It’s been a few weeks now, but the thrill of having my Eleanor Cowl included in Knitty has not worn off!
I used Lorna’s Lace’s Shepherd Sport for the pewter cowl above. It’s such an unusual, gorgeous neutral! Eleanor is a quick knit, and Lorna’s Laces’ colors are so abundant, I can see making several of these cowls for friends and also to accent various pieces of my own wardrobe.
I love the warm cashmere blend found in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. Purple is a popular color right now, so I made this version of the cowl too.
Eleanor was inspired by a pattern I found in a Japanese stitch dictionary. I altered the pattern for the bottom section of the cowl so that it would take on a funnel shape – larger at the bottom to fit over a garment, and smaller at the top to stay closer to the neck.
I polled my knitting friends on Facebook about whether to design the cowl to be knit flat, which can make blocking the lace easier, or whether to design it in the round, which makes the knitting easier. The results were split so I wrote the pattern both ways!
Lots of knitters over on Ravelry have been making the cowl. I love to see the various yarns and beautiful array of colors that are being used. If you want to check out their projects, click here:
As always, I send bouquets of gratitude to Susan Claudino for an awesome job knitting the pewter sample of the cowl.
This is the prettiest cowl pattern I have found. I especially love the way it fits under the chin and then spreads out on the shoulders. I am hoping to make this cowl but it will be a first for me using a chart. I find them difficult to read but hope to get the hang of it. The one question I have though is what does “no stitch” designated in black mean????? If you let me know, I will be starting on this pattern very soon as I want to make two of them before Christmas. Thanks so much.
Thanks for the kind words, Jeanne. And good for you for trying something new! I’m going to answer your question, but first I want to pass along handy hints for knitting lace, in case you need them. I want your first time using charts to be a positive experience!
My favorite tool for working with charts is Post-It Notes. You can get them in about a 5″ width, which is plenty wide for Eleanor’s charts. Stick the Post-It just above the chart line that you’re currently working on. This keeps track of what row or round you’re on, hides the rows you don’t need yet, and also allows you to see the rows below it that you’ve already worked. That way, if a purl stitch is supposed to be worked directly above a knit stitch, for instance, you’ll be able to see right away if you’re off track.
I don’t know any knitters who knit lace without making mistakes along the way. You can either find the mistake after several rows, and have to rip back, or you can count stitches as you go. I like to count as I go, even if it seems tedious. For me, ripping back lace and having to figure out which row I’m on is worse than counting all the stitches in every row. This is where stitch markers come in handy. Using charts, it’s easy to figure out how many stitches should be between the markers. Counting the stitches between the markers, as opposed to across a whole row, goes relatively quickly. (When the beginning of the round shifts, you may have to move the markers as well.)
Thanks to my teacher Brenda, I always use a lifeline. This is where you take some smooth waste yarn (in a lighter weight than the yarn you’re using) or dental floss and thread it through the stitches on your needle. Choosing a row/round without increases, decreases or yarnovers is best. Be sure to go around the outside of the stitch markers, not through them, or you won’t be able to move them up to the next row! Mark on your chart which row you put the lifeline so you can easily go back to it if needed. When you work the row after the lifeline, just be careful not to knit the lifeline into the stitch. Once you’ve given your work a close look and made sure everything looks just like the picture in the pattern, move the lifeline up. Even counting, I’ve made mistakes or dropped stitches and had to rip back to the lifeline, which made it well worth the effort of putting it in.
Now to your question about Eleanor… “No stitch” means that a stitch that was there is now gone because it was used up by a decrease. It can be a little confusing, since when you see a k2tog in front of a “no stitch” block it might look like the stitch is already gone. It really is gone after you’ve worked the decrease. Just pretend the “no stitch” block isn’t even there, and you’ll be fine. Please note there’s a typo in the instructions for Eleanor. Where it says to move the markers on row 48, it should read 43. It is marked correctly in the chart.
I hope you enjoy knitting Eleanor!
Well, darn! I thought I had commented on this post. The cowl is beautiful and I’m proud to know a knitting designer! 🙂
Thank you, Laurie! Your beaurtiful stitch markers kept me company as I developed the pattern and knit the lace.
Beautiful design, Audrey! I’m so proud of you for designs and perservering with your patterns.
Thanks, Adrienne. I’ve learned a lot from you, and your input and encouragement along the way have been wonderful!