Knitting Daughter has been on a Cowl kick lately, and I wanted to share her latest with you. This is Coco’s Pearls knit up in Manos Serena, a luscious sport weight yarn. Serena is 60% Baby Alpaca and 40% Pima Cotton, so you can imagine how soft and wonderful it feels against your neck. The pattern calls for 300-350 yards, so you’ll need 2 skeins of the Manos to work it up. It would make a quick and easy gift for your favorite friend. (After you’ve made one for yourself, of course.) This pattern would also be nice done up in Madelinetosh DK, Lorna’s Laces Honor or Shepherd Sport, or Shalimar Breathless DK. As with other infinity cowls, you can wear it as one long loop, or wound around your neck twice (as shown in this photo). I’ve become more and more a fan of long cowls like this, because they are easier to wear than scarves.
Mocha-the-outdoor-cat-who-visits-us got his annual shaving a couple of weeks ago. After we get used to his shaved-self, it’s always hard to remember him all furry! They did a much nicer clipping job on him this year. Here he is hanging out on one of the brick posts on our side patio. He seemed to like being hidden by the lilac trees. The other night the motion light kept going on out there and who do you think it was? Mocha – hanging out on the post again. Wish I could have just brought him in the house for the night.
Sheri friendtoallcatsanimals
Sheri,
I love your cat stories 🙂
Do you have a bind off for cowls that gives a good elastic result? The last few I have made have been tight on one end….the bind off end. I have been using the knit two pass one over method very loosely.
Thanks,
Patricia in OH
Hi Patricia! I’m not sure what this bindoff is called, but I use it all the time.
Knit 2 together.
Take the stitch you just made (now on your right needle) and put it back on your left needle.
Gift the edge a little tug to the right to make it even a bit looser.
Then repeat (knit 2 together again, using the stitch you just put on to the left needle, along with the next stitch in line on that needle.)
I will give it a try. Thanks!
The cowl turned out so pretty, and it didn’t take her long, either!
Sheri, whatever happened to the “I want a dog” thing?
Sheri, bring Mocha into your house. She deserves you.
Lisa – hubby vetoed the dog idea.
Lisa S – Mocha is a he and he marks his territory outside. I don’t trust him in my house! 🙂
That Knitting Daughter gets such great ideas.
Kudos on the cowl! It is lovely!
Thanks, Janet! I’ll pass that on to her!
Love that Cowl – can’t wait to make it!
Who shaves a cat? Just askin’
Karen – he gets mats in his undercoat in the winter time, so they shave him at the end of the winter. He loves to be brushed, so I wish they would just brush him. I think a lot could be prevented if they’d do that. I do brush him, but when it snows a lot he stays inside for a few days and that seems to be all it takes (snow + no brushing for a few days) to get those mats going.
Hello: Looks to me, as I squint closely at Mocha, that he’s been given the
creme de la creme of cuts : a Lion Cut. Very smart ! Maybe his owners are
paying often serious money for Lion Cut grooming, then sending him over to your deck for photo ops Sheri. Such a beautiful kitty star !
Mocha is a cat-star! I think the cast off you describe is listed in Montse Stanley’s encyclopedia as the ‘suspended’ cast off? From memory anyway… It’s a really handy castoff to have in the knitter’s toolbox so to speak. More Mocha pics always welcome. Mel
As a person who used to have a Maine Coone mix, sometimes mats are very hard to control in cats that spend some time outdoors, even with somewhat regular grooming. Mocha is one very handsome boy!
I must find something I can knit with the Manos Serena!
Melissa – thanks for the name of the bind off! I’ve wondered about that.
LOVE the cat stories! And I’m very excited about the new Rowan sock yarn!