Spring has technically arrived so I better post this cozy project before it looks silly. Although, anyone living in the metro Vancouver area would agree that it has been colder than usual and wearing a hand knitted wool cowl wouldn’t exactly be strange these past two weeks.
Those of you that know me, have heard me say many times that I don’t know how to knit and I wasn’t interested in learning.
This is why I never say never…
Yes, I have finally taken up knitting. Thanks to watching a few YouTube video tutorials, I managed to teach myself how to knit and I’ve already completed my first project – a warm and versatile cowl neck scarf made of 100% wool in a lovely charcoal colour.
Don’t look too closely! There are tons of mistakes. I used a free pattern I found on ravelry.com, an awesome online community for crocheters and knitters. The pattern was simple and easy to follow but being a little on the impatient side, I often rushed through rows and knitted when I should have purled and purled when I should have knitted. Hence, the obvious errors in my scarf.
Do not be deceived by the simplicity of the eternity scarf. While the project is easy enough for knitting newbies, it does require time and patience. Each row or round consists of 160 – 220 stitches (depending on how long you want your scarf). That is a lot of stitches. It took me something like 6-8 weeks to finish my scarf. Mind you I have a billion other things to do so if you can dedicate yourself to one project at a time, you should be able to complete this cowl a lot faster!
The scarf was made using 2 skeins of Patons Classic wool and 5mm circular needles (90cm). I find Patons Classic wool is quite soft and it doesn’t leave me feeling itchy from the fibres.
The pattern for the cowl is by Ann Maria for Madeleine Tosh. As I mentioned earlier, I discovered it on ravelry.com.
I love how my cowl turned out. It is warm, cozy and versatile. I made the long version of the cowl which can be wrapped twice around the neck for warmth or just for a different look. The scarf is technically “reversible” since the pattern looks pretty on both sides. I’m thinking the shorter style cowl would be great for my girls. Wearing a cowl is much better than a long scarf, especially for the little ones. No need to worry about any ends being caught or wrapped around the neck too tight!
I’m not sure what my next knitting project will be. Maybe a pair of socks for each of my girls or something for the baby.
Happy knitting/crafting!
P.S. Here’s an important tip: Avoid twisting your first row! I discovered a twist after knitting 2.5 inches and unfortunately had to take it apart and start over. (That would be about 2000 wasted stitches.)
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I never knew that you didn’t know how to knit! amazing
PS: pls model your scarf with a picture! the one that i made is similar, but not as long. nice and cozy! when i hand washed it once, the wool became much softer and surprisingly, not itchy at all! i’m glad that i got my wear out of it as it’s getting warmer here! thanks for sharing your crafts
It looks amazing! Great job!
Is there anything you can’t do???? You are one talented lady!
I would model but honestly, a long cowl does not suit pregnancy at all. The scarf sits right on my belly and it just looks weird. Maybe I’ll get Madeline to model for me!
ha, ha…I have an irrational fear of driving outside my comfort zone. I guess I’m not so perfect. Far from it actually!
Thanks Ange!
HI, first of all ,love ur scarf! I’ve trying making cowl scarf for my daughter past 2 days in a row! I some how pulled it from the bottom .,but later i see its not round! i’m knitting it on a circular wired needle ( size 19″ . 15mm , 29 inch ( 75 cm) . Its not comming out round. it shapes like scarf . not a cowl scarf. ( which is suppose to be round)
I need help.
Thanks.
Once you get to the last stitch of the first row, you need to make sure you join the round together. Here is a good photo tutorial on how to do this: http://www.stitchdiva.com/tutorials/knitting/on-circular-needles. Be sure your work is not twisted. I checked and checked and still managed to twist my first row and had to undo A LOT of stitches. Hope this helps! Good luck:-)