Work in progress.

So during my scarf frenzy, I was poking around online for free patterns and realized that cowls are even better than scarves because they are shorter and therefore quicker to make, which is a definite advantage when it’s December 18 and you are still crocheting during every waking moment. My mama didn’t raise no dummies.

I made this cowl for my sister for Hanukkah. It’s the most complicated pattern I’ve ever followed but it wasn’t that hard – just beware, because it says it is a one-skein pattern and it most definitely isn’t. D’oh!! (And just a suggestion, mannequin lady in the pattern photo, but you might not be so cold you have to wear a scarf if you’d only put on a shirt.)

I ran out of yarn after making the 17th star (there should be 21) and panicked because I bought the yarn (Malabrigo worsted in Tuareg) in Arizona, and I wouldn’t be going back there until January. I phoned every local yarn store I knew. Nobody had it.

Finally I discovered a terrific little store not far from my office, called Twist – Yarns of Intrigue and they stock Malabrigo in tons of colorways. I danced a little jig. And spent a little dough. And finished Beth’s cowl, after all the dancing and spending. And a nap to recover from both.

I usually avoid wool because I have experienced mild allergic reactions while wearing it. But I had no trouble with this yarn, and it was an absolute pleasure to work up. I’ve read it’s too pilly and feltable to be practical as a sweater but it is lovely for scarves and hats. That’s fine because I knitted one (baby) sweater seventeen years ago and met my sweater quota for life.

The blocked piece dries (slowly and fragrantly).

This photo shows the finished piece being blocked. I washed it gently using just a smidgen of a drop of baby shampoo, taking care not to squeeze or twist it. Rinsed it well, rolled it in a fluffy towel to sop up most of the moisture, and then used rust-proof T-pins to secure the scarf onto a big doubled piece of cardboard to dry. (I laid down a piece of freezer paper first, so the damp would not ruin the cardboard panel.) It took two days to dry, and smelled like a wet dog for the first few hours. When it was completely dry I stitched together the tips of the stars on both short ends to form the scarf into a loop, which can be worn like a cowl or a hood.

I was in such a hurry to mail it, I neglected to photograph the finished cowl. But you get the idea. Working on a lavender one now (actually the color is called Cuarzo and you can see a smidgen of it in the upper left of the top photo). I cannot get enough of this yummy yarn.