Posted by This is my next project.
This is my first time knitting ‘in the round’.
Clicking here takes you straight to The Big Herringbone Cowl pattern by Purl Soho on ravelry.
In fact, I would be very happy to work through every one of the Purl Soho designs.
Take a long look here http://www.ravelry.com/designers/purl-soho?page=1
This cowl has been recreated over 2,500 times. The photos are all there to prove it.
I love to see how the different yarns used changes the look of the garment.
Using the photos I found a Big Herringbone Cowl created with an Alpaca yarn sold in the UK.
Whilst I love the cream in the shot above, I know it would be smeared in makeup after a few wears so I’ve gone with this.
Artesano Aran Alpaca in Violet
This is a big step up in price from the recycled cotton aran used for my jumper.
I’ve found the Herringbone stitch pretty heavy going. Knitting in the round on the short needles was also tough to get used to. I could only manage an hour without cramps in my shoulders and fingers to begin with.
However with perserverance things are getting faster and my shoulders and fingers less tense.
I’ve used these beautiful needles. Knit Pro Symfonie Wood Interchangeable points.
Although expensive, I am now completely sold on these Symfonie wooden needles.
The pattern recommends a 9mm needle. One of the tips I read was to use a 9mm on one end of the cable and a 12mm on the other end. This indeed makes this particular stitch a whole lot easier.
Here is my work thus far.
My daughter voiced a desire for me to knit a similar cowl for her, having felt the beautiful wool against her face.
I explained to her that there is no way a ‘year eight’ is going to school in an alpaca wool scarf.
Is that too harsh?
Love, Lucie xx
Related articles
- Quest for the perfect knitted cowl (lovelucie1.wordpress.com)
Love, Lucie 
Hey Lucie, I’ve been looking over your blog and it’s beautiful! I’m still new here and looking at
others blogs to see how they put them together. Hope to hear from you. Peaches
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Welcome! Always lovely to have a new face popping by. I’ve only been blogging since March, myself. It takes a little while to get your head around everything. Writing and posting gets easier with practice. I’ve found that I have never crafted so much since I started following others and writing my own blog. I get inspired by everything I read and think, I could do that! My postman has never been busier delivering parcels of yarn and fabric to my door.
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Yes, that’s exactly where I’m at. I’ve almost got a new page ready to go just having a little bit of an issue. But I think I see one of them. So, that’s progress!
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Once you get used to the circular needles, I think you will like them – they are much more portable. Interesting stitch, I never saw it before, I like it. And what a great tip to use different points. See, I learn something new from the bloggers every day. 🙂
PS not too harsh at all, given the price of such yarn. 🙂
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Exactly. It would get lost or cast over for something acrylic!
I am enjoying the circular needles now but the first row was a nightmare.
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I took a class once from a lady who called the first row “that f(*^&*^&*&%ing set up row” and she is right. But once you get it, life gets easier.
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Too true.
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oooh I love it! I haven’t knitted in the round yet, but hope to get to that soon 🙂
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You really should have a go. I thought there was a special trick to it but its really easy.
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thanks, that’s good to know. I will give a try one of these days 🙂
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Ah I’ve been half way through that cowl for two years now! It hurts my fingers so much when I knit it for a while that I can only do about 15 mins at once and finally put it away “for later” — if you get yours finished, can I send you mine to finish off too?!
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Oh dear! I think that the 2 different sized needles must be the trick. It keeps the stitches quite loose. I would undo it and try something new. You can’t wear something that’s given you so much heart ache.
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But it’s going to be so pretty when I finally finish it! I think it’s the bigger needle in one hand that was giving me the problems though — it was just a bit too big for my hand and made it all cramp up. I must must must get started on it again. If I just did a circle every night, I’d be finished before too long…
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It looks great. Can’t wait to see the finished item! And I love knit pro interchangeable needles! I just bought 2 new wire lengths – 40cm & 60cm to make my little Fairisle jumper.
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About the only way I can knit is with the looms. And I never learned how to pick up drops stitches. So, I crochet and do a little bit of cross stitch and related things. I’m sure it will turn out just the way you want!
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I love my crochet and I spent many hours on cross stitch when I was expecting, over a decade ago. I just like to try and master something new every now and again. Like blogging!
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Yes. Same here. I just started following a lady who spins yarn. I’ve always had a hankering to learn to spin. Although reading ya”ll’s posts about knitting,
I’m just about wanting to try again.
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I’ve always wanted to screen print but the start up costs look expensive. And I’d need a course, an extra room and not to mention an extra day in the week!
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I have painted on clothing and done a little crocheting on clothing. Yes, an extra day is good. Although I would settle for more hours in the day.
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Pretty colour!
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Thankyou. The photo doesn’t do it justice. It’s hard to photograph things in the evenings now it’s getting dark earlier.
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I’ve never seen interchangeable needles before. They’re really pretty. Glad to see you got the hang of circular needles. Lovely cowl pattern. Can’t wait to see it finished xx
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I was just lucky to come across the interchangeable ones, I guess. I didn’t know they existed either. I thought they were a really good idea though; cutting down on the storage of all those cables.
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