a third, my Snowflake Infinity Scarf.

Image courtesy of I Like Knitting.

The scarf is knitted in the round as a really long tube with a stranded, tesselating snowflake design that runs the length of the tube. When the full length required is acheived, the tube is cast off and the ends seamed to make the tube into a cowl. The cowl is long enough to be wrapped round the neck twice, making it very cosy (I think this cowl would be perfect for wearing on long winter walks, or while out in the snow).

I love this design, and can't wait to get the sample back from the publishers! It's knitted in Rico Essentials Soft Merino Aran, which is lovely and plump and squishy. I definitely think this design could be worn by men and women, and the Rico yarn comes in a large variety of colours, so there should be something to suit everyone.

And very excitingly, the design is on the cover!

Image courtesy of I Like Knitting.

The pattern is published in the February 2017 issue of I Like Knitting magazine, an e-zine that is available via a subscription model.

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