Foxy Duo Cowl from Criativity - Done!

Draped and Dramatic...

This would be a showstopper at a bookfair.  Or a special event.  It might be a bit much for a run to the supermarket, but who's life couldn't use a little more dazzle?

I'll admit the eyelash and the fur take some getting used to--I always feel as if something's moving around my face.  I may still snip the eyelash off, but I'm going to give it some time before I do anything so drastic.

One thing is for sure: it gets a response.  Some people love it, others look at me sideways, as if to say "what is that thing around your neck?"

It feels wonderful.  Light and fluffy and cuddly all at the same time.

You owe it to yourself to check it out.  While it may not be your thing, you might just love it.  Or know someone who would.

Thanks, Criativity, for a true knitting adventure!

Foxy Duo Cowl from Criativity - Day 4

From Stuff to Fluff...

Stuff is interesting to knit with—the always-changing nature of the yarn means that sometimes you are knitting with one nubby strand, then stitching four shimmery ones the next segment.  While this is straight-up stockinette, a place where I usually default to Continental style stitching for speed, I found I couldn't do it here.  There is one shift in needle sizes—effortless with interchangeable needles but not much of a big deal on traditional circs, either—but that’s about it.  The work may be repetitive, but not boring.  It’s not as if I was facing endless inches of stockinette; there’s less than a foot of it for this cowl.

Once you’ve used up your Stuff (the pattern calls for a specific inch width but I chose to just keep going a few extra rows until I used up all the yarn), it’s time to return to the funny, furry Plume.  And that was certainly entertaining.  The smaller the ball got, the more unruly it became.  The sandwich bag containment tactic worked, but by the end I kept laughing as it twitched and unwound itself as if alive.  With only a handful of garter stitch rows to go, I found my tolerance for Plume’s antics had risen.  It ended up more amusing than frustrating, a curtain bow from a drama queen if you will.

What will all this look like finished and on my shoulders?  Next post you’ll get to see…

Foxy Duo Cowl from Criativity - Day 3

Lashing out...

Stuff—this project’s other fiber—is aptly named.  It’s as if your terribly artsy friend raided your yarn stash and tied lots of “stuff” together.  Only this artsy friend has excellent taste in texture and color.  If I romped through my yarn stash and strung a whole bunch of yarn fragments together, you can bet it wouldn’t come out this pretty.  Think colorblind bird’s nest.

Yes, there are knots.  If this piece were reversible, that would be an issue.  But since the Foxy Duo Cowl has a right side and a wrong side, it’s not such a challenge.  I’ll still weave the ends in, however, because I think if you wanted to double loop this loveliness around your neck, a bit of the wrong side might show.

DestiKNITters are by now familiar with my rants on top-down shawls.  A close second in the ranks of Allie rants, however, is eyelash yarn.  And in this particular instance, it’s very long eyelash yarn.  Each “lash” is over an inch long, which takes a lot of coping, picking, and arranging.  I’m really glad Stuff is a collection of yarns, because if I were doing the entire non-Plume portion of this cowl in eyelash, things would get ugly.  I’m already whining about it regularly, measuring how many inches of eyelash torture I have left each time that fiber comes along.

I did notice one set of directions advised eyelash-averse knitters to simply trim the lashes off after knitting.  I have to say, I’m considering it—but it’s the knitting of eyelash yarn that I dislike, not the appearance of it.

Still, in the adventurous spirit of DestiKNITions, I’m withholding judgement until the piece is finished.  If a week or so from now you feel the earth shift, it may be because I found an eyelash project that doesn’t make me twitch.  

Hey, it could happen.

Foxy Duo Cowl from Criativity - Day 2

Knitting with Plume is a bit of a contradiction.

The stuff feels absolutely wonderful.  Seriously, it's the knitting equivalent of petting kittens.  You have to stop yourself from saying "ahh" all time.  I don't understand how it feels cool to the touch--the stuff is room temperature--but I'd wager you would brush it up against the back of your neck in a heatwave and feel a breeze.  Bathrobes should be made of this.  Slippers should be made of this.  Hospital waiting rooms should be made of this.  It's tactile calm.

