Thread Head: Finished Cowl

I knit a cowl from some yarn that I spun this summer.

The pattern is The Shift by Andrea Mowry (a paid-for pattern on Ravelry). The pattern was really nice to knit - enough variation to keep it interesting, and an easy to remember pattern once established.

I spun the yarn from a local fleece that I cleaned, combed and dyed,

Then drum carded into batts ready for spinning.

The finished yarn.

A close up of the stitch pattern.

I knit it the cowl to go with the coat I made - all finished now that the buttons are on (I don't know when I will be able to wear it since we are supposed to stay home, but I'll be ready when things get better).

I have also been weaving mug rugs - I am participating in a free online weaving class from Warp and Weave, called Discover Colour Weave-Along. I have learned a lot, not just about colour but also weaving.

My Mom made a wall hanging called 'Friends and Neighbors', from the November/December 2020 issue Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazine (we see them free online at RB Digital through our local library). She did all the work, just wanted me to do some free motion quilting in the white background.

Something else that was finished recently is a bench that my son and I made.

He designed the metal legs. Each leg is made up of two tree shapes cut with his plasma cutter, with strips of metal welded between to make them thicker, but light weight. They are powder coated a dark bronze colour (a powder coating oven is something new he recently made for his business).

For the top he chain sawed a slab of wood from a tree that he had cut down for someone - it is Russian Olive. I finished the wood using an electric hand planer and electric sander (I was lucky enough to have power tools from my Dad!). Lots of hand sanding, plus lots of coats of wax. I am so happy with how it came out.