Honey Stitch Cowl

I have a love affair with the Honey Stitch Cowl by Sheep and Stitch.

It has such a timeless look, and with changes in color, yarn weight, and fiber – the possibilities are endless.

For my own cowl, I chose a bulky Pima Cotton yarn by Knit Picks called Billow. The colorway I chose was Ash, and though it is a beautiful color, my first choice was Gosling – which they ran out of during the process of placing my order. (Beware ordering during Knit Picks’ BIG Yarn sale…it is a crazy frenzy of yarn enthusiasts).

I LOVE the soft tones of Billow’s colorways. They are not super saturated, and I like this look very much. It is also one of the absolute softest yarns I have ever felt, and it is a joy to have wrapped around one’s neck. The thick-thin aspect of Billow created an interesting look in the cowl as well. The only complaint I have is that with wear, the stitch definition on the honey comb portion of the cowl is not the greatest – but that is to be expected with cotton yarn.

For my daughter’s cowl, I used Knit Pick’s Wool of the Andes worsted weight yarn in Spruce. I chose worsted weight so that the cowl wouldn’t be quite so chunky and wide, since my daughter is only four years old. I did knit it the full length, however, so that she would still have enough room to wrap it around her neck twice as she grows, so hopefully this is a scarf she can where for a very long time.

The Wool of the Andes yarn is nice, and provides great stitch definition, but I do wish it was a bit softer. The wool is from Peruvian Highland Sheep, which is a mix with Corriedale and Merino. I cannot afford full merino yarn, or other super soft yarn blends…so all things considered, Wool of the Andes is a very nice yarn for the price point. Besides, I am probably just spoiled from the softness of Billow!

I would love to knit another Honey Stitch Cowl for myself in a natural or light gray colorway, but I am not set on which yarn to use yet. I was thinking of going ahead and knitting in Billow again, this time in Gosling like I originally wanted, but I think I may want to choose a wool yarn for more warmth and better stitch definition.

In the future, I hope I can afford some of the amazing domestic wool yarns that are on the market these days… There are so many smaller yarn lines popping up all over the U.S. that have great products to offer. So many yarns are being created that are sourced mostly or completely within the states and dyed naturally.

Ideally, I would be supporting these companies since I think what they are doing is so very important, but right now it isn’t in the budget. My goal at the moment is to use up the small stash of yarn that I have, and from then on make fewer, and more thoughtful, purchases for my projects. No more wandering around in Joann’s picking up whatever yarn strikes me as attractive without a particular project in mind!

If I purchase mindfully and purposefully, perhaps I will be able to make the space for the nicer and more earth-friendly options.

Do you have a go-to pattern for a scarf or cowl that you love? Tell me about it!

Let’s Trust

  

Take Flight, My Love

  

Feed the Pollinators

  

That Place

I have been in that place where you lie silently…
With only a vague awareness of what goes on around you.

You don’t know what will become of them,
Or you.

You flutter open your eyelids for a second
With your last remaining strength
And take what you think may be your one last look
At the world.

You drift off into an ethereal land
Where you feel as if you are drifting,
Just drifting…

And then…

The Portal

  

Lost and Found

  

My dreams have been put on a shelf… Not lovingly, but haphazardly.

They will collect dust for a time, and when I go to look for them again, they will have disappeared and I will wonder…

Did I get rid of them? Surely they are not the sort of thing I would give away?

I will write them off as lost for good and go on feeding the needs of those around me.

Then, one day when I am old, gray, and feeble – they will turn up in an old, unlabeled box. 

I will smile at the memories of such young dreams and breathe my way through the sadness over the unrealized passions as I had all my life.

Lullaby Blanket

Over the past several years, I have made many baby blankets, but my favorite pattern thus far is The Lullaby Blanket.

It comes together fairly quickly, the pattern has three size options, and if you play with colorways – the possibilities are endless!

I love the texture of the crochet stitch pattern, and the grounded edges with your standard half-double crochet stitches.

The baby blanket pattern size ( 30 x 36 inches) is generous, which gives a child plenty of room to grow with it.

For the one in the first photo, I used Caron One Pound yarn in Sunflower for the bulk of the blanket, with Bernat Super Value yarn in Dark Grey for the last two rows of trim on the outside.

I created a little knitted owl toy to match, and I hope to write that pattern soon for the public. But since I made it on the fly, I want to test my pattern at least once more before posting the pattern on here for you, to make sure there are consistent results.

For the Lullaby Blanket above, I used Caron One Pound yarn in Soft Grey Mix.

I plan to use this pattern several times over – including full sized throw blankets for my own home and as gifts for others. While I prefer to use more natural fiber yarns such as wool, linen, and cotton, crocheting (and crocheting blankets especially) can often use a LOT of yarn – more so than knitting. And since I am always giving these as gifts or for personal use rather than selling them, I don’t have the luxury of purchasing more expensive natural fiber yarns for projects such as these.

Even with acrylic yarn, these blankets are soft, gorgeous, and a lovely addition to any nursery.

What projects have you been working on lately? Do you prefer to create gifts, or to indulge in projects for yourself?

Descend if You Dare

  

Life and Death

Life and Death were taken from me.

When Life was taken – I was alone.

The world seemed to grow silent,

And everything looked fuzzy – as if I were only an observer looking through a filthy camera lens.

“We’re sorry for your loss.”

I wonder how many times they’ve said that to a woman half-reclined with a thin sheet draped over her bare legs and cold gel sticking to her inner thighs.

I could not help but look down in disbelief at the abdomen that would not be expanding any time soon.

Life was taken from me.

When Death was taken, I was at the hospital. The very same hospital in which I gave life two years prior, only now it was stained with the sterilized stench of Death.

I tried to smile when the nurse joked that the hospital-issue treaded socks covered an entire half of my petite legs.

I tried to reassure the well-meaning women who accompanied me that I was ok – when I really wanted to cry and scream and tell them they were poor substitutes for the husband who simply couldn’t be there to hold me during the taking of Death.

I was relieved when I fell asleep – only to wake up to a devastation that escaped audibly and uncontrollably from my throat.

Why did they have to see me cry?

Death was taken from me.

For long afterward, I would often reach down and touch the place that created and housed both Life and Death.

A new normality nestled itself against my existence.

Yet I still grieve the Death that took precious Life from me.