Cowlify: You know you want to!

To say that the cowl, a humble garment with inauspicious origins and an unfortunate link to the 'cowl neck sweater' of the mid-70s that I think most of us husky gals would have done well to avoid, is sweeping the nation by storm would be an understatement. I mean we have many prototypes to choose from on Ravelry, and if you are reading blogs you know that this one and this one and this one are nothing short of hand knit perfection. And if this stunning picture right here doesn't send you into cowliscious paroxysms, well you just don't get it, my friend. (Leslie you are right, all this linking wears a girl OUT).

I have come to believe several things about the cowl. If affords the knitter the satisfaction of working on a truly short project (not a fake short project like socks or a scarf, for example) and yet ending up with a nice big piece of fabric. Like a giant gauge swatch, you can really see what the yarn does under certain conditions, something very exciting when you're talking about sock yarn. It also is the ultimate stash buster project. Why would you need to purchase yarn specifically for a cowl? You know you have one or two skeins of something or other in your stash that will fit the bill. Give in to the cowl, it will do you right every time.

The Specs
Pattern: Gloria by Orinda5
Yarn: Exactly one skein of 'A Verb for Keeping Warm' Alpaca/Silk in 'Lux'
Needles: Addi turbo 4.5mm, 16 inches
Mods: None

This yarn knits up into a fabric that is soooo soooft and has a lovely sheen. I bought this skein at MDS&W several weeks ago. Since I didn't know I was going to make it into a cowl at the time, I have technically not violated my own 'don't buy yarn for a cowl' rule, because it didn't exist yet. See how that works?

This post marks a special occasion on this blog. This is the last time I will be using my current camera, as I have graciously been given the green light by my frugal mate to get a brand-new digital slr camera. Yes, the tarrying is over. Those that know the person with whom I negotiate such purchases will likely not believe me, but it's true. Watch this space for super special pictures, starting Tuesday!