a forgotten skein of malabrigo + my grandma's pattern book = love...

i was going through the many half-finished projects hanging on the back of my front door (that's where current and not-so-current projects go to get finished or languish) the other day, and i realized i had a gorgeous skein of highly saturated, blue-purple malabrigo yarn. just sitting there! how could i?! i discovered the magic of malabrigo when i took a trip to several yarn stores in philadelphia this past may. what a dream that yarn is.

so yesterday, feeling rather tired of working on my mom's christmas sweater, i decided to do up a quickie cowl from my own head. i wanted something with a fun pattern for the main part, but with a split extended bottom edge for extra warmth without having to worry about increases to make it fan out. i decided, in the end, to do a split foldover top, as well. currently, it's blocking, but i might even add a button along the top neckline to cinch it in even more (this was after walking around town in the bright sunshine and cold, cold air... i forgot that it gets COLD here).

the central pattern was from a knitting book my grandmother gave me years ago. the book is from 1971, and it is literally hundreds of pages of nothing but knitting stitch patterns. there's a cabled section, a ribbing section, a reversible stitch pattern section, etc. etc. it is truly amazing. strangely, i also just received the book "reversible knitting" by lynne barr - it, too, is amazing in almost exactly the same way. i look at all of the stitch patterns, and my mind immediately begins thinking of all of the amazing garments i could work up in each stitch. so. cool.

so anyway... enough about me. here's the grandma's knitting book cowl!




better detail of the lacy pattern:


for my own future record (please only use these notes for personal use, not for sale)

- co 103 (or any multiple of 4, +3), do not join.
- work in 2x1 ribbing back and forth for 3”, maintaining a 3 st garter stitch edge at beginning and end of each row.
- join to knit in the round, place marker, k 1 row, decreasing 8 stitches evenly.
- start main pattern (i used “baby variegated ribbing” from an ancient knitting book my grandmother gave me years ago).

baby variegated ribbing:
r1 - p1, k3, p1 - rep from, end k2.
r2 - k2, p1, k3 - rep from, end p1.
r3 - same as r1.
r4 - k2tog, yo, p1, yo, k3tog - rep from, end yo, p1.
r5 - k2, p1, k3 - rep from, end p1.
r6 - p1, k3, p1 - repeat from, end k2.
r7 - same as r5.
r8 - p1, yo, k3tog, yo, p1, yo - rep from, end k2tog.

- continue with pattern to desired length, ending with either row 2 or row 6.
- k 1 row, decreasing 8 sts evenly.
- work 2 rows in 1x2 ribbing, then split. continue knitting back and forth in established rib for 3” or desired length of neck foldover section.
- bind off all stitches loosely.
- block with neck folded down. attach button to foldover extra fabric if desired.

in other news, since it was not only NOT raining but also sunny as heck the past two mornings for the first time in i-can't-even-tell-you-how-long, i went for walks both days. and, of course, took pictures. apparently, someone is looking out for me (my initials are cw, for any who don't know), and this is on the corner right by my house:


my favorite trees are the ones that change from the outside in - little flashes of red on all of the edges. this one is right next door to me, so i get to watch it transform.


a different tree, more color.


i also realized this morning, while walking past a church with these beautiful mums, that i have been dressing lately in the colors of mums. seriously. this was my outfit yesterday, and today the color scheme is basically exactly the same.