Knitting with it kind of sucks all the calm right out of it, however.  The control freak in me wants the fur to lay perfectly within the stitches, not get all caught up in tangles.  I keep picking at it, trying to make it lie down the way I want it to, fussing with the strands when I should just be enjoying the smooth, silky feeling.  I feel more like I'm making a puppet than I'm knitting a cowl.

I'm not puppeteering.  I realize this is just the trim, and that its companion fiber will take this from stuffed animal to accessory.  The colors really are stunning, and I have no doubt that this will be one of those accessories where people will continually come up and ask to touch it.  At a booksigning or bookfair, this will be superb wearable marketing--a real conversation starter.

I'm following Prism's advice and tucking my wandering ball of Plume--so prone to unwinding--into a ziplock sandwich bag with just a tiny opening for the working thread.  Sure, it looks like I've just caught a pretty teal kitten, but at least I've got my fiber under control.

Stay tuned for the next segment, when I add the continually changing "Stuff" to the project.

Foxy Duo Cowl from Criativity - Day 1

Getting Foxy...

I’ll admit, the whole project smacked of “novelty yarn” to me at first.  The whole “eyelash yarn fun fur” thing was never anything that came even close to catching my attention.  And it has shiny stuff in it—I don’t do sparkle, not even in nail polish.  Honestly, I was trepidatious when I started the Foxy Duo Cowl.

But adventure is the whole point of DestiKNITions, and I have been pleasantly surprised by projects far more than I have been disappointed, so I mustered my optimism and opened my cowl kit kindly supplied by Prism Yarns.

Now, everyone agrees Prism makes a gorgeous product.  Art yarn.  Eye catching fibers. And these two are no exceptions.  The Plume is mysteriously, obsessively lovely to touch—really, you can’t stop stroking it.  How does it feel so cool to the touch and so soft at the same time?  You have to fight the urge to hold it up to your cheek and sigh.

And Stuff?  It’s a collection of all different kinds of yarns—some fuzzy, some shiny, some thin, some thick.  It reminds me of the yarn I used to make the Feza vest.  I’m sure I’ll find the constant change of texture amusing in the endless rounds of stockinette this cowl requires.

But first, I have to get it out of hanks—and in this case, that takes some doing.  I brought it to my knitting group, because I figured it would either be a lot of fun or a load of hassle.  The Stuff label should have been my first clue:  it says “Stuff must be wound while under tension.  Place skein onto a swift or a friend’s outstretched arms.”

That’s exactly they way it went.  I managed about three feet on my own, then had to enlist the help of a friend to hold it while I patiently, carefully wound.  Hey, Allie, why don’t you try actually reading the directions next time?  Then again, who knew yarn came with directions?  Yarn often comes with patterns, but that’s not the same thing.

Once I brought in backup—in the form of my friend Nancy’s helpfully outstretched arms—the hank of Stuff wound itself up very nicely, and has behaved cooperatively so far.  The Plume is another story—I kid you not, the thing reminds me of a Star Trek Tribble.   And it does not want to stay wound. Every once in a while I think I catch it moving out of the corner of my eye.

Stay tuned…this could get really interesting.

TAMPA BAY, FL

There is a writing conference that I attend each year that often takes place in Tampa Bay, Florida.  Not a bad place to spend a handful of days, but perhaps a challenge to one’s focus.  Beach or workshop?  Sunshine or seminar?  If you’re clever, you can do both.  If you’re a DestiKNITter, you can squeeze in a fiber adventure while you’re at it.  Which, of course, I did.

