Jan 11, 2013

The Squish Factor

Unlike some of you, I didn't knit all that many Christmas gifts. In looking back, I'm sure my list of knitted gifts was much longer in 2011. Instead, I decided to be a bit more choosy and picked only a handful of projects for a handful of loved ones.  At the top of my list was, of course, Miranda, who had asked for a gray cowl with one main criteria:  it had to have the squish factor.

Cascade 128 superwash chunky

Right around the time that she asked for this said cowl, Purl Bee published their gorgeous Fluted Cowl, and my search was over. This was truly a delightful knit in every way. I hadn't knit with Cascade 128 before, and while I would have loved to pop down to Purl Soho and buy the super soft merino they designed the cowl for, I needed to use my stash.  Boy, was I not disappointed.



This yarn has the squish factor and gave the pattern terrific stitch definition.  Speaking about the stitch pattern, the design is such that both sides of the cowl looks great. In knitting it, the pattern was easy to memorize and yet held my interest throughout.  Starting the cowl was a little tricky though -- the set up rows take some concentration, and I was a little distracted at first so had to frog and cast on a couple of times before developing a rhythm. Once I did, I was humming!


I'm happy to say that Miranda loves her fluted cowl and it's been her go-to accessory ever since she got it. It kept her especially warm during our day trip to Philadelphia over the holidays when the temperature went down to 30 degrees (see how she isn't even shivering?!).


*Comments are still open for this week's Winning Wednesday. Good luck!

20 comments:

  1. love the chunky cowl look!! and she pulls it off so well! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just made a cowl out of Malabrigo, so I know exactly how important the squish is! Congrats on a great FO.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, that looks so cozy! It's perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a truly pretty & classic knitted gift.. and may I say 'jaw dropping' portrait photo of her wearing it !

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love it! And your daughter looks beautiful wearing it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Really lovely! She looks super cool!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Grey is such a great ,color, !

    Our winter has had moderate temps so NOT a lot of knits worn. :-(

    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  8. I want that cowl! It's so lovely!! I can only imagine how warm it must be.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Its lovely! well done on using the stash too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I bet Miranda gets heaps of compliments on her beautiful cowl! that's a gorgeous photo of her wearing it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It looks glorious on her - she is such a beautiful model :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't know why, but it seems like Miranda has grown so much these last few months, but I suppose I've been following your wonderful blog for a while now. The cowl is just perfect, there isn't a lot that a dark gray cowl won't go with. Also, can I say how envious I am that you live so close not only to amazing food but Purl Soho!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The Squish factor is the most important factor! Miranda looks beautiful in it!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Miranda looks great in that cowl! I love the contrast of the texture against her leather jacket. And thank you for the warm welcome to Yarn Along! One of my goals is to make a BIG dent in my stash. You are providing some great inspiration in that area!

    ReplyDelete
  15. ooo...i've been thinking about that cowl! so lovely to see it here...very lovely job! so glad you enjoyed this knit...you've inspired me to put it on my list : ) xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  16. That is a terrific cowl! I love Cascade 128; I use the Superwash version. Your daughter is so beautiful. She looks like a model in that shot.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hey Ev, I love the cowl; my favorite thing about it is the modern color and it does look super soft. Hope you are doing well and slowly getting comfortable in this new year. Happy knitting.

    Raina

    ReplyDelete
  18. Very nice cowl! I'm sure she was thrilled with it. I find some years I get a lot of knitting done for Christmas and some years I just don't do it. Cowls are one of my favorite gifts though.

    ReplyDelete