Hello, my Fine Fibrous Friends. It’s been a while, I know. I’ve missed you, but – glances both ways and whispers – I haven’t been knitting very much. Now those are words that I never expected to write for as long as I had a detectable pulse.
The main reason was that I was designing and making what I hoped would be a special gift for a dear friend’s 50th birthday. Unfortunately progress was glacial because every hour of knitting was followed by about a week-and-a-half of THIS IS RUBBISH AND SHE’LL HATE IT agonising, which is not, you’ll doubtless agree, the royal road to yarnsome productivity. This is why I rarely knit gifts for people.
This friend (I’ll call her ‘Rebecca’ because that is in fact her real name and I’m feeling doxxy) and I have been mates since roughly the age of four. Even though we don’t usually bother with presents, she sent me a thoughtful gift for my own half-century last December, and I wanted to respond in kind because she’s awesome and I love her.
So I designed a cowl with Rebecca in mind. She both likes and suits bold colours, so I pulled out my collection of Stylecraft ‘Highland Heathers’ and doodled a motif. I’ve tried to create a joyful riot of colour without triggering migraines in any passers-by. The cowl was worked in the round with a provisional cast-on, so that using Kitchener Stitch, the beginning could be joined to the end with no visible hint of a pause. That really isn’t as scary as it sounds. Here’s the finished item:-
And at long, long last, it was done. The other day, I went to the Post Office and sent it off. Yes, it’s three months after her birthday. Yes, I’m sending her a woolly cowl just as the weather is finally warming up and everyone is pondering the possibility of t-shirts. But I hope from the bottom of my heart that she’ll like it and that next winter, she’ll find comfort in wearing this thing. She deserves all the nice stuff.
My silence hasn’t just been about the cowl. Yes kittens, I’m looking at you as I say this, because you’re a hindrance to productivity. Often there’s a mini-queue of the pair of them waiting for lap snuggles whilst I’m trying to Get Stuff Done. And who am I to resist the chance to nose-bump a snuggly ball of fluff? (Goodness, how did I ever sink so low as to write a mawkish sentence like that?) That said, I appreciate their cuddles when I’ve had a tough day at work down the psychology mines. They’re sweet souls, these two cats, when they’re not dangling by their claws from the curtains.
Also, on the distraction-from-blogging-front, it’s spring, which is the busiest season of the growing-your-own-lunch calendar. Ever since February, I’ve been on a manic conveyor belt of germination-nurturing-planting, which has kept me and every south-facing windowsill in the house extremely busy. I’m a little nerdish about these things, in that I weigh every harvest and am on a mission to increase productivity, year on year. I have spreadsheets and graphs; a lot of spreadsheets and graphs. Honestly, it’s an obsession. It was my coping strategy when I had cancer (in addition to wine and running), and during the pandemic (in addition, ditto), and it’s still my coping strategy in this uncertain world we’re inhabiting (ditto). So I grow as much food as I can in our little garden and in some borrowed beds elsewhere. I’ve learned to be realistic about how annual vegetables are divas that require dedicated raised beds, whereas perennial veg and fruits can be scattered around the edges of our little garden, even when they’re overshadowed by the neighbours’ trees.
So that’s where we’re at. Finishing Rebecca’s cowl has made me fall in love with knitting all over again, so I’m grateful for that. In a few days’ time, I’ll be sharing a new pattern with you as part of a rather splendid new Stylecraft promotion. The future is yarny, my friends, and very colourful.
I LOVE the Cowl! If Rebecca doesn’t like it, please send it my way! My address is…!
Hi, Don’t be hard on yourself, the cowl is gorgeous. We eb and flow and can’t be full on knitting all the time as much as we would like to. Gardening is time consuming at this time of the year. Happy Summer to you and your family. Xx
Rebecca will be everything you could wish, Phil – ecstatic, overcome and TOTALLY IMPRESSED. Who wouldn’t be ?!
Your food growing continues apace, I see: this is A Commendable Thing at all times. You can’t possibly go wrong with producing your own food. And hey, what’s wrong with a bit of obsession every now and then ?!
The wee black devils continue with being adorable: obvi someone has been giving them lessons. Was it you ? – probably.
You have been absent for far too long. Don’t do it again, ya hear ?!
I shall turn 80 next month. Dunno if I can cope. Sighhh ..
i love Rebecca’s cowl …
are you willing to publish it?
and the kittens are absolutely totally adorable!!!
best regards always,
daisy/margaret 🙂
I have missed you and wondered if the world had sent you another curve. Nope, it appears “human” has found you. Your posts are always full of the “busy” in your life. It’s refreshing that you are not on another manic journey but snuggling with kittens and relaxing.
First, the cowl is beautiful. Rebecca will love it and be flattered that you designed it and knitted it with love and friendship. Second, your garden is a mass of amazement. And spreadsheets or not it is a joy to see. Us mere mortals here in the upper Midwest of the US are still experiencing near frost/freezing temps and 6 weeks with no rain! The grass is dead, the wildflowers are looking sad and no self-respecting bee or butterfly wants to dine on them. Even the weeds in the gardens are few and far between. (Thankfully.) So I’m properly jealous of your garden.
Thanks for the post. Life isn’t all about knitting. Kittens and “tweens” and gardens are important too. And the Twisted Spouse probably wants a mention, too.
Teresa in Michigan
Hi Teresa, and as always, thank you for the warmth in your comment. But goodness, your climactic conditions do sound a bit tricky. May things improve very soon for you.
Rebecca has messaged and said that she’s received the cowl and likes it. I HOPE this is genuine. She deserves nice stuff.
The cowl is lovely!!! Happy Spring (however messy the world is right now).
Thank you!
Oh it’s beautiful. I too am very silly when knitting something I think is wrong size or I won’t have enough yarn. “Woman just finish the thing and then decide” is what I have to tell myself.
Right now I have fallen down a quilt rabbit hole so apart from “boring tv knitting” nothing needing brain power is being done.
Can completely relate to your words. Sigh. May your quilting turn out beautifully.
The kittens are just too adorable!!
I know! They’ve stolen my heart and all of my time.
Well, cowl is beautiful now I want to make one. Missed hearing from you and I was wondering when your book will be out. I’m sure you are enjoying your wonderful family and life.
Thank you for all of this. Not sure what’s happening re the book. I’ll publish a pattern for the cowl, but with slightly fewer shades because who on earth wants to buy 20 balls of yarn just to make a little cowl?!
Lovely colourful cowl .
Thank you.
Your garden is lovely. As is the cowl. Lucky friend!
Not for the first time, thank you! And also thank you.
Sometime the tough things are done without knowing at the beginning,,glad to see you persevered .. such an inspiration
You’re wise. I hope she likes it.
The cowl is lovely — colorful, with a simple pattern of stripes and ovals — what’s not to like? I enlarged the picture to marvel at the perfection of your stitches. Solid work, Phil, just solid. I’m sure your friend-since-you-were-four will love it, not only because you made it especially for her, but because it’s really pretty too. The kittens are looking decidedly less kittenish, but still just too darn cute for words. They must bring lots of smiles, and outright belly laughs, with their antics. It’s summertime now. It’s the season to meander peacefully through gentle days as if they don’t matter. Tomorrow is time enough to worry about whatever ungodliness rears it’s ugly head, because, you know, something always does. Now is for serene peaceful light-filled days, to be stored up, like nuts, for the winter. We need these days.
P.S. I haven’t crocheted for over a year. There is a time for fallow too. It always comes back, stronger and renewed.
Aww, thank you. May your period of hooky fallowness end soon.
But thank you for your kind words. Rebecca has messaged me saying good things. I hope that she genuinely likes this cowl and realizes that it was made with love.
Just yesterday, I was thinking of you and hoping you were all right. It’s wonderful to know you have been, and are, your magnificent self. You have been very busy loving your long-time dear friend, and oh what you have to show for it! It’s so, so fine!
Patty, thank you, but you’re far more generous in your words than I deserve.
Goodoh. Glad your back!!! Take care.
Thank you!
Ah, yes, the imposter syndrome we suffer from. It made me stop making handmade things for others. Perhaps my standard is too high. It has to be more than perfect. In the end it looks like a lovely colourful shawl, stunning colours there. Cats are very, very distractive. Very. And healing. Just like the garden. Now my food processing stopped because of the mess builders made. Next year I promised myself. For now I drool at your homegrown food pictures.
Oh my goodness, am hitting ‘agree’ for every single word of this.
It’s lovely and so are the kittens and your bountiful garden!
Thank you! I’m carefully not showing the not-bountiful bits of the garden…
That is an amazing cowl! I love the colors and pattern! I am sure Rebecca will love it too! If you have time, please publish a pattern. Even though I am a crocheter, I would love to knit this cowl!
Your garden and kittens are beautiful! We have garden spreadsheets too🙂
Yay to a fellow garden-spreadsheeter! VERY glad to read that I’m not alone. And yes, I’ll publish the pattern, but I need to work out a version with fewer shades, because no sane knitter will want to buy 20 shades of yarn just to make this thing.
The cowl is DELIGHTFUL!!! I’m sure she will love it. I would ❤️
Thank you. She’s just messaged me nice things about it. I HOPE she genuinely likes it…
Lucky friend to have a present that you have put so much thought and care into. Sounds as if you have a full and enjoyable life. I enjoy reading your posts but wouldn’t want to to take priority over what you are wanting to do in your life.
You’re very kind in saying all of this. As for anyone, there’s good and not-good in my life, but I love to share food-growing and yarny joy, so thank you for being one of my longest-standing readers.
It is such a treat when a blog post of yours shows up in my feed. The cowl is bright and colorful and absolutely wonderful!
What a wonderful cowl; your friend will be in love with it, I’m sure. I totally envy you the garden, and really, was any enterprise worthwhile without an attached spreadsheet and a couple of graphs? My neighbors have chickens, and I’m thinking that your garden could use a couple of those, too.
I envy you also the wine and running because I live in the states with our shit politics, scary weather patterns (tornado sirens, anyone), and fire season is right around the corner. Knitting is my go-to zen solution, and I totally look forward to your next pattern. 🙂
I am so glad you are OK, was worried about you! Cowl beautiful by the way!
Help! For the last few posts I don’t get notified of other posts and Phil’s return comments. I click the boxes but get no responses. I’m trying again.
Kittens are a comforting and welcome distraction AND a lot of work. They look adorable sleeping she by side like that. I hope Rebecca loves her cowl. I’m glad you are back to doing something you love.
You wrote, “no sane knitter will want to buy 20 shades of yarn just to make this thing.” Really???? You put “sane” and “knitter” right next to each other in a sentence. Ha ha ha ha ha. Are you kidding? Of course, we’d buy 20 shades of yarn to make the cowl of joy! It is beautiful; it will be warm; it will be the envy of all who see us wearing it. And I live in Arizona where we think any temp below 70 degrees Fahrenheit is chilly (that’s 21 degrees to you), so I’ll only wear it one day per year! But I’d still make it if the yarn is soft enough!
Amazing work, artisan genius. Just wondering whether the husband of Rebecca (50th birthday in December) also qualifies for a cowl? Also, is there a premium cowl deluxe package that includes two adorable kittens? Asking for a friend, obvs.
I am sure that Rebecca loved the cowl and will use it for years to come! Absolutely beautiful!