Let’s start with the beachfront location.  For me, that’s always been:

Tradewinds Island Grand

5500 Gulf Blvd 

St Pete Beach, FL 33706

727-367-6461

www.tradewindsresort.com

Honestly, it takes a little convincing to make yourself leave the property.  There’s just about everything you need within the confines of this hotel and its sister property, the Guy Harvey Outpost.  The resort package gets you access to all kinds of adventures including water slides, parasailing, beach cabanas, stand-up paddleboarding, and a James-Bond-esque water jetpack thingy that looks as exciting as it does dangerous.  I’m impressed with how this place effortlessly combines a grown-up atmosphere while still being highly kid-friendly.  A large number of my fellow conferees bring their spouses and families, and for good reason.  Professional development doesn’t get more fun that this—and if it makes a great seminar, you can imagine what an awesome vacation or family reunion can be had here.

But, you're going to want to wander eventually.  For me, beachfront eateries divide into two camps: tourist and local.  It’s fun to eat at the places designed for travelers—they can often be entertaining and delicious—but I also try to make sure I check out the little spots where locals eat.  When you’ve had your fill of meals within the Tradewinds confines, give yourself a long walk down the beach (a daily must-have for me, especially when my brain is stuffed from seminars) to a super-casual dinner at:

Woody’s Waterfront

7308 Sunset Way

St Pete Beach, FL 33706

727-360-9165

woodyswaterfront.com

The place has the small, sandy, driftwoody feel of a great beach joint.  We nabbed a table right up against the water and watched the sun go down while enjoying quintessential plastic baskets of good seafood.  

I indulged in the clam strips dinner—always my favorite—and was not disappointed.  My husband said his scallops were great, too.  Be warned: this is a cash-only establishment.

After a few days of baking in the sun (or if it rains), you may be ready to venture forth for other amusements. For me, of course, that means fiber finds, and lucky for us, there was a nifty one not too far away.  Have fun watching the neighborhoods and architecture change as you drive down Gulf Blvd to Largo, where you’ll find:

Criativity

720 9th Ave SW

Largo, FL 33770

727-584-4191

www.criativitystore.com

The store takes its name from “cria,” the term for a young alpaca. As such, you won’t be surprised to find a strong focus on Alpaca products, fibers, and gifts.  Owner Alicia Chivers even manages her own nearby alpaca farm, and was kind enough to give us a private tour before visiting the shop.

They are charming animals, an endearing combination of cute and scruffy—but watch out for their trademark spit.  I can now count being spat upon by an alpaca among my life experiences.  It wasn’t nearly as bad as you’d imagine. 

Criativity hosts a popular open knitting night on Tuesdays, and you can tell the store has a loyal band of customers.  One of them even has her own designated and decorated chair—you know that’s a store devoted to community-building!  

There’s a wide selection of alpaca fiber clothing, gifts, and decor items.  If you’re forced to do your yarn shopping with non-knitters (always a challenge), your companions will find plenty to amuse themselves here.  Even those poor souls who don’t pick up the needles will be interested in the Birdie Balls that offer a selection of nice nesting fibers for feathered friends in your life.  Practical types will find the felted dryer balls both unique and useful.

For us knitters, an impressive selection of yarn stocked by weight awaits you.  The store feels just the right size—not so small you feel like they won’t have enough of what you need, but not so big that you feel you’ll miss a special find. Take a look at local vendor The Fiber Seed yarns in sock, sport, laceweight, and worsted weights.  There are even little mini-skeins—Seedlings, of course—to tempt you into a “taste.”

Suggested projects include:

Swingback Hoodie

Amy Gunderson’s pattern from the summer issue of Knit Purl takes a casual classic up a notch with beautiful stitchwork down the back.  This garment does up nicely in 8-12 skeins of Llamalini lama-linen-silk blend, depending on size. If you’ve been wanting to knit something your teenager will actually wear, this offers an excellent choice.

Classic Elite Sasha Poncho

Classic Elite photo

Tonia Barry's warm, sturdy poncho boasts loads of panache with a bold shoulder detail and dynamic buttons. This a statement accessory, to be sure.  You can go so many directions with color combinations and button styles!  The Classic Elite Chalet yarn makes for a cozy piece of outerwear anyone would be proud to wear.

