musings of a manatee: Cuttin' it close

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Cuttin' it close

Well, well, well...I knit a cowl tonight. There were a couple of rusty moments casting on and binding off, but otherwise, I was pleasantly surprised at how basic knitting is much like riding a bike. It seems, you don't forget.

I realized this afternoon that I had completely forgotten about a Secret Santa happening ~~tomorrow~~ later today (it's 2am!) when we gather with my side of the family. So, after we had our New Year's Eve dinner (I ended up eating Chinese food...more on that later), I searched Ravelry for quick projects. With a couple of patterns in mind, I then stash dove for inspiration. Then, I dug deeper into Ravelry for yarn-specific projects (I love that website).

Just over an hour later, I had a free cowl pattern downloaded onto Lula and cast on some very nice Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK. It was 9pm.

While knitting on the couch, the boys blogged, played Wii, watched Buster Keaton, had ice cream with fresh fruit, and watched The Three Stooges. I paused long enough to toast in the new year with a glass of sparkling cider.

Then, Cap tucked the kids in and he wandered off to his laptop and chair. I watched a repeat of Saturday Night Live that came on.

I finished weaving in the ends as SNL ended. The cowl took just under five hours. It's called Cuttin' It Close and was a perfect project for someone who hasn't knit in nearly a year and who wanted to make a fast handknit to gift to someone special. (The name of the pattern was so apt.)

This isn't a fancy knit, but as is so often the case, good yarn transforms the finished object into something greater than its parts. This was my first time knitting with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK and I thought it was lovely. The cowl has both loft and cushy substance. And it's warm.

Happy new year wishes to you. I hope 2012 is lovely, warm and has both loft and cushy substance.