A new pattern has been released – or, as they say nowadays, dropped!
It’s here! Introducing Howard – a neckerchief with ribbing detail at the edges. You can download it, pick up a printed copy from the Skipton studio, or have a printed copy sent out when ordering yarn on the Purl &Jane website.
Oh my, this has been such a fun knit.
The feeling of the mix of this gorgeous yarn through my fingers was just the tonic for these grey, drizzly months. I don’t need an excuse to pick up my needles, but when it’s grey outside and my dog Lana refuses to walk any further because she doesn’t like the weather, I secretly don’t mind at all.
She loves it when I sit and knit so she can snuggle beside me (after begging for a treat of her own – always food based!). I love days like that. When I look out and see it’s raining and think, yes! Have to stay indoors and knit.
It’s the same if I’m early for an appointment or travelling on the train – the perfect break to knit. The time gently passes and I’m left with that relaxed feeling.
It’s a habit that takes time to learn. Our current society seems to be about rushing here and hurrying there. It takes a moment to stop, breathe and think – I don’t have to rush this. Something will take the time it takes. And sometimes it goes quicker the slower we become.
And these yarns – the Cashmere and the Cumulus (alpaca and silk) – are fibres that gently request your attention. You can definitely lose yourself in this knit because the feeling in your fingers is something you can’t ignore. They calmly take you away from busy thoughts and help organise and tidy them so you can see the next step.
The design itself needs a little attention when you first cast on, but once you’re used to the pattern repeat and the increases, you can relax into it.
It increases to its full width, then you knit for a while before decreasing again. I added a ribbed detail at the edges with increases and decreases either side.
I always think about how a scarf, cowl or neckerchief will look from both sides – because when you wear one, there isn’t really a wrong side. With this in mind, I don’t usually use stocking stitch on its own. But I do love how the reverse stocking stitch looks alongside the ribbed edging on this neckerchief. Both sides look good in different ways, so this design didn’t get relegated to the “I’ll think about it and come back to it later” pile!
Instead, I kept knitting lots of different versions… because I loved knitting it so much.
Why Howard?
I always have a reason behind Purl &Jane pattern names. This one is called Howard, after Luke Howard – the person who named the clouds. The Cumulus yarn shares the name of one of the clouds he named – a little homage to the sky.
I’ve put together kits in Cashmere and Cumulus so you can choose your perfect colour combination.
And I’m already planning the next one…