On the Prowl for a Cowl

As many of you know (especially those who have looked at my projects page on Ravelry), I am a huge fan of cowls.  I love knitting them, wearing them, and collecting patterns of them.

Mission Falls 136 

I'm always on the prowl for a new cowl, and I have to thank Julie over at knittedbliss who recently posted about this cowl and then commented on my blog about how this pattern has become one of her favorites to knit again and again. I couldn't agree with her more. This pattern is incredibly simple.  It's mainly made by knitting stockinette for a few inches then moving to a rib stitch for the middle portion, and then back to stockinette. What could be easier? 

The original pattern is called Burning Ring of Fire, most likely because the designer chose yarns in reddish tones. Julie called hers Cooling Ring of Water, most likely because she chose brilliant blue hues. I'm calling mine Calming Ring of Earth as I chose greens and browns to represent the beauty of nature as found in the woods. I love to walk on nature trails -- I find them meditative and calming -- and I plan to wear this cowl to keep me warm on my next hike. A new favorite for one of my favorite activities (well, I should say hiking and knitting although I've never attempted both at the same time). It's a thought.