Test Knit: Flying Angels Cowl

Getting into the test knits again, trying to keep on a project-a-month schedule.  Due dates are good for me! :)  This time it was another cowl, the Flying Angels Cowl by Karen Buhr.

The Yarn

Adriafil Yuppy Trends.  A sock yarn I picked up a few years ago on super-sale.  I figured if I didn't find a specific project for it easily, it would end up as squares in the mitered sock yarn blanket which I want to make one day.  As it is, this project didn't take quite a full skein, so the yarn will end up in the blanket too :)

 

In deciding which yarn to use for this project, I was torn between this one and a few other sock yarns in my stash.  This one was paler than the others, and though it's a striped yarn, the colors were pretty muted pastels, so it's not a pattern of stripes which would overwhelm the lace pattern itself.  Not colors I usually wear, but since it's for a cowl, it's easy to pull them off as an accent piece.  Overall, though, I like the colorway, very springtime-y.

The yarn was really pleasant to work with, not too splitty or anything, which is definitely appreciated on a lace piece.  And it's very soft for a wool/acrylic sock yarn.  The colors didn't bleed when it was washed and blocked, so that's a definite plus.  Biggest downside?  It's been discontinued.  Probably why I got it on super-sale.  :\

The Pattern

As linked above, this is the Flying Angels Cowl by Karen Buhr.  It's a nice, portable lace piece, good for those small sock yarn skeins too pretty to pass up.  This one used less than 200yds, so good for small skeins, like I said.  I liked the lace pattern, too.  For a lot of the pattern, there is something going on every row, (no "rest" row) but the pattern is one that quickly "makes a picture," so it's easy to follow.  I'd say it's a good choice for a strong beginner/early intermediate knitter.  They'd need to be comfortable knitting in the round (either circulars or DPN) and with following a lace pattern. On the upside, the lace is clear and easy to follow, as I said, but there are a few techniques which are more than just beginner lace.

A big thing I liked about this piece was the variety you can put into it.  It adapts well to different gauges, so if you wanted to do this in worsted or DK, it would still work well.  And it's a very simple adjustment to change the size - to make it wider, add another chart repeat or two (more "stacks" of angels) and to make it a bigger loop, cast on more multiples of 20.  An additional variation is included in the pattern, too.  She provides instructions for an alternate edging, something a little fancier, as well as optional bead placement.  All very easy, very pretty options to the cowl.

 

Raveled here.

Notes, Alterations, Etc.

None in my project!  Like I said, her pattern does have instructions for an alternate cast-on/bind-off (a picot edging) and for bead placement in the lace pattern.  They're very pretty options, if you're interested!  I personally really like the beading idea, but that wasn't the version I was testing.  Maybe next time :)