Maple Tree Cowl!!!!

I published my first paid pattern on Ravelry!

Super excited, with a squee and dancing around the house as I made my first sale would be an understatement!!

It is hard to publish...anything. You are putting your baby out for judgement.  I am proud of my design and know that it will change over time and they will get better with time.  Please give a try and some love!

I love trees; big trees, little trees, growing green ones, even hibernating trees… I think you get the idea. They also represent family and knowledge. While designing this pattern I used five repeats of the tree motif. One for each member of my immediate family!

The cowl is knit from the bottom up starting with a shell edging that creates a scallop reminiscent of tree roots. Knits and purls create texture for the tree trunk and basic lace is used to create leaves and the effect of light filtering through the crown of the tree. A nice garter stitch edging finishes the piece for a clean look around the throat.

It is important to me that patterns can be used in many different ways and I designed this motif with endless possibilities in mind. The pattern is both charted and written. The cowl can be reversible and modified to fit the knitter’s needs. More repeats can be added to make a loose cowl, or needles and yarn can be changed to give a different look!

Level of Difficulty: Beginner and beyond (comfortable with knitting in the round, yo, ssk, and k2tog)

Yarn: 
Knit Picks Swish DK (100% Superwash Merino Wool – 123 yards) Allspice or 120 yards of a DK weight yarn

Needles: 
US 7/4.5mm – 16” circular

Notions: 
Tapestry needle to weave in ends 
Stitch markers (5 with one different to mark the beginning of the round)

Gauge: 18 sts per 4” and 26 rows per 4” – however, gauge is not critical

Finished Dimensions: 21” circumference and 6.5” tall

Chic Knits Headband

This headband is gorgeous!  I love the cable pattern and the width.  I feel that the width is great because it really keeps your ears warm!

I used Cascade Cash Vero with a Chic Knits: The Elisbeth Collection pattern.  The pattern has four different accessories: headband, hat, shaped cowl, and tube cowl.  I think that I will look for yarn that will make one of the cowls.  This was a good pattern which Chic Knits recommends for the advanced beginner; sound advice.  I have already started another headband in a dark grey.  I have another Chic Knits pattern that my sister and I are going to use as a knit-along.  I will post my progress on that project once it is started.