I Am Cowl-azy!

I have been bitten by the cowl bug. No, not the buzzing kind that flies around livestock, but the fun knitting kind!

Don't get me wrong, I love scarves, but when you have small kids and need something you can grab on your way out the door to keep you warm, a cowl is the way to go. Cowls also don't come undone around your neck and fall into the sink or toilet. Come on, you know it's happened to you too. :)

Paca-Tastic Cowl

The first one I made was the ever-popular GAP-tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley.

Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gap-tastic-cowl

Since I used Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande, I decided to call mine the Paca-Tastic Cowl because it is made from alpaca and all of its squishy, fluffy yumminess.

I used Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande in the Fox colorway (#282). Plymouth Yarn comes in a ton of beautiful colors, and you can browse them here:

Yarn Information: https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/plymouth-yarn-baby-alpaca-grande

I purchased the yarn from Yvie's in Alexandria, Alabama, and used 3 skeins, totaling 330 yards. I had about 12 inches of yarn left after binding off.

For needles, I used a size 13 circular needle. I chose my Knitter's Pride Dreamz because I was afraid my Hiya Hiya Sharps would split the yarn.

The yarn is all kinds of wonderful! It is unbelievably soft and makes you want to knit a blanket out of it. The pattern is super easy to knit and remember.

I cast this on June 11, 2014, at 7:00 PM and finished it on June 15, 2014, at 9:38 PM. Not bad for 330 yards of bulky alpaca! I did not wash or block it because it was perfect, fresh off the needles.

This would make a great fast gift in my opinion.

Coming Up Flowers Cowl

The next cowl I made was from SWTC Soysilk's Coming Up Flowers in the Fall Foliage colorway.

Website: http://www.soysilk.com

The story behind this yarn is actually a little funny.

This was my first visit to an actual yarn store, not a big box store.

My mom, the boys, and I had gone to Gadsden, Alabama, and I remembered there was a yarn shop there. At that point, I had only worked with Red Heart, which I loved, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about regarding wool and natural fibers.

The store, called Taming of the Ewe, was located downtown in an older building. As soon as I walked in, the colors and textures pulled me in. I wandered around touching yarn, reading labels, and admiring everything on the shelves.

Then I spotted this lonely skein sitting on a shelf.

I loved the colors but had no idea what I would make with it. At that time I only knew how to crochet. The owner told me knitting would probably show off the yarn better and encouraged me to learn. She even offered to teach me.

Then I turned over the price tag.

$14.

I about hit the floor!

I was in total shock. Fourteen dollars? Was it made of gold?

My mom was shocked too and told me if I really wanted it she would buy it for me, but she agreed it seemed like a lot for one skein of yarn.

That skein sat in my room for almost eight months.

The funny thing is that it only took one day to knit the cowl, and it turned out colorful, fun, and completely worth it.

I also laugh now when I think about how expensive I thought that skein was. These days I own yarn that retails for over $50 a skein, including some Buffalo Wool Company Sexy. (Although I did buy it on sale and with a coupon!)

To Make This Cowl

• Cast on 14 stitches.

• Knit every round.

• Bind off.

• Twist once before sewing the two ends together using the leftover yarn tail.

Do you have any skeins with special stories attached to them? I would love to hear about them in the comments section below.