Casapinka Woven Shawlette

Casapinka photo

Make good use of Araucania Huasco merino wool’s extraordinary colors in this simple shawl that lets the fiber do the talking.  A perfect one-skein gift—or an indulgence for yourself.

Our Knit Along from Criativity:

Foxy Duo Cowl

If you’re looking for an attention-getter of an accessory, this is it.  Ingeniously sized so that it either drapes over your shoulders or softly bunches around your neck, the combination of Prism’s glitzy “Stuff” and dramatic “Plume” is hard to beat.  This looks like an adventure to knit and a definitely feels like a luxury to touch—who can resist?

When you’ve filled your shopping bag, grab lunch ( just make sure it’s before 2:30) at:

Wildflower Cafe

1465 S Fort Harrison Ave

Clearwater, FL 33756

727-447-4497

wildflowercafe.net

I love charming breakfast/lunch places. I couldn’t resist trying the chicken pecan “tart”—a quiche, really.  A nice kale salad, a variety of flavored iced teas, and chutney rounded out my delicious meal.  A large, yummy fresh-baked cookie proved the perfect ending.  

If you’re extra lucky, you’ll receive a visit from Henry, the restaurant’s resident heron host who wanders amongst the outdoor tables!

What’s an adventure without chocolate?  Get yours at:

William Dean Chocolates

2790 W Bay Dr

Ste 1

Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770

williamdeanchocolates.com

So amazing they were featured in the Hunger Games movies!  Alicia is fond of their gelato, but I found chocolates are too amazing to resist.  Art you can eat, and a stunning selection.  And they have French macarons.  Heaven!  Eat some there, and buy some more to take home for later—more chocolate is always better than less—just keep an eye on your car temperature if you’re not going straight home.

Finish your day with some foam of the non-sea variety at:

Barley Mow Brewing Company

518 West Bay Dr

Largo, FL 33770

727-584-7772

barleymowbrewingco.com

I’m not much of a beer fan, but a place with S’mores stout gets my attention. With quality beers and live music on Friday nights, many consider this place the area’s best little brewery.  Just the right rustic atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating—a perfect knit-in-public spot if you are so inclined.

You can spend the the rest of your time chilling on the beach, but VisitTampaBay.com can guide you to some other fun adventures, including:

• The Clearwater Aquarium, home to Winter, the dolphin with a prosthetic tail who inspired the movie Dolfin Tale
• The Morean Arts Center, home to a splendid exhibit of one of my favorites, Chihuly glass
• If you’re lucky enough to visit in January, take in the rollicking Gasparilla Pirate Festival and it’s massive parade.

There are also the usual theme parks, golf courses, and fishing charters, but speaking of fish, make sure you don’t leave without visiting:

Rumfish Grill

6000 Gulf Blvd

Saint Pete Beach, FL 33706

727-329-1428

www.rumfishgrill.com

The Guy Harvey Outpost takes it name from famed aquatic illustrator  Guy Harvey, who makes regular appearances at the resort.  So, the fish theme makes sense.  And if you’re a fan of the reality show “Tanked,” you’ll recognize the massive, full-wall fish tank that serves as this restaurant’s key attraction.  Should you want to do more than spectate, you can actually book a swim inside the tank (only $35!  Seriously, I though it would be loads more—I’m definitely doing it next time I visit). 

Lighted menus allow the room to be dark and theatrical—perfect for aquatic viewing and perhaps a romantic dinner.  Reviews are decidedly mixed about the food, and it is understandably a challenge to get seated near the tank. Still, for a unique meal experience, it’s hard to beat a place like this.  If you’re short on time or have little ones (although I’d wager they might actually sit through a meal here), you can just take in the “visitor’s view” without eating.  Look for the alarmingly sinister-looking eel—that may be the only thing keeping me out of the tank next year!

I’ve only skimmed the surface—see the aquatic joke I made there?—of what Tampa, Tampa Bay and St. Pete have to offer.  You can bet this won’t be the last installment on this DestiKNITions!

Up next, we meet this month's Reader Who Knits, and then I cast on the furry first rows of the Foxy Duo cowl.