Tag: cowl

Categories
Crochet

I’m Having An Affair

Every so often a certain yarn just takes my fancy. For a long while it was the Kauni Effect Yarn that had my attention; come to think of it, it might just jump onto the hook again in the very near future. I just haven’t worked anything in it for a while – although I have a couple of balls of very nice purple that could work up fast enough for this winter… Another yarn that I’m pretty besotted by is the Artesano Aran, that is one seriously nice yarn too.

IMG_8024smallYummy Yarn Affair © Irene Lundgaard 2010

My latest great yarn love is Rowan Felted Tweed DK, my mouth water just writing down the name of that yarn. It’s the whole package I’m besotted with, the colours, the texture and not least the lightness of the yarn and the warmth of it and the… The list goes on, and yes, I have it bad, so much so that last night when I had finished work for the day I grabbed a size 4.5 mm hook, and I was off. I didn’t hit the bed until well into the small hours. I simply HAD to manifest my idea there and then…

Right now there are more ideas lining up in quick succession. The back of the envelope that I grabbed is near full of my scribbles. And the weather is playing ball too. Loads of snow is the perfect excuse to take out the lap blanket and snuggle up in the settee with the yarn stash and the hook collection. Oh yes, I am most certainly having an affair, a yarn affair!

Note: The colours chosen are reflecting my logo colours, yet again. Amazing how this happens subconsciously all the time.

Categories
Design Knitting

Releasing Some Heat

I finally got around to actually releasing the pattern for Serena’s Neck Cowl. It’s warm and wintry and it’s a simple enough knit. The yarn is really doing all the work; not only is the yarn pretty in the colouring, but it’s also soft and warm around the neck and the rib makes it nice and flexible too.

IMG_7864smallSerena’s Neck Cowl © Irene Lundgaard 2010

The yarn is Schoppel Wolle Pur which gives a charming striped effect. It only takes 1 skein to work this cowl. Any other nice variegated yarn in a heavy Aran or chunky weight would work too. The cowl is worked top down on circular needles size 5 mm; it is possible to work it on straight needles and sew it together, but I do not recommend this technique as the seam will be bulky.

I have worked the cowl on a size 5 mm needle and the rib effect gives it great flexibility and stretch, but it could very easily be worked on a size 6 mm needle if a slightly larger size was desired.

I have worn this cowl quite a bit lately and it really is very comfortable and warm to wear. It’s a right heat releaser…

Note: You can find the pattern for sale on the pattern page or you can find it on Ravelry, here.

Categories
Design Knitting

Woollies Weather

The last few weeks has had this un-natural warmth to them for the time of year but that has all changed now. Tonight when I got out from teaching my crochet class in Tinahely I had to scrape the ice off the windscreen. Proper cold weather for woollies, yay!

IMG_7831smallSerena’s Neck Cowl © Irene Lundgaard 2010

A few weeks ago I knit up this cosy cowl in Schoppel Wolle Pur Wool. It’s soft and warm and dense and I love the colour and it’s perfect for the cold weather. I made it with the view to having it on under my winter coat and not have the hassle of trailing scarf tails as they always get in the way for me when I’m scraping the windscreen. Proper cowl for proper cold weather in woollies, yay!

Note: Pattern to follow.

Categories
Knitting

Snug Neck Collar

IMG_7422smallThe other day I went down the garden to inspect the apple trees to see if the apples were finally ready to be picked. I went without a jacket, no snug warm sweater or woolly socks for the feet, for that matter. That turned out to be a mistake as the draft around my neck made me cold to the bone.

The previous evening I had been modelling (yes, me, modelling!) for a friend in the wonderful Coollattin House in Shillelagh, Co Wicklow where I had taken in this season’s fashion, saw the odd knit cable here and there and was deeply inspired by the beautiful wood and plasterwork in the two rooms where we were showing the clothes.

IMG_7438smallSnug Neck Collar © Irene Lundgaard 2010

On the way back to the house from the apples with my cold neck I came to think of the collar/shrug/shoulder wrap that Stephanie has made from one of Ístex’s pattern books and immediately, when I returned to the kitchen and found the stove lit I got a terrible urge to do something in knitting and simple cables – that plasterwork from the previous night really did fire up my sense of Elizabethan high collared style (or like a few people has said, lamp shade style…)

I love cables, I just don’t have the patience for the fiddle with the intricate ones but my cold neck wanted a cowl, preferably with cables. I saw at the fashion show that these things should be big and brash and wide and hang far down, but I like a neat little thing that will just do the ‘keep me warm’ bit, without the bulk (for a model, it would be said that I’m the bulky variety myself and don’t need anything added in that department!) I set to work with my needles! Yes, needles!

Using a half knitted up ‘cable thing’ knocking about in the WIP basket (for years, but we’ll leave that aside for now), the yarn was of curious origin but in aran weight and fit for testing the idea. I ripped and cast on, no niddy-noddy-ing, just straight from the knitted piece and onto the needles.

The white neck collar shown here was the result. It’s so snug and I have a feeling it might just develop into something bigger in it’s own good time, but for now it will remain a snug neck collar. Methinks the first thing to do is to give it a gentle soak to try to even out some of the ‘re-used yarn’ look, then write down the pattern, rework it a bit in some nice soft Rowan Felted Tweed, or Artesano Aran perhaps and then launch it, maybe…

Categories
Crochet Design Fun hyperbolic crochet coral reef Pattern

Twisting And Twirling

IMG_4774smallIMG_4730smallI have finally managed to load the Twisty Twirly Scarf pattern so that it’s now available on Ravelry. It took a while and a bit of ploughing through the help files… Reading the small print is obviously not my strongest point! The pattern doesn’t have a lot of small print, it’s fairly straight forward and definitely suited to a relative beginner.

You can look it up here, or you can get it on Ravelry if you are a memeber.

I love this scarf and I have already got one on the hook in a different colour-way and a different yarn too.