About Didi
I am a student and artist living in San Jose California with my wonderful boyfriend and our four rowdy cats. I love nerdcore music, sci-f, Star Trek, reading really long boring books about history, going to concerts and trying to hug the musicians, mojitos, beer (especially pumpkin ale), eating pasta, knitting tiny things, making things and napping. My dreams and aspirations include going to Japan, hugging a kangaroo, going to the moon, shaking Kobayashi's hand while eating a hotdog, as well as adopting a goldfish or a puppy. I am currently enrolled as a History Major at San Francisco State University and have one year left until graduation. My favorite knitting patterns usually involve lots of yarn overs, twisted stitches and color-work. I prefer DPN's to circular needles, berets to beanies, knee-high socks to anklets and pom-poms to glitter.
LITTLE RED BICYCLE www.littleredbicycle.com Bellona Cowl The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. - Albert Einstein
This project was inspired by the dreaded dropped stitch. The Bellona Cowl is constructed in the round, with alternating cables framed within columns of dropped stitches. Holding the yarn doubled will break up any pooling, so your variegated colorways willook fantastic and balanced when knit up; solid and semi-solid yarns also knit up splendidly.
Materials:
· Yarn: One skein of Hazel Knits Artisan sock. · Needles: US size 3 $(3.25\mathrm{mm})$ 16" circular needles. ·Gauge: $20\mathrm{st}\,\mathrm{x}\,30$ rows, yarn held doubled. · Notions: One Stitch Marker and one cable needle of appropriate size.
Chart:
Ktbl: Knit one stitch through the back loop. C2F: Slip two stitches to cable needle $(\mathrm{cn})$ and hold to front, $\mathrm{k2}$ ,then knit the two stitches previously placed on cn and continue. M1: Make-one. This is done by knitting through the bar between two stitches. Rows 1-3: (ktbl, k4) repeat to end of row. Row 4: (ktbl, C2F, ktbl, k4) repeat to end of row. Rows 5-7: (ktbl, k4) repeat to end of row. Row 8: (ktbl, k4, ktbl, C2F) repeat to end of row.
Pattern Repeat (rows 1-8 of chart):
Knitting Your Cowl:
With the yarn held doubled (two strands together) cast on 96 stitches and join for knitting in the round. If needed place a stitch marker at the join to mark the beginning of the next row. This cowl is designed to fit loosely, if you prefer a closer fit cast on 80 stitches rather than 96. Rows 1&3: Knit to end of row. Rows 2&4: Purl to end of row. Row 5: (ml, k4) repeat to end of row. Rows 6-86: Work rows 1-8 in pattern ten times. Note: If you prefer a longer cowl, work one or two additional pattern repeats. Row 87: (drop twisted stitch, k4) repeat to end of row. Row 88: Purl to end of row. Row 89: Knit to end of row. Row 90: Purl to end of row.
Finishing:
Bind-off all stitches loosely. Carefully pull each dropped stitch as to ‘unknit? each twisted stitch. Weave in ends, and gently block if desired.
