It’s the start of a new year and the frigid Arctic Blast that’s sweeping through us this month has made my knitting mojo stronger than ever before!
Moose-ified Deer Hood: When that horrendous cold snap brought temperatures as low as -50°C, I found it somewhat stifling to wear both a hat and a cowl at once, and craved something that was all in one. I found this very cute collection of hooded cowls from Estonian designer Muki Crafts, and was particularly drawn to the Bambi cowl, which boasted a darling deer motif. I decided to modify the pattern ever so slightly, opting for a single colour instead of contrasting colourwork, as I will be making a moose cowl instead. I haven’t gotten to any of the decorative bits yet, but I’m excited by the prospect!
Ranger Cowl: When I decided to knit a hooded cowl I was torn between the aforementioned Bambi cowl, and the Ranger Cowl, a fantastical Dungeons & Dragons-inspired design by Michael Vloedman. When I brought my quandry to my husband, he suggested I knit both, and let him wear the Ranger Cowl. It’s a gorgeous design with cables and ribbing throughout, and I love that the pattern instructions have been peppered with cheeky fantasy references.
The New Yorker: I just finished the back panel of the blouse pattern from the 1940s; as I cast on the front panel, I have begun to notice the subtle differences between the patterns of today and those from 80-odd years ago. Namely, I’m forced to make assumptions about a lot of the construction elements. There are no specific instructions for how to assemble the pieces together, so I’m left to assume it’s to be seamed together with a mattress stitch which is pretty standard for garments knitted flat. The back panel features a button flap, but the pattern booklet had only a brief mention of single crochet “up the back opening” and to crochet three loops for buttons — that’s it. With no supplementary photos of the back side of the garment, I had to roll with what I was given. I think I managed to pull it off all right.
Housedressing: Skirts take forever. Large circumference means a lot of stitches, and plain stockinette in the round walks the line between being pleasantly mindless and painfully tedious. It didn’t help that I had to undo a couple of inches of work when I had a tension issue. I’ve cinched up the bodice so that the neckline gathers nicely, which will help towards getting an accurate fit assessment as I continue the skirt portion. The yarn, Blackbird Knitting & Needleworks’ house-dyed “Raven” colourway, really complements the project, and I can’t wait for the day I can show it off properly!
The colours on both the goodies cowls are really nice! The vintage blouse looks so delicate and the blue on the bodice if the dress is gorgeous…can’t believe how many projects you are working on<3
That’s one sheer top. Love the color. Your housedress looks really cute.
I didn’t even notice until you said hahahahahaha, I knew with the lace I would probably have to wear something underneath it anyway so I’m not overly concerned by its sheerness yet!
It’s definitely knitting weather, and it looks like you’re making the most of it!