Hi everyone! Welcome back to Bilingwool.
Today, I want to share about my most recent finished project, Andrea Mowry’s The Shift Cowl! After finishing my Nightshift Shawl, I was not ready to stop working with this amazing yarn and designer combination. The slipped stitch mosaic pattern in both of these shawls works up quickly, and this kettle dyed yarn creates the most stunning stripes. So, I picked up some more yarn and this pattern and got to work!
For this cowl, I used Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool in the shades “Nostalgia” (deep purple) and “Ruination” (bright blues and greens and purples). This pattern calls for three skeins the sport weight yarn, so I used one skein of Nostalgia and two skeins of Ruination – one lighter, one darker. This cowl is a gift for my husband – more on that later – so he picked out these colors, which he says are inspired by Reptar from the 1991 Nickelodeon show, Rugrats.
We purchased this yarn at a sweet little yarn store on a recent vacation. I had heard this yarn store, Wool and Honey, carried Spincycle Yarns so I knew we had to stop there on our trip. The yarn store was filled with smiles and seemed like such a welcoming place. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping in to shop. (We also purchased some enamel pins from their huge pin display, too. Every knitting bag needs a pin!)
A close up of the slipped stitch pattern in The Shift cowl
Other than falling in love with this pattern and yarn combo, there was another reason I made this cowl; my husband requested it! I love making things for the people I love, so this was an obvious “yes!” for me. He was in search of something he could keep at his desk while working from home for when he got cold. This cowl is the perfect solution; it can serve as a lap blanket, a cowl, or a shoulder caplet. The lightweight yet close weave of this pattern keeps him warm without getting too hot. He is over the moon with his new cowl!
The Shift cowl is worked in a unique shape, starting in the top left corner and working down and to the right, increasing and decreasing as you go. There is a consistent I-cord edge worked along the top edge and two bottom pointed edges.
This project took me a week and a half to make. After casting off, I blocked the garment to the pattern dimensions. Then, I sewed the back seam to join the shortest sides together, creating the cowl shape. Andrea Mowry creates such stunning designs; it was an absolute pleasure to knit this one, and I cannot wait to make my next Drea Renee Knit! If you want to see more of her designs, check out Andrea’s website here and her ravelry page here.
If you’re looking for a beautiful cowl to knit, give this one a try. I bet you’ll love it as much as I do.
Until we talk next, happy knitting!
Bilingwool 