Brrrrr! In a mystery bag of acrylic blended yarns, this one popped out at me...it's oh sooo soft. I've said this before and stand by it...acrylics really shouldn't always take a back seat - for every scratchy, there's a softy. Just as for the inexpensive, there are many overpriced "quality" yarns where you're paying for a name rather than a solid, pick of the litter yarn. Trial & error...even a little consumer experience helps here. You simply can't go wrong with black & grays in my book, but to make it even more fun - it's also a boucle with a pinch of fleck! For a bargain yarn this is perfect. All the imperfections in the strand actually play a beautiful part in making it one of a kind. Granted if this was a traditional plain yarn, imperfections are unmanageable headaches, but for novelty types it makes it a bit more adventurous! I LOVE using boucle for quick knits. After all these years of knitting, my favorite is still my basic beginner red garter stitch scarf. (It doesn't get easier than that!) Mindless knitting that lets the boucle to the talking!!! Those tiny little loops can be pesky little buggers, but well worth enduring a few measly sighs. :) The right yarn doesn't necessarily need all the fancy stitch work. Sometimes it's equally exciting to let the yarn be the star. Rightfully so! It's not worth all the effort to develop complex stitches only to have them swallowed up by a busy yarn choice. Simplicity is key when using novelty yarns. This yarn, Gala, is a mixed blend of acrylic/polyester/nylon in a light worsted weight. It also had cowl written all over it! ;)
I threw together a swatch in no time thanks to my size 11 needles. Here is my end result,, the Witching Hour in this mixed charcoal frugal find. Oh yes, another honeycomb something or other. It's my weakness, I can't help myself. Inspired by a very memorable day spent in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in late October...the absolute perfect time of year to need this cowl and see this town. I'll post some pics of that as well in a future post. 15's were too airy for this...the 11's gave me the chunky look I was striving for without diminishing the cable. I adore the versatility of a cowl! Cowls have a classiness about them & wear well with pretty much anything under the sun. They add just the right amount of "snaz." =) So, with a little math & minor adjusting I wrote this reversible (oh yeah) pattern using the same method I used for designing Cupid. Here's yet another example of a simple & functional knit that requires minimal attention and whips up quickly - an easy cabled tubular design. I'll post again on this when the pattern's ready to release. Speaking of, though I've been a bit behind in pattern releases, at the rate I'm going there will be an abundance in the coming year. Yay - how exciting!!! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all...keep clicking into 2012!
