Willow Cowl from Sin City Knit Shop - Done!

Now that I've bound off the top edge of the Willow Cowl, I'm impressed with how light it is.  The ripples do exactly what they were designed to do, allowing the fabric to lay nicely against the neck.  It's a perfect spring or fall accessory--more style than warmth, but plenty of sparkle.

I find myself wondering how it would behave in a sturdier fiber such as a nice sensible wool DK.  I wouldn't want it in a solid, but some of the hand-dyed or self-striping yarns might make for a lovely piece if I knit it again.

Well done, Sin City Knit Shop--I definitely left Vegas a winner!

Next up, we hop to the other side of the country and return to Raleigh, NC.

Willow Cowl from Sin City Knit Shop - Day 2

Going for the gold...

Well, you know, that didn’t turn out too badly.  It was tedious going, picking up that cast on edge, and I’m not quite sure I lined everything up perfectly.  In hindsight, I think it would have been smart to pin it in quarters like a hem. As it was, things didn’t quite match up at the end and I think the two sides were a little slanted on either side of the fold for the last inch.

Still, the edge has that lovely scalloped look that we all want from a picot edging. It also has a sturdy quality that will help it lay nicely.  As I mentioned, the way this cowl is structured impresses me.  It’s built to ripple nicely into almost concentric circles, thanks to an alternation of yarn-over lace and stockinette.

I’m using the first rows of yarn-over lace to build my continental yarn-over skills.  Often, when facing KTOG or YO, I default to my usual English throw style, but I’ve decided it’s time to improve my continental toolbox beyond the knit stitch.

I find I’m enjoying the little bit of sparkle in this fiber.  Normally I don’t go for the shiny stuff.  I don’t even use frosted lipstick or nail polish.  But this hint of gold somehow works, and it doesn’t feel like it will end up itchy.

Willow Cowl from Sin City Knit Shop - Day 1

Sunset stitches...

After all those tiny size 0 stitches in the Yellow Rose Mitts, these size 5 needles feel delightfully large.  The stitches are still delicate—I’m not a fan of chunky scarves or cowls—but not tiny.  The continual rounds of stockinette make for quick knitting and fast progress.  That’s the ideal compliment to the slow-going intricacy of my earlier project.  Knitting is delightfully diverse that way.

Now, my history with picot edging is a sketchy one.  It doesn’t always work nicely for me, so I can say I’m nervous that it won’t turn out to my satisfaction.  I’ve got the necessary rows laid out flat now, and my next step will be to execute the classic fold-over that picks up the stitches from the cast-on row and creates the charming little points we think of for picot edging.

Red Rocks  Entertainment photo

I’d never put oranges, pinks, and roses together—they’re not colors I usually wear.  Still, I like this “Red Rock” colorway.  It not only calls up the memory of my evening at Colorado’s famed Red Rocks amphitheater (so memorable I made it the location for a scene in my book The Firefighter’s Match), but looks to me like the colors of a sunset in the desert.  At least what I’d imagine sunsets in the desert to look like, since I tend to shun very hot places.

Of course, Vegas is just that—a place in the desert—but I don’t think the view from my hotel window really qualifies.

Onward to see if I can master the picot edge.

Holden Shawlette from The Artful Yarn - Done!

At last--Picot Pride!

No need for lots of text here today...it's all in the photos!

Still pretty before blocking, but just wait...

Unblocked, it really does remind me of waves

Blocked--the scallops take a LOT of pins to secure

But OH, is it worth the effort!

I've mastered the Picot edge!!

Thank you, The Artful Yarn, for helping me overcome one of my most frustrating skill deficiencies: the picot.  I couldn't be happier with the results.

Next up, we tackle Edie's shawl to discover out how the innovative shape gets created.

Knit Along: Sweetie Pie Baby Hat from String Theory Yarn Co. - Day 1

I never met a picot border I couldn’t botch.

This one was no exception. Only I didn’t botch the picot, I botched the associated provisional cast-on. I have a college degree and I’ve been knitting for over a decade, you’d think a provisional cast-on wouldn’t prove much of an obstacle. Yet, somehow, I managed to do the cast-on (or maybe just the effortless pop-off of the stitches that should unravel on command) backwards. Instead of the stitches zipping off like magic, I had to unravel each of them individually. Not effortlessly at all. Annoying, time consuming, and rather humiliating.

Did that stop me? No sirree. Just because I couldn’t make it work like it was supposed to doesn’t mean I couldn’t make it work. It was sort of the knitting equivalent of “winning ugly.” It did work, and I like the border a lot. The last picot border I attempted came out looking rather like the end of a fuzzy green saw blade. This one is actually cute. And the yarn is so soft. Definitely baby-worthy. The kind of yarn people involuntary “oooh,” after touching.

I was surprised by the abrupt color change--I think I expected it to be a dye graduation rather than connected pieces of different color yarn. No matter how I wrangle it, the knot always ends up in the wrong place. Still, Janet’s right about the pattern--it offers just enough change-ups to remain interesting while not taxing too many brain cells. I’ve got a cable fingerless mitts pattern if I want to stretch my gray matter--baby hats should be pure joy to make. And the heart pattern in the stitches? Adorable.

I did notice it has a bobble in a couple of rows...and I’ve botched my share of those, too, so stay tuned.