I’m always looking for patterns to use for those special handspun skeins I’ve put so much work into. Whether spun on the wheel over a few days, or lovingly coaxed into existence from a drop spindle – handspun yarn uses hours of crafting time.
When I knit with handspun, I try to keep in mind that my pattern needs to be simple to allow the yarn to be the star. When I spun up this gradient skein, I wanted a hanspun knit cowl to show off the soft stripes I knew it would knit into. I love the elegance of this Soft Shoulder Cowl by Kriskrafter. It drapes beautifully around the neck and the simple curves show off the subtle shifts of color in my handspun.
I modified the pattern just a bit, knitting only 3 inches before beginning the shaping. Since I was knitting the large for my broad shoulders and my handspun skein was only 335 yards rather than the 350 yards recommended, I decided to scrimp on neck rather than shoulder length. Next time I’ll worry less since I had a good amount of yarn left over, even after extending the length about an inch. The edging does roll a bit, but a blast of steam from my iron relaxed it into laying perfectly nice.
A cross between a shawl and a cowl, this piece is easy to wear and super cozy for crisp fall weather!
lovely!!!! Your handspun yarn is very smooth