Wyoming Breezes

Toolbox Cowl December 2023 It seems that in my absence I’ve reconnected with my knitting mojo. Several months ago, I found and purchased two bags of wool yarn at the thrift shop. One was $3; the other, $4, a reasonable price for mystery yarn.  Since the colors coordinated fairly well, I cast on a Tool Box Cowl (pattern by adventure DuJour Designs). It’s an easy knit that uses the Diamond Tweed Stitch to blend the colors. close up of Diamond Tweed Stitch I’m still dealing with back pain and a frustrating obstacle involving my pacemaker. I’m seeing a new doctor next week and pray that he will be able to proceed with the nerve ablation. Until then, I’ll continue to take each day and each stitch at a time.

The Sockhead Cowl, knit from a dyed sock blank, is off the needles, washed, and lightly blocked. I'm pleased with this cowl: the yarn is soft and has a bit of drape, and the colors are subtle and colorfast.  I think the recipient will enjoy wearing this snuggly cowl. 

Sockhead Cowl progress November 2021 Knitting continues on the Sockhead Cowl: I am now working on the final ribbed section.  Since the sock blank was double knit, I separated the strands as I worked on the cowl. When I finished the first ribbing section with one strand, I looped a string of crochet cotton around the point on the second strand and continued rolling the second strand into a ball.  string marking the spot to begin knitting the final ribbed section With the start of the ribbing clearly marked, I don’t have to play yarn chicken.  It shouldn’t take too long to finish this project. 

Dyeing the three sock blanks in October certainly jump started my desire to knit. I’m knitting the Sockhead Cowl with the final dyed blank, and I love how it looks so far.  This blank was dyed in a kettle on the stove with several colors of blue and purple.  Because the sock blank was double knit, I’m knitting with one strand and winding the other strand into a ball, which I will use on the second half of the cowl, thus using every bit of this yarn. Even though the ribbing shows the kinks from the pre-knit blank, it will straight out after washing and a light blocking. 

December 2019 The scrap sock yarn bin is EMPTY. One of my 2019 goals has been accomplished nearly two weeks before the end of the year. This year, I was able to knit seven (7)  Sockhead Cowls from the small balls of scrap sock yarn. Vera , thank you for telling me about this wonderful pattern.

last of the scrap sock yarn December 2019 Sunday evening, I finished the scrap yarn cowl, started on November 20th . My goal of using all the small balls of scrap sock yarn by the end of the year is within reach. The black (upper left) will be used for the bottom and top cuffs, and the other colors will be used for the striped body of the cowl. I'm happy to have this goal within reach. three days progress Here's my progress as of last night. The stripes are 1 inch each, and they motivate me to keep knitting. I hope to have enough yarn for two stripes each. I'm weaving in the ends after knitting two stripes. This cowl knit with the last batch of scrap, sock yarn should be finished next week. Have you accomplished your 2019 goal(s)?

sock yarn scraps November 2019 I've been working with my sock yarn scraps nearly all year: this tub was filled with scrap yarn in January. It's been my goal to knit something useful with the remaining small balls by the end of the year, and I'm making gradual progress. So far, I've knit five of the Sockhead Cowls with a combination of yarn (new yarn for the ribbing and scraps for the body of the cowl). I think this tub of yarn will create two (possibly three) cowls. Earlier this month, I delivered five cowls to the Public Health Clinic. They were happy to accept them for their clients. Anyone who crochets or knits is bound to have a basket filled with small balls of scrap yarn. Betsy ( Simple Life of a Queen ) is using her scraps to make granny squares, afghans, mittens, and hats. Connie ( Far Side of Fifty ) crochets tiny bird nests for Wildlife Rehab. What do you plan to make with your scrap yarn?

scrappy Sockhead Cowl October 2019 Last week, I spent some time in automotive shops, and my knitting bag went with me. One day, the oil in the car was changed and the car was inspected for the winter. Another day, new tires and an alignment allowed me to get a lot of knitting done. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the other individuals (young and old) in the waiting areas with me  amused themselves with their phone, laptop, and tablets. The yarn slid through my fingers and the striped rows were quickly added to the cowl. Every knitter knows that waiting and knitting go well together. The body of this Sockhead Cowl consists of four rubber-ball sized remnants of sock yarn. The brown ribbing is an odd skein of sock yarn (Root Beer) that I found in my stash.

another scrap Sockhead Cowl October 2019 The body of this cowl used scraps from four different sock yarns, and I'm thrilled those small balls of wool are out of my stash. Soon, I will have five cowls to donate just as the weather is starting to become cold. The black, ribbed sections literally made me want to give up and throw the whole project into the trash. I frogged more rows and stitches on this cowl than I have on all the other knitting projects I've made this year.  Dark yarns are just too difficult for me to comfortably see and knit, even a simple 2 x 2 rib. Does anyone want two skeins of Cascade Yarns,  Heritage 150 Sock Yarn (both are color # 5601 but different dye lots) 75% super wash merino and 25% nylon? If so, tell me in the comments. I'll gladly send the two skeins of yarn as a gift to that brave soul.

Autumn's Glory  cowl made with scrap yarn September 2019 I used the scraps of two separate sock yarns for the body of this cowl and knit using the helical striping technique. The photo shows the variety of colors, but they are more vivid in person. Pattern:  Sockhead Cowl  by Kelly McClure (free on Ravelry) Needles: US size 6

finished garter-stitch infinity scarf/cowl August 2019 The simple garter-stitch scarf is off the needles and connected into an infinity scarf/cowl. It will keep the cold off of my neck this winter. I put a twist in the scarf before connecting the ends with a three-needle bind-off. The twist allows the scarf to lay flat in the front and allows for better coverage under a coat or cardigan without adding bulk.

sockhead cowl #3 April 2019 Several months ago, Julie gave me two partial Zauberball Crazy balls. My original thought was to knit some short-cuffed socks or some baby hat but then decided to knit a Sockhead cowl for myself. I'm using a solid black for the ribbed sections and one of the partial Zuberball for the body of the cowl. I like how it looks. Pattern : Sockhead Cowl  by Kelly McClure (Ravelry Link) Yarn : Zauberball Crazy (Color #1699) Needles : US size 6 Julie, thanks for sharing your unwanted yarn with me.

Sockhead Cowl April 2019 Sockhead Cowl #2 is off the needles. This project is a great way to use sock yarn to create a cozy cowl, snood, and neck warmer. Pattern: Sockhead Cowl by Kelly McClure (free on Ravelry) Needles: US size 6 Yarn: Cascade Yarns - Heritage 150 Paints sock yarn (color #9960)           75% merino superwash wool, 25% nylon

Sockhead Cowl March 2019 Knitting from the stash continues - this time a skein of Cascade 150 Prints (75% super wash merino and 25% nylon). Who knows why I purchased this skein of dark yarn, but it's being knit into a Sockhead Cowl and will be donated next winter to a local shelter. The yarn has a nice spring to it and is a delight to knit. The bonus: the label states it is a 150 gram skein, but when I weighed it, it was actually 155 grams, which will result in a longer cowl. I have several other dark-colored skeins that I'll knit into scarves, etc. for the shelter.

knit cowl March 2019 Several years ago when I was knitting Oddball Baby Blankets, one of the other knitters sent me a skein of speciality yarn - 50% Yak down and 50% Cormo. I've been saving the yarn for something special, but recently I decided it was time to use the skein. I used the Simple yet Effective pattern by Tin Can Knits (Ravelry link). Since I had only 150 yards of yarn, I cast on for the close-fitting cowl. The pattern calls for 200 yards of DK weight yarn, so my cowl is three inches shorter in height. The cast on edge is shown on the right and flips over naturally, so the photo doesn't show that the cowl is nearly seven inches high. I altered the bind off section (shown at left) because I was running short of yarn. This edge lays flat and does not flip. If I knit the pattern again, I will shorten the first stockinette section on the cast on edge to seven rows instead of the required 12 between the garter ridges. My finished cowl is 20 inches in circumf...

Sockhead Cowl February 2019 The Sockhead Cowl came off the needles on Saturday. I probably could have knit another row or two, but as the yarn ball got smaller and smaller, I didn't feel like playing "yarn chicken." I plan to knit one or two more of the cowls out of some solid, stash yarn. I think they would be perfect to donate to the homeless shelter. The cowls would be nice for men or women and will cut the Wyoming wind nicely.

Sockhead Cowl February 2019 Vera recently finished the Sockhead Cowl , and from her photos, I knew I had to knit the pattern. It's an easy project and is excellent for TV knitting.  My cowl is going to be shorter than the pattern, but I used a larger needle. It is presently 12 inches long, and I've just started the top ribbing: the finished cowl will be approximately 16 inches long. Pattern : Sockhead Cowl by Kelly McClure (free Ravelry pattern) Needles : US size 6 Yarn : Nordlys by Viking of Norway (color #934)            75% super wash wool, 25% nylon

Helen cowl started July 2017 - frogged December 2018 There's a good reason the cowl was not finished last summer - my stitch count kept getting messed up. Last week, I decided to finish this project. I knit the dark blue section and the stitch count is still not correct. No one on Ravelry reported a problem with the pattern, so I must be doing something wrong. It was too frustrating to finish, so I frogged the project. I found another pattern and began to knit. Oh yeah, see the problem at the bottom of the photo? Yep, I twisted the stitches. Soooo, another frogged project. Clearly this lace weight yarn does not want to become a cowl. It's going into a forced time-out.

Reversible Cowl December 2017 I'm trying to use as many of the single skeins from my stash as I can before the end of the year. Pattern :   Reversible Cowl by Mary Garing Designs - free pattern (Ravelry link) Yarn :  Rowan Hemp Tweed Chunky (SH010-Deep)             100 grams - 120 yards Needles : US 10 Notes : The pattern's sample used 71 yards (50 grams) of Aran weight yarn on size 9 needles, but the pattern does not indicate the size (width or circumference) of the cowl. Because I was using a chunky weight yarn, I went up to a size 10 needle: the resulting cowl is 5" deep and 22" in circumference. I had 5 grams of yarn remaining. Because of its size, this pattern is more of a neck warmer than a cowl.

Gloria cowls knit with sock yarn December 2017 The Gloria Cowl is a good pattern for sock yarn that is not particularly suited for socks. I have a lot of sock yarn, and some of it makes me shake my head and question my judgement, either because of the color, the fiber content, or the way it feels. For example, I began knitting socks with the black and purple, and it actually striped vertically which looked really odd. The socks were frogged, and the yarn became a cowl. The Gloria Cowl pattern uses sock yarn and knit double-stranded which creates a nice fabric. Even though it has a seed stitch border (top and bottom) it tends to roll, but light blocking stops the roll. Pattern : Gloria Cowl by Orinda5 - free pattern on Ravelry Needles : US 8 Yarn :   •  Purple and black cowl - Match 100 (Midnight #55254)           75% superwash wool and 25% polyamide           one skein (420 meters)   •  Purple, pi...