Blue Raspberry Cowl

2 skiens of wisdom yarn poems

Cast on 106 stitches on size 8 DPNs
The size can be made bigger or smaller by casting on multiples of 4(+2)

Knit 1 1/2 inches in K2P2 rib (your round will connect at the end with  a K2 but it's hardly noticeable and, as far as I can tell, unavoidable)

Raspberry stitch:
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: sl 1( (K1P1K1)* purl 3 stitches together ) repeat to the end of the row
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: sl 1 (purl 3 stitches together (K1 P1 K1)*) repeat to the end of the row

Repeat for 7 1/2 inches

Knit 1 1/2 inches in K2P2 rib and bind off

Turn the cowl inside out and you can see the raspberry pattern! (This was one of my first patterns I worked in the round so it confused me a little lol)

* This is all one stitch. You achieve this by knitting the stitch as you would but DO NOT slip the stitch off the needle. Continue and purl as if it were a new stitch and then knit the stitch again. After the last stitch you can slip the stitch off the needle. If this is too confusing feel free to ask questions and youtube is also a great source.

Finally Updates

Things have been a little hectic and busy. Getting taxes done and midterms. Trying not to beat my new roommate. I haven't been very good about updating or knitting even. But the projects I have been working on are quite simple so they went very quickly. I finished my cowl and as soon as I finish writing up the pattern I will post it here. I also made my mohawk hat which did not turn out quite as well as i wanted and I made some nice coasters for the house since that has been bugging me lately. I started on a hat project for a friend but have no idea what to put on it so that project is stalled and today I'm going to begin working on a valentines day heart pillow for my special someone who lives far away. Hopefully it will be done in time but with 2 days off from school this week I don't see how it should be a problem.
Oh but I do have some good news! I have a job at the Arby's. I haven't started yet but I have been hired and I'm really excited but I'm also trying to get a lot of things done before I start working again. I still need a new computer and a new external hard drive but as soon as I can I'm running off to Michigan to see my boy. Yes I know. Very romantic Michigan is. But it's where he is so it's where I go. I haven't decided if I want to go there for school yet but I haven't started filling out applications yet either which I really need to do but I need to get some money coming in first. So there's all the good news. I will post the picture of the cowl with the pattern sometime in the next few days.

Maybe when I have more money I will make a better mohawk hat. The ear flaps aren't where they should be. Not that you can tell from this picture. I also have plans for a bag but that will come later. I will also be making a cowl for my roommate. He like the idea and wants one...tho I don't think he will want one with raspberry stitch. So, lots of upcoming projects. Lots of good things. A very good, although very late, update.

Busy busy...

Been a little busy with the new roommate moving in, which is done finally. Last weekend we had my families xmas (awful btw). I was very ready to go home by the end of it. Still no job but I did get my money from school. The cowl is very tedious so I have made little progress on it but I have made some. But the most exciting news! I was able to order the yarn for my mohawk hat and it came in yesterday! I got started on it last night and its coming along nicely. Hopefully I will have a better update by the end of the weekend. I'm hoping this blog will get progressively better as I get into more complicated projects. If anyone needs help or has any questions I would be happy to help if I can. I don't claim to be an expert but I've taught myself everything I know about knitting (still haven't figured out the yarn over thing tho) so maybe I could help someone else. I'm sure there are techniques that I've never heard of too since I work alone but I would like to.

End (or beginning) of Winter

Today is the last day of my winter break and it finally snowed today! In celebration of the weather finally acting the way it should I started working on a cowl today. I will post the pattern up when it is done since this is something I've actually done up myself! and I have no idea what all the specs are going to be. Here is what I have so far:

I want it to be slouchy but I don't know if it will be just because of the way the yarn knits up and possibly because of the stitch I'm using to knit in. I think this yarn is magnificent to be worked in this raspberry stitch. The yarn is called Poems by Wisdom Yarns. I really should be working on mittens tho. My dog ate my old ones a few months back and I could never find anything I truly liked but I still have yet to make them. I'm just so indecisive about what I want. I want to try cables and intarsia and so many other things. But really I just need a pair of mittens so that hands don't freeze off. I suppose I will get to all of it eventually. It would be much easier if I actually had a job so I could buy the yarn I need. I'm really sick of the yarn I used for all of the baby's things. Like I said before, I can't wait to do the mohawk hat. I dunno if you can tell but I'm ready to do it. Even tho I kind of hate working on straight needles in comparison to DPNs. It's just so much more awkward and I feel much more confident knitting in-the-round. Like I'm less likely to drop stitches tho it has happened.

I'm also excited to knit a sweater. I think once I successfully knit a sweater I will feel like a very accomplished knitter. It's amazing to think that I just picked this up as a hobby 2 months ago. Who would've thought? There are some women that used to come into the place I worked at who were still scared to even try knitting on DPNs and here I am having made 5 things already in-the-round. I also made a scarf which I have yet to post pictures of but I think it's too bulky so I plan on making another one unless I really like my cowl. The nice thing about the cowl is that I should be able to pull it over my nose when it's too windy but I may still find a small scarf necessary. It just depends I guess.

I think I'm also going to make a cell phone bag because I'm constantly putting my cell phone down and then trying to find it. If it's always attached to me how can I lose it? Knowing me I will find a way. Oh well off to get ready for school tomorrow. I shouldn't still be saying this at the age of 23....

The beginning...

Welcome to my knit quest! Which technically I started last week but that was before I decided to start this blog. I'm on winter break and with not much else to do besides job hunt (which I can't go out and do EVERY day but I've put in over 20 applications but I lost count) so I have basically just been knitting. My mom just had my baby brother today. His name is Brady Noel. He definitely gave me a lot to work on. I spent the past 2 weeks knitting a hat, a pair of mittens, and a pair of socks all for the baby. It was a lot of work and all of it new because I had never made a hat or socks or mittens for that matter but those were pretty easy. It was my first time knitting in-the-round, which I actually think I prefer. I like using DPNs because it feels a lot more flexible.

I think the socks were the hardest for me. They took the longest amount of time to make and they had the most complicated instructions. I like using ravelry.com for knitting patterns. I'm not experienced enough to make my own patterns yet but I can't wait until I can. I'll be excited when I get to work with cables and do some fair isle knitting. I like doing things that are more complicated. I like the challenge. Doing something simple gives the satisfaction of getting something done, but it doesn't give the satisfaction of doing something interesting.

I am actually fairly decent at making knitting charts tho. The thing I want to make the most is a mohawk hat and I managed to make an eagle for an EMU mohawk hat that I want to make for one of my friends. Unfortunately, the yarn that's best to make it is very expensive but I also feel like the eagle might make it a little too busy so I may just put a large "E" on it, much like the helmet of their football team. I'm really excited to make it. I haven't quite decided on the one I want to make for myself.

Well here are pictures of the hat and the mittens. I forgot to take a picture of the socks I made before I gave them to my mom. I actually only finished the second one while I was in the hospital today. But I will get some later.