Knit Along: Carlina Cowl from Arcadia Knitting and FREE STUFF!

Allie the Cable Gal...

Ah, the joy of casting on a new project. I’m loving these neck warmers and cowls--they’re such instant gratification pieces. Now, for this lovely Carlina Cowl from Arcadia Knitting, I get to resurrect my cable skills. I like cables, because like my very favorite recipes, they look impressive without actually being that difficult. People think you’re a master knitter if you can wield a cable, when actually I think there are other stitches that test you skills far more. I’m happy to be working with nice, fat (but not broomstick-ish) size 11 needles. My yarn, Loop-d-Loop Shale, is in a versatile black--which means it’ll coordinate with 90% of my wardrobe--but it’s got a sliver of grey/silver sparkle running through it to give it a hint of pizzaz. I like that. I confess I’m a little worried about the cables showing up in this dark color, but I’ll keep you posted.

Now on to the fun part: FREEBIES! For those of you who share my notions of knitting and chocolate falling near the top of your priority list, have I got a pair of needles for you! Thanks to those lovely ladies at Arcadia Knitting, I have a pair of handcrafted Serendipity Needles to give away. These have a little chocolate chip (sorry, not real, but cute all the same) at the top of each. I was just getting a supreme endorsement over the weekend from my new knitting friend Sukie (shout out to Bowling Green Kentucky!--more on that later) for this brand of needles, so I know you’re going to love them. But you’re going to have to work for them. You’re going to have to leave an actual comment on this blog. I’ll draw a name from all comments left between now and May 1, and the winner will get these beautiful needles.