The Fagoting Brioche Cowl

I was going to call this something else, as the brioche stitch in the cowl isn't exactly brioche, but I liked the name too much. Anyway, I made this because I wanted a cowl, and had this yarn leftover from making my sister a hat.

You can also download this pattern as a PDF (hosted on Ravelry).

Materials

• 50g 8 ply acrylic yarn (approx 95m)
• 1 pair 4.5 mm straight knitting needles
• waste yarn for provisional stitches
• spare 4.5 mm knitting needle, or as close as you have handy
• yarn needle

Gauge and dimensions
My gauge was 19 sts and 25 rows to 10cm, but it doesn't matter much.
The finished cowl was about 15cm wide, and 50cm in circumference.
 
Instructions

1. Using the waste yarn as the foundation, provisionally cast on 33 stitches.
2. Knit the following pattern until it's about as long as your head circumference.
   Row 1: K1 *yo, sl1, K2tog, K2tog, yo, K2, K2tog, sl1, yo, K2tog, yo, K2* yo, sl1, K2tog, K1
   Row 2: K1 *yo, sl1, K2tog, P2tog, yo, P2, K2tog, sl1, yo, P2tog, yo, P2* yo, sl1, K2tog, K1
3. Slide the cast on stitches onto the spare needle (or the matching one if your spare is a different size) and remove the waste yarn.
4. Match the stitch pattern and bind off the two edges together (to form a circle).
5. Weave in ends with your yarn needle.

See here for abbreviations.

This is my first lacework project, and let's just say of course I meant for some of those holes to be bigger than others.

Two Second Ribbon Bookmark

I like using ribbons as bookmarks. They're thin and I like the look of them. Unfortunately, while reading, I often lose track of them. Hence this bookmark, which I like to think that I conceived of in two seconds, then constructed in less than a minute. It attaches to the back cover, and therefore doesn't slip, making it easy to find when it comes time to mark your place again. It's also removable and adjustable to fit a variety of books.

Materials

• 30cm ribbon
• 20cm elastic, about 5mm wide

Instructions

1. Knot the elastic to the ribbon so that you create a loop the approximate size of a bookcover, with a tail that will be used to mark your page.
2. Slip the elastic loop over the back cover of your book with the tail coming from the top. Adjust the tightness of the knots so that it doesn't pull on the back cover.

I know, you totally needed instructions for this. I should just have posted a picture and let you have at it. I mean really, I had a hard time writing these instructions.

These bookmarks work best on hardcover books, but if the tension of the elastic is loose, and the book is thick enough, they work pretty well on paperbacks, too.

Two Cable Knit Headband

I thought the first post of this blog should be something uncomplicated. I've knitted a lot this week, and this is the simplest thing I made, and the only thing that I designed myself.

Materials

• 1 ball 8 ply acrylic yarn
• 1 pair 4.5 mm straight knitting needles
• cable needle
• yarn needle

Instructions

1. Cast on 21 stitches.
2. Knit following pattern until headband is long enough to fit around your head snugly.
   Row 1: *P3, K6* twice, P3
   Row 2: *K3, P6* twice, K3
   Row 3: As Row 1.
   Row 4: As Row 2.
   Row 5: *P3, sl3 onto cn, K3, K3 from cn* twice, P3
   Row 6: As Row 2.
3. Cast off.
4. Using yarn needle, sew cast on edge to cast off edge.

See here for abbreviations.