My neck is always cold, but I always have to have my hair pulled back because I can't work when it is hanging down. I got tired of it several years ago and cut it off, which I should just do again because I never actually style it. Anyway, my cold neck needed a cowl to keep it warm. I have one, but it is too big and doesn't really do its job very well. I had this soft squishy yarn, wool of some sort, that I bought several years ago purely because I liked it. I had no ideas for it at the time and it has sat in my yarn stash since then. I would pull it out every now and then and it would make me smile. Well now is the time to put it to work!
I know that there are several ways to knit a cowl, using circular needles for one joined piece or to knit it like a scarf and then close it with a button. Since I am afraid to use my circular needles, I decided to try the scarf method. I discovered the Double Moss stitch in my Beginner's Guide to Knitting magazine and thought that it looked like it would make the cowl nice and thick. I knit until I thought it was long enough. Well, actually I knit until I ran out of yarn and luckily it was just enough.
And then this is where it turns into a Katie Project. Because I don't know how to make button holes, I decided that I was going to just turn a piece of yarn into a loop and put the button through that. Sounds simple enough.
Well, it was simple to attach the button and make the loop. However, when I am wearing the cowl, it is so darn difficult to get that one little piece of yarn off of the button. I had to ask my husband to remove it the one day and then today I simply pulled it over my head because I was so frustrated. It is super soft and keeps my neck warm, but it could use a second button to hold it in place better. That was the only button of its kind (the other is attached to my little babe's Christmas tunic), so it will just remain a one button cowl. I really liked knitting the Double Moss stitch. Once I got the hang of the pattern, it was a lot of fun and I like the way it feels - kind of bumpy. I like texture and this has good texture.
Notes:
1. Do you know how hard it is to photograph something around your neck by yourself? My husband is never home during the day when I have good light. And I can only hold my camera on the right side of my face. What do left handed people do?
2. Yes, everything in my home is covered with pet hair. This yarn probably had hair on it before I even cast it on the needles.
3. I have to take the time to learn how to make button holes.
Double Moss stitch:
For an odd number of stitches:
Row 1 K1, *P1, K1, repeat from * to end.
Row 2 P1, *K1, P1, repeat from * to end.
Row 3 As row #2.
Row 4 As row #1.
Repeat these 4 rows to desired length.
