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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Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.

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