I knit something and finished it finally
Last year, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee knit up an absolutely beautiful cowl that she named Pretty Thing. Recently she released the pattern for sale on her website (scroll down to the post called — The moral of the story).
Now it happened that this is the time of year I begin to cast far and wide looking for possible Christmas gifts. So, as soon as I managed to purchase the pattern, I cast on. Now, I have bought some lovely alpaca/wool blend yarn but the version in the photo is done with sock yarn in a variegated white/grey/black that has a lot of stretch to it. I’m not going to even attempt to block something that has that much nylon bounce to it. You can get an idea of the pattern but the variegation sort of hides the details. When I make my next one in a solid color I’ll post another picture.
The reason for sock yarn in a stretch yarn is that the person who will get this throws everything into the washer and then the dryer. Labels are for sissies. So, knowing my giftee, I plan accordingly. This will go well with her coloring but will also survive the washer and dryer and it will hold its shape without being blocked. It also stretches enough that it won’t muss the hair too much.
I tried it on and it fit wonderfully but I think I’ll add another pattern repeat for the next one since it won’t have as much stretch to the yarn and evidently I and some people I know have big heads. [Hyperion: As she found out when she asked me to try it on.] We must be big head people– but that just means that we have more brains and thus will be the choice of zombies everywhere. [Hyperion: She says the sweetest things :blush:]
Anyway, having knit my first Pretty Thing, I can say that the pattern is clearly written. I didn’t even have any problems with the sewn cast-off — and I’d never done that before. It makes a lovely stretchy edge to the cowl.