Holywood Cowl
Sparkly and fabulous fun, the Hollywood Cowl is a glamorous addition to your "out on the town" accessories. The yarn is light worsted weight, which has a shimmery component in the strand. Adding beads to it just proves that more is, indeed, more. It's a moebius cowl, with beads placed in a specific pattern; consequently, the beads are on every surface of the cowl. The Moebius has a 180-degree twist, which is created at the join of the special cast on. Rounds of knitting grow from the center of the worktothe outsides. stitches. The pattern direction is PB for Place Bead. The beads will be placed alternately facing you and away from you as the pattern is knit. Moepius cast on (MLU) 1/b stitcnes. 1he Moel Round 1: Knit Round 2: \*K4,P4\* Round 3: \*K2, PB (place bead), K2, P2, PB, P2\* Round 4: \*K4, P4\* Round 5: \*P4, K4\* Round 6: \*P2, PB, P2, K2, PB,K2\* Round 7: \*P4, K4\* Round 8: \*K4, P4\* Round 9:\*K2,PB,K2,P2,PB,P2\* Round 10:\*K4, P4\* Round 11: Knit Round 12: \*P4, K4\* Round 13: \*P2, PB, P2, K2, PB, K2\* Round 14:\*P4, K4\* Round 15: \*K4, P4\* Round 16: \*K2, PB, K2, P2, PB, P2\* Round 17: \*K4, P4\* Round 18: \*P4, K4\* Round 19: \*P2, PB, P2, K2, PB, K2\* Round 20: \*P4, K4\* Round 21: Knit Round 22:\*K4, P4\* Round 23: \*K2, PB, K2,P2, PB,P2\* Round 24:\*K4,P4\*
Directions:
Using a dental floss threader, prestring 40 grams (approximately 600 beads) onto the yarn. (It is easier to manage the beads if half of them are strung at a time, but it will be necessary to break the yarn to add more beads, resulting in a join.) While knitting the cowl, the beads are slid up to the base of the last stitch, one at a time in pattern. They are positioned in the "u" shaped area between This is a helpful U-Tube video for stringing beads onto the yarn using a dental floss threader: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtTCeehuSFw I use a fleece mat on a flat table surface rather than hold the beads in my hand. Fleece fabric is available at any fabric store. Cut a small square to use for bead stringing.
Materials:
Two skeins of Cascade Yarns, . 187% wool/10% acrylic/3% polyester, Color: Black. Approximately 225 yards. Size 8 circular needles in a 47" inch length. It is essential to use the 47" length circular needles for optimum comfort. Stitch marker. 40 grams (approximately 600 beads) of TOHO 6/0 seed beads. Dental floss threader and beading surface. Yarn needle. Gauge: Approximately 3 stitches per inch. Other dk or light worsted yarn with the same gauge may be substituted in this pattern. Size: The finished, blocked cowl is approximately 6" deep x 52" in circumference.
Bind off with beads:
Bind off loosely in pattern with beads using the following method to achieve more elasticity: Start with K2, slip both stitches back to the left needle, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops. \*K1, slip both stitches back to the left needle, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops, PB (Place Bead), K1, slip both stitches back to the left needle, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops, K1, slip both stitches back to the left needle, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops.
P1, slip both stitches back to the left needle, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops, P1, slip both stitches back to the left needle, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops, PB (Place Bead), P1, slip 2 back, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops, P1, K2TOG (knit 2 together) through the back loops.\* Repeat the bind off directions from \* in the above sequence all the way around until the final stitch.
To finish:
Pick up a stitch under the beginning stitch of the round and pass the first stitch on the needle over the one just picked up. Cut tail and pull through loop to secure.
Moebius Cast On Information
There are a number of ways to learn the moebius cast on. Illustrated step-by-step instructions are included in Cat Bordhi's ebooks, A Treasury of Magical Knitting and A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting. Both contain a wealth of information about and patterns for Moebius knitting. (She has graciously given permission to reference her ingenious Moebiuscast-ontechnique.) Here is the link to her U-Tube Moebius cast on video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVnTda7F2V4 More information is available on her website http://www.catbordhi.com/ These are step-by-step instructions for the moebius cast on: 1. Make a slip knot and slip it to the center of the 47" cable. Hold the knot on your cable with your left hand, allowing the needles to dangle. 2. With your right hand, take the LEFT needle and bring it towards you and up to make the cable into a loop. Allow the other needle to hang down. We won't need it until all the stitches are cast on. 3. Hold the slipknot, needle and looped cable in your right hand. Hold the needle half way to the tapered tip. 4. Tension the working yarn above the cable in your left hand. Think of the cable as a stationary object you will be wrapping the yarn around. You will be holding it in both hands to begin the cast on, which is a wrapping sequence. 5. Point the needle towards you and bring it under the cable, over the working yarn, and back up above the cable. Do a yarn over. 6. Repeat this sequence to cast on the appropriate amount of stitches. Each time you perform this “under the cable yarn over" sequence, you are generating 2 stitches. Count only the stitches on the top of your needle. 7. Once you have the appropriate number of stitches cast on, spread the stitches around the needle and cables and up onto the other needle, so they form a circle. 8. Position the needles and stitches around them so that you can knit the stitches. This will take some adjusting. 9. Set the work down on a table top and, starting with the left side, position the needle above the cable, follow the path around the cables, making sure they are parallel all the way around until you get near the right needle. 10. At this point the needle should be over the cable or the cable will be over the needle. Either way is ok. This should occur only once and will indicate the 180-degree twist. 11. PLACE MARKER. Knit into the slipknot to join the work. Pull the stitches together at the join to close gaps. Knit into the “triangle" stitches or V's as they come to you. These are very different looking stitches made by the wrapping we did to cast on. The marker is crucial in moebius knitting. On the first round, it will let you know that you have done the twist correctly as you knit and it travels the path of the stitches onto the looped cable below your needle tips. When you see the marker on the cable below the needles, this is one half of the first round of moebius knitting. Once you see the marker at this point, keep knitting until you can slip the marker from the left to right needle. This will be one complete round of moebius knitting.
Blocking
Soak the moebius for fifteen minutes in lukewarm water with a small amount of non-rinsing wool wash. Squeeze out the excess water. Roll it in a towel and blot out the excess water. Arrange the moebius on a dry towel. Allow it to dry flat for time, and then reposition the cowl as it dries completely.
Thank you for your purchase. Please free to contact me with any questions: dianelaugustin@mac.com
Designed and knit by Diane L. Augustin
Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. www.yarnhappybeadhappy.com www.yarnhappybeadhappy.etsy.com http://www.ravelry.com/designers/diane-l-augustin
