Knitting

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Knit a Super Tall Cowl for the Last Days of Winter

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Easy stranded knitting cowlWinter is trying to leave the southern United States pretty quickly, but I’m not completely convinced we won’t get another cold snap before the season is over. I’m still intermittently working on a couple of sweaters I hope my daughter and I will get a chance to wear this season, and if you live in cooler climates you’ve probably still got time to knit something quick and enjoy it this winter.

And of course our Southern Hemisphere friends are gearing up for the cold, and quick accessories are always welcome on either end of the season, right?

Mama in a Stitch recently guest posted over at Stitch and Unwind, sharing a fun bulky cowl that’s really tall, really warm and a great scrap project since it has a bit of colorwork.

But don’t worry, the Alpine Heights Cowl is still really easy and a great way to practice if you haven’t done much (or any) stranded colorwork before. And because it’s worked in bulky yarn on size 17 US knitting needles, you’ll be done before the last snowdrift melts.

[Photo via Mama in a Stitch.]

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Comments

  1. I agree! Winter and the end of the season always keep cold days just for us to wear our knits a little more! Well This is a beautiful cowl and with big needles, it will be done so fast!
    Rose

Have you read?

Felted Bag Knitting Patterns

I feel like felting is a knitting genre that deserves a resurgence. My first knitting book (which came out in 2008, eek!) was all about felting, but I don’t feel like there are a lot of felting knitting projects out there these days. I really like the technique as an easy way to make a thicker, more durable knit fabric, and it’s actually perfect for knitting bags.

The ZZ Bag from yamagara recently caught my eye and got me thinking about felted bags, and maybe remaking one of the bags that was in that book. This one has a fun zigzag pattern and is worked in worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

A lot of the other knit and felted bag patterns I could find were older, but that doesn’t make them bad patterns. I’ve always loved the booga bag from Black Sheep Bags (the pattern is on their website but the photo is broken so you can also check it out on Ravelry). This is a fun one because you can use all your leftovers or a self-striping yarn (the original was made with Noro) to give it a colorful look that’s super easy to knit. 

An envelope purse is another easy shape to knit, and this version from Lavender Hill Knits on Etsy comes in different sizes for younger girls and teens or adults. The small version is worked with one strand of worsted weight yarn, while the larger uses two held together.

The Japanese knot bag is a classic, and a felted version is a lot of fun. You can find this pattern from Cindy Pilon on Ravelry and knit one for yourself using bulky yarn. I also love her bag The Curve, which is also on Ravelry and has a fun rounded shape and contrasting handles.

And there’s also the amazing stained glass bag from Knitting Dream, which also uses a Noro yarn, but you could use wool scraps on the different fans to give it a unique look. There are two size options to choose from and it’s not as tricky as it looks.