A Cozy Cowl Just for You

Now that it’s too late to knit anything for anyone else for Christmas, I say it’s time to get selfish with your knitting. Maybe for just a little while. Even if you only knit one project for yourself. I tend to give myself permission around the holidays to knit from someone else’s pattern, which is super rare for me. It usually takes me a couple of years to finish a project, but it’s a lot of fun to make something I don’t have to think that much about.

If you’re looking for something to knit just for you, I’d like to suggest this simple seed stitch cowl from Classic Elite Yarns. Designed by Susan Mills, it’s actually more of a recipe than a pattern, because it explains how to make it for three different lengths and three different widths. Just choose the yarn you like in two different colors, swatch, pick your options and you’ll be on your way.

It’s worked in seed stitch in the round with a touch of contrasting color on each side. This makes the project pop with very little effort, which is just the thing for the rush of the holiday season. And odds are we’ve still got a lot of cold weather ahead of us in the Northern Hemisphere, so you’ll get plenty of use out of this project.

[Photo via Classic Elite Yarns.]

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I guess I’ve decided it’s time to start knitting vests, and while I typically think of vests as being for fall, this one is decidedly summery.

Vanessa Ewing’s Fruit Salad Fest is covered with all kinds of fruits. I see grapes, blueberries, strawberries, peaches and kiwi all stitched up in rows for a cute and colorful vest.

This one is worked in sock yarn and comes in nine sizes. The actual finished chest measurement of the vest ranges from 29.5 to 59 inches, or 75 to 150 cm. It’s meant to be work with 2 to 4 inches/5-10 cm of positive ease. And while it’s called a vest it doesn’t look like it has any shaping, which gives it little cap sleeves when worn.

There’s a bit of ribbing at the armholes and neckline, and the bottom has a split hem. It’s worked in the round from the bottom up and includes steeks. It’s not really a pattern for people new to colorwork thanks to all the charts and different colors used, but if you’re ready to take on a challenge this would be a fun one.

Speaking of colors, there are 13 involved in this pattern, but a few of them aren’t needed in a huge quantity, so this could be a use for some mini skeins or leftovers from other projects if you have them in the right colors. This isn’t one where you can substitute colors that easily since they are meant to be true to real fruits, but you could use a different background color, make your grapes green or red, or change the blueberries to another fruit if you have different colors on hand.

Any way you slice it, this looks like a super fun knit that is sure to bring a smile to your face whenever you wear it, and to others whenever they see it.

Check it out and grab a copy on Ravelry.

[Photo: Vanessa Ewing]

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