FO Friday: Beanstalk Cowl

This pretty accessory was a test knit for Amy van de Laar of Baroque Purls. I really enjoy knitting her designs – they all have great details and are well written, so I jumped at the opportunity to test knit this one. It also gave me an excuse to grab a skein out of (very) deep stash to use for it.

The pattern is knit top down and worked in the round. It has subtle increases that add a bit of circumference as you work down the length, so on me, this one can be pulled out over the shoulders and would tuck nicely into a jacket or other sweater and stay put across the back of your neck (where I always feel the cold). The main motif is a lovely “leafy vine” lace pattern. Although there are no “rest” rows, and you work increases/decreases for the lace every row, since it’s worked in the round, that’s not a big deal. The pattern is presented with both written and charted instructions.

As you can see from the above photo, I did play a bit of yarn chicken with this one. I really wanted to use this skein of 75/25 merino and silk, hand-dyed by Impulse of Delight, in the color “Deep Water” because I thought that lush deep green would be beautiful with the pattern. The pattern calls for 400 yards, and the skein only had 375, so I know it was going to be close. I did manage to finish, but only had about 2-1/2 yards left and I was nail-biting my way through the final bind-off round. The silk makes this extra drapey with a lovely shine.

Pattern is set to be released in early May (the 4th, I think), but Amy also has other accessories along this same “beanstalk” theme including a hat if you like the look of this and don’t want to wait to cast on. I really enjoyed knitting this one and delighted another skein has been used out of stash I’ve had languishing for 10+ years!