Pixel cowl

I know it's almost summer here in the northern hemisphere, but it's sort of still scarf weather in Iceland and winter is around the corner for our friends on the opposite side of the globe. With that in mind, I figured why wait to start putting my backlog of decidedly autumn-y patterns out in the world? 

The first is a quick little cowl I made a loooonng time ago as a clean-up-my-stash project (you might have seen it here). I call it the Pixel Cowl because the jagged double crochet stripes somehow remind me of a zoomed-in, pixelated image (maybe it's just me, but the name stuck). Using small amounts of Álafoss Lopi and a big hook, it took under an hour to crochet and remains near the top of my list of handmade gift ideas.

Like some of my other how-tos, this is more of a basic "recipe" than a by-the-numbers pattern. The size and placement of your stripes will depend on the amount of yarn you use for each colour, and the cowl is easy to size up or down simply by adjusting the length of the starting chain and/or number of rows. I happened to have a combination of larger vs smaller amounts of yarn on hand, and I really like the look of different-sized blocks of colour. The main idea is to just join the next colour wherever the last one ends without worrying about matching things up, for a jagged, "pixelated" effect. 

The cowl is worked in the round, and the first round is worked into the "bumps" on the underside of the foundation chain - this keeps the edge nice and neat and adds a tiny bit more stretch to the chain. The only tricky bit is joining the foundation chain into a ring without twisting it (you could also start with a foundation dc, but I didn't think of that at the time).

PIXEL COWL

Materials

• Small amounts of Álafoss Lopi or similar bulky weight yarn in at least 3 colours 
  • I used a total of about 80 g/80 m (3 oz/ 87 yds) and 3 colours.
• 10 mm hook

Gauge

• 7 st and 4.5 rows = 10 cm (4")
  • Gauge is not crucial for this project and will depend on the yarn/hook size you're using.

Finished size

• 60 cm (24") x 23 cm (9")
  • Adjust the size by adding or subtracting foundation chain stitches and/or adding or subtracting rows.

Stitches used

• Ch - chain
• Dc - double crochet
• Ss - slip stitch
  • Note that this pattern uses US crochet terms.

Pattern

Ch 42, without twisting chain, ss into 1st ch to join into ring

Round 1 - Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc throughout), sk 1st ch, dc into the "bump" on the underside of each ch around, ss in top of beg ch 3 to join (42) (see notes below pattern).

Round 2 - Ch 3, dc around, ss into top of beg ch 3 to join (42)

Rounds 3 - 10 - Repeat round 2, joining each new colour wherever the last one ends (42)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Finishing

I like to wet-block pretty much everything I make in Icelandic wool - it's a rugged fibre and gentle hand washing in lukewarm water with mild soap softens it quite a bit. Roll the washed piece in a towel to squeeze out excess water (but don't wring or twist). Lay flat, reshape to measurements, and let air dry. Turning the piece every once in a while helps to avoid creases, but you can also steam out any creases with an iron once your cowl is dry - just be careful not to place the iron directly on the wool.

Notes on working into the "bump" of the foundation chain

To work into the bump , turn the chain slightly so that the underside is facing up. Insert your hook into the loop or "bump" in the centre and make your stitch. Crochet Me has a great post about different ways of working into the foundation chain here.

Hope you enjoy your Pixel Cowl!

New patterns on Ravelry

Two patterns that I had published in last year's Crochet Pattern a Day Calendar have recently become available as instant downloads! My Lava Wrist Warmers and Tricolor Felted Bowl patterns have been rewritten and formatted as individual PDF patterns, and can be purchased on Ravelry.

The Lava Wrist Warmers pattern is a great one-skein pattern that works up fast. Worked in granite stitch, they have a bit of stretch and fit most adult women. 

The Tricolor Felted Bowl is a fun stash-busting project that you can felt in your washing machine.

Enjoy!

Hello 2016

I'm starting the year a week late. After the holidays, travelling, and an annoyingly persistent cold, I spent the first week of 2016 in a sort of jet-lagged limbo, slowly easing back into my daily routines and trying to reclaim some semblance of a normal sleep schedule. It was quite nice in some ways, this easing in - no plans, no resolutions, just recovery. And now I'm ready.

Looking back on 2015, I'm pretty happy with how things evolved over the year. I made a lot, shared a lot, got a pattern published in a magazine for the very first time, and opened a little pattern shop on Ravelry. I set out to grow my skills and confidence without putting too much pressure on myself, and even though that meant letting a few things slide (like my Etsy shop and keeping a regular blog schedule, among other things), I feel OK about it all. 

This year I'd like to do a better job of bringing everything together in a way that makes sense and of being more consistent, and more consistently present, in my work. While I've not made any resolutions, I'll confess to making big lists (gotta love a list!) and I even ordered a fancy planner that I'm loathe to write in, it's so fresh and clean and pretty! At the same time, I hope I'll continue to cut myself (and others) some slack when things don't go exactly according to plan and just enjoy the ride. 

I hope you all enjoy your ride too in 2016. Cheers!

Simple cloth

I made a bunch of these simple little dishcloths/washcloths and I am becoming addicted. Packaged up with some handmade soaps, these are going to make really cute little gifts come Christmas (which is only 33 days away!). I used half-double crochet stitches, double-stranded, and got 4 cloths out of two 50 g skeins of Anna and Clara's Cotton Yarn from Sostrene Grene, which is a fingering weight cotton yarn. I especially love the marled effect of using two contrasting yarns together.

Here's the basic pattern below:

Simple cloth

Materials:

• 2 skeins fingering weight cotton yarn in contrasting colours of your choice
• 4 mm hook
• Yarn needle

Gauge:

Approx. 14 st x 11 rows = 4" (10 cm)

Finished size:

Approx. 7" x 7" (18  cm x 18 cm)

Pattern:

Holding two strands together, ch 26.

Row 1: Make 1st hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc each ch to end, turn (24)

Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1st hdc throughout), hdc across, turn (24)

Row 3 - 18: Repeat Row 2 (24)

At the end of the last row, ch 10, ss into same st to make a loop, fasten off.

Weave in ends.

And there you have it - a simple, useful little cloth that can be used as a dishcloth, washcloth, or even a trivet, and works up so fast you'll want to make them for everyone you know (and a few for yourself too).

Slow Fashion October wrap up

Here we are at end of the month, and I didn't do as well with my Slow Fashion October challenge as I had hoped. I had big plans for thoughtful blog posts along each week's theme and daily Instagrams of handmade wares (and wears), but it's been hard to find the time to sit down and write something of substance about a very broad, very important topic. 

I challenged myself to wear handmade every day this month, and while I managed to at least wear handmade accessories every day (that part was easy as we moved into scarf, mitts, and woolly socks territory), handmade garments were more difficult. I had…OK, I put...a lot on my plate this month, so getting creative about what to wear in the morning just wasn't - and if I'm totally honest, isn't ever - within my operating capacity. However, I would like to share one of my favourite pieces that gets regular rotation, not just for Slow Fashion October but all through the year. The hand-knit Icelandic lopapeysa in the pictures above was given to me by my mother-in-law a few years ago, knit by her sister-in-law (my husband's aunt), and I have practically lived in it ever since. It's been repaired once already and is due another round now that I've somehow, inexplicably, made a hole in the armpit. Considering it's fragility (it's made from single-ply, unspun plötulopi) it's held up remarkably well, and to me, the patches and repairs only add to its charm. I wore this sweater a lot this month, along with a few other well-loved pieces, some handmade and second-hand and some bought new over the years.

Speaking of buying new, I didn't totally avoid it this month - I bought a wool boucle coat on sale. It was made in a factory, and I don't know the conditions under which it was made. I wrestled with this at the time but in the end I still bought it, using the following rationale:

1. I loved the coat.
2. It was well made, in good fabric.
3. It was not super-cheap, even on sale, but was within my budget.
4. It had classic styling and would last more than one season.

Perhaps I rationalized a new mass-produced purchase simply because I wanted the coat (I had already tried it on twice in the weeks before it went on sale). But I have worn it every day since I bought it and I know it will serve me for at least a few more years. At the same time, I still want to avoid new mass-produced as much as I can and that includes craft supplies. I use Icelandic wool almost exclusively in my work mostly because I love it, but also because I know where it comes from and where and how it's produced. 

Which brings me back to my overall goal of being a more conscious consumer and making a better effort to fit a slow fashion philosophy into my lifestyle. It's hard, and there are no easy fixes for a system that not only exploits people but also harms our environment. How did we even get to this place? To me, the question has more to do with our core values as people and societies than with factories or corporations. These core values, after all, are the ones driving us to want more, faster, cheaper; driving corporate CEOs to prioritize profit above all else, no matter the human or environmental cost; and driving the kind of unsustainable consumption we're seeing now.

But I'm optimistic. The slow fashion movement is growing and gaining traction, and I do sense a shift, perhaps still driven primarily by niche communities like makers, but a shift nonetheless, in our values and priorities. People who didn't think about these things before are thinking about them now, and that's good. All I can do is try to be more aware, to consider more deeply not just what I buy, but why I'm buying. 

And get my sewing machine fixed. I can do that too.