An unblogged project made it’s way into my 8th Blogiversary post – shocking!

High time I told you all about it don’t you think?

The cowl in question is “The Purl Soho Stitch Block Cowl” – a beautiful cowl using 3 different slip stitch patterns and written to use Purl Soho’s own Worsted Twist yarn.

It’s available free here: The Purl Soho Stitch Block Cowl

This is the pattern piccy that blew me away…

Pattern piccy from Purl Soho

I had a couple of (expensive!) skeins of this yarn in pale blue left over from my Purl Soho Pullover (Yes, the one Ben shrank in the washing machine-sob!) and I also had some lovely cream Jaeger Merino, reclaimed from Keats, a frogged jumper from long ago – it was Aran weight but I figured it would work. I saw this as a virtuous stash busting opportunity and rushed out to buy one skein of lovely expensive Madelaine Tosh in dark blue for the third colour (Stash busting 4 out of the 5 skeins needed is good, right?)

So how did it turn out???

I think the colours worked!! I love all three of those patterns but the way the three colour tweed looks like trebles in crochet is particularly pleasing 🙂

This was a romp to knit but quite a mind bender. I was convinced I had gone wrong in the first few rows as I had “purl bumps” on the right side where there shouldn’t be any bumps. After undoing and redoing a few times I took a leap of faith and just followed the pattern. It turns out that after a couple of rows you “knit the stitch below” and slip those purl bumpy stitches – this is what makes that fabulous pattern. I have to compliment the pattern writing too – the technique was expertly described with detailed clear pictures so I won’t go try to reproduce it here – just read the pattern!

I suppose you want to see the finished garment now huh? Not an easy one to get a good photo of!!

Ben snapped a piccy of me in his games room with the cowl just over my jumper (That is the French Cable jumper BTW)….

Hmmm – okish piccy…

Then we tried my “My ears are cold and it’s snowing!” look, for running to the station at 07:00am…

My ears are now warm but I look very very silly…

Then I decided it does look better with my Duffle coat – This is my “So, My train is late AGAIN” face 😉

I pull this face a lot as my trains are perpetually late….

But this is a better piccy – lovely and warm and cosy 😀

Warmz!