Okay, don’t worry – even though a couple of my latest Smorgasbord Sundays posts have been focused on knitting, they won’t always be.
I’ve just been really obsessed with it lately. (Haha, maybe I should start a separate blog all about knitting! 😛 Swatch And Learn is a very appropriate name, though…)
Today, I would like to show you neon pink yarn I bought from Etsy and the chunky cable cowl I made.
I’ve been looking for neon pink yarn for a while because I wanted to knit yet another beanie, but in a crazy colour since it would be fun to wear in the winter. (I already love wearing neon nail polish in the winter, so I figured I’d also love a neon beanie in the winter, too!)
Although I found some mass-produced commercial yarn, I opted to spend more for a quality hand-dyed indie yarn that I found on Etsy.
Apparently it’s so neon that it will actually glow under a black light. 🙂 Plus it’s Superwash Merino Wool!
Although this yarn is meant for needle sizes 7-9, I’m going to use it with 10-11.
In case you would like to buy this yarn, here’s a link to the Etsy seller’s store page where I bought it from.
(If you end up buying something, please mention that you heard about the seller from Swatch And Learn. 😀 No, I don’t get any commission, and I doubt the seller even knows about my blog…)
Last Sunday, one of my blog readers, Kinsey, left a comment telling me about how she was knitting cowls for the females in her family for Christmas. She was nice enough to share a link to the free Chunky Cable Cowl knitting pattern.
I took a look, and thought it was something a beginner like me could try. Plus I really liked the pattern, and I think I’ll be making my mother and sister-in-law a cowl each in different colours.
I highly recommend you try making this Chunky Cable Cowl. Not only is it easy, but it’s super fast. I completed it (well, I still need to bind off and seam it) in very little time. I spent about 15 minutes for a few days, and it’s practically finished!
(I should have no trouble completing the other two for Christmas. This ‘test cowl’ in purple is for me. Hehe, I made a few mistakes.)
I used the recommended Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn in a fall-appropriate purple.
(By the way, Michael’s has this yarn on sale for $6.99 CAD until November 2nd. But if you wait for it to go back to the regular price – $9.99 CAD, you can use a 40% off coupon and save.)
These are the supplies I used to knit the cowl. Well, I was going to use the locking stitch markers, but the pattern was so simple that I found I didn’t need to use them at all!
The Chunky Cable Cowl consists of the Seed Stitch (which I just learned for this cowl) and also, of course, the Cable design (which is really fun to do).
Flash Photos
Artificial Light Photos
In this poor lighting, it actually shows the stitch definition better.
Are you tired of seeing so many knitting blog posts on the Smorgasbord Sundays feature, or would you like to see more knitting posts? Do you like wearing cowls? Do you see ‘cow’ first when you see the word ‘cowl’?
I crochet, I don’t mind the knitting posts, they are cool. I started to learn how to knit this June, I could cast on & do the knit stitch. Annnnnd, then I forgot. I’m actually interested in learing about buying yarns off Esty. I didn’t know that people sold yarn on there!
Hey Melissa!
It’s so cool that you crochet. Definitely that’s another skill that I want to learn because I heard it’s faster than knitting, and so, I’ll probably want to make a blanket (since doing so with knitting would be like murder…haha)!
To find the yarn on Etsy, check under the Supplies category. 🙂 It’s really amazing how diverse the selection is. I already want to buy more, but I need to restrain myself and finish this project first.
Wow, Mary, you are so talented! I wish I had patience to learn how to do that 🙂 I love that you found your neon pink yarn and can’t wait to see the finished product! I also really love the purple yarn you chose, it’s such a pretty colour.
Erica recently posted: Nail Mail: Nail Wheels
Hey Erica!
I’m sure you could learn to make this cowl! 😀 The yarn is so thick, so knitting it doesn’t take too much time. Haha, I don’t know how people can knit socks. I’ve seen how thin the yarn is and how tiny the needles are…and I think, doesn’t it take you forever to finish even one sock? 😛
Socks in a basic pattern are mindless, you just go round and round. Especially on a 12″ round needle. If I only knit during my commute (don’t worry, my husband is driving!), I can get 1 sock done in a week.
Where do you get 12″ circular needles, by the way? The shortest ones I’ve ever seen are just 16″. (I would totally try knitting at least one sock…well, a PAIR of socks…hehehe! Just so I could say that I tried it. :D)
I actually really love the knitting posts. Yesterday I found a book on how to crochet animals, so I’m really excited to learn how to do that, and make little crochet animals and robots. These posts keep pumping me up to learn to crochet, but I won’t start learning until this semesters over, then I have like a month or so to learn and make fun stuff!
Brianna recently posted: Music Challenge Day 8 AKA POKEBALL NAILS!
Hey Brianna!
How cute! Crocheting little animals and robots sounds fun, and I’d love to learn to do that just so I can make unusual toys for my niece and nephew.
Do you remember the name of the book you found? I’d want to check it out. Maybe they have it at the library.
The robot one was called Crobots, and I can’t remember, but it was a very small book in the yarn aisle at Michael’s. I think it was crochet animals or something like that.
Brianna recently posted: Music Challenge Day 9
Okay, thanks! 🙂 I’ll be on the lookout for it the next time I’m at Michael’s, which probably will be in a few days. I have a knitting problem. 😛
I actually love the knitting posts even though I’m a hooker (just a bit of crochet humor…I’m obviously not a real hooker haha!). I really like that Lion brand yarn for quick projects. I absolutely love cowls! I like them a lot better than scarves (although, I like them too). I spend so much time on Ravelry browsing patterns and adding to my favorites. I’ll have to check out the etsy shop you posted. I’ve always wanted to buy some hand dyed yarn but just haven’t done it yet…
Hey Camille!
Woo hoo! I’m sure that there will be more knitting posts to come. Hehe, but I’ll just try not to make EVERY Smorgasbord Sundays post a knitting one. 😉
Hahahaha, I liked your crochet joke! Wasn’t there a book called “The Happy Hooker” that’s about crocheting? I think I saw it before…or maybe I’m going crazy.
I crochet off and on when I have the time. I tried knitting once a long time ago and found it rather difficult because of the two needles. All of your posts on knitting are making me want to give it another try, though :). Also, I love that bright pink yarn!!
Hey Jessica!
Funny how you find two needles difficult because I actually find using just one crochet hook difficult. Well, the last time I tried was when I was a kid in elementary school. I find that when I use two needles in knitting, I feel more stable for some reason…
I really enjoy your knitting posts, I know only the very basics but have always wanted to learn more. I just haven’t had the time. So it’s fun to live vicariously through you. 🙂
Jessica recently posted: Color Club Port-folio: NOTD
Hey Jessica!
Hehe, that’s pretty cool – two Jessicas posting just a minute apart! 😀
Be prepared to live vicariously like a knitting fiend then…haha, because I’m really going berserk. (I even recently got one of my co-workers into knitting. She’s actually in the process of making the mustard beanie I made before. And, yes, she’s using all the EXACT supplies I did. How do I know? I literally bought her all the stuff…haha! It’ll be interesting to see how hers turns out because everyone’s work is personal depending on your gauge and tension.)
is a eggplant shade?
Hey Icequeen81!
Yes, you can call it an eggplant type of purple. 🙂
great 😀
🙂
l’m glad you tried and liked the cowl! It looks awesome – I haven’t blogged about mine yet since I want to keep things a surprise, but I’m now inspired to keep knitting 🙂
Hey Kinsey!
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment again! 🙂 And thanks for sharing that link to the pattern or I probably would’ve never stumbled across it. It’s such a fun little knitting project that I really enjoyed. LOVE how fast it is to knit and how you can easily memorize the pattern. (Hehe, with the beanie I made, I had to refer to the