Capstan cowl thoughts!

I'm so proud to say I have a pattern in Knit Now's new issue, in the shops this Thursday, which is their Best of British issue!



photos (c) Dan Walmsley for Practical Publishing

Look, there it is - not the main picture, but the cowl being worn by the lady in the nice purple coat. It's called the Capstan Cowl and is part of this month's Designer Challenge, which involved Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds Chunky.

The yarn, which is thick, textured and comes, without wishing to refer to a novel I have no intention of reading, in several shades of grey. It made me think of ropes, and harbours, a bit like this:

 

Source: flickr.com via Miranda on Pinterest

So, the yarn itself is twisty (like the ply on the ropes) and the ropemaker twists it into a rope (like a cable) and then the sailer twists it again around his capstan... maybe I could do that!

And of course anyone with a passing interest in the history of British knitting knows how entwined our knitting and nautical history is.

The finished piece is a small cowl - more of a spring or autumn piece than a full blown cosy snow-replling cowl - and takes literally a couple of hours to knit (Yes, there is still time for mothers day, just). It also doesn't use much yarn.

When you're knitting it, you may find yourself a bit concerned that it will look very weird, as the cable unravels. But fear not! Even if you are opposed in principle to blocking, this is one pattern where a very simple blocking process will weave magic over your cowl. If you haven't got fancy blocking stuff, don't worry. All you need is a towel, some safety pins and maybe a biggish book.

Soak your knitting in lukewarm water for 15 minutes or so. Roll it in your towel to remove excess water (If you've used the recommended yarn, you will be AMAZED by how quickly the water goes. Wool is remarkable stuff). Then pin it out, pinning each cable out flat, onto the dry bit of your towel.

 

Fold your towel over it (especially if you have a pet who is inclined to sleep on blocking projects). If you like, sit your heavy book on it. Leave it to dry.

 

Unpin, then take half the length of your cowl (easiest way to measure is to fold it in two) and pin this into a loop:

 

 

Then wind the loose end 3 times around the loop (3 is the right number. I tried doing more and it just got too twisty and lost the effect of the cables). Make sure you are winding in the same direction as the cables.

 

 

Pin the ends together, then join it using backstitch (you need a good strong seam). If you squiggle the twists around, the join won't show at all. If you don't like seaming, you can use a provisional cast on and join by grafting or 3 needle bind off.

 

It would also make quite a funky headband.