Tres Chic Veronique

I'd had my eye on this gorgeous Icelandic shawl for a while. I almost choked when I saw that the book costs $45, but I had to have it!

Of course, it took a while to find the right yarn for this design... I finally settled on Habu's super shiny, super slippery 100% silk.

It's easy to knit with it, once you have filed your nails are completely snag free. Hey, at least I took good care of my nails while knitting this shawl!

The pattern is completely charted out, which really helps visualize what you're about to do. Still, I messed up a couple of times and had to tink back occasionally. But, as with all lace knitting, you eventually find a groove :)
Details on Ravelry here.

Well! So much has been going on... The usual culprits I'm afraid (work and ... work), but also a death in the family. I was so down, I didn't even go to to Rhinebeck.
Anyway. On to the good stuff.

In order to celebrate the election and my third blogiversary (oops, it was on October 14th), here's a cowl pattern :)

Yarn: Koigu Kersti, 1.5 skeins, or about 160 yds. (Color K1110, dye lot 33).
Needles: US5 (4.75mm) Addi circulars, 24". I tend to knit a little loose, so you might go up to a US 6 needle, which is what's recommended on the ball band.
Gauge: 18 st=4". (Wow. Nowhere near the recommended ball band gauge of 22 st=4". I'm a rebel).

Pattern: Cast on 90 sts. Join in the round and work in garter st (knit one round, then purl one round) until you have 3 garter ridges (6 rounds total). Work in Baby Bowknot stitch pattern for 10" (or until you reach your desired height). Work 6 round in garter st, then bind off.

Baby Bowknot stitch pattern:
Rnd 1: knit.
Rnd 2: knit.
Rnd 3: *k3, p3* to end.
Rnd 4: *k3, p1, k1 in st below, p1* to end.
Rnd 5: knit.
Rnd 6: knit.
Rnd 7: *p3, k3* to end.
Rnd 8: *p1, k1 in st below, p1, k3* to end.
Repeat rnds 1-8.

Although this stitch pattern may appear complicated (8 round per repeat?!), I promise that it is actually very intuitive. After one repeat, you will get it and not need to look at the pattern again!



The width of the cowl is 18-19". I made it deliberately narrower than Sandra's La La Love You cowl cause a girl needs options. Sometimes you want a loose cowl that can show off a brooch, sometimes you want something to hug your neck a little more... And also, this rust orange color goes well with my new gray winter coat. So there.



I'm now making matching fingerless gloves!
Oh, and I finished Hyrna Herborgar :)

Labels: Baby Bowknot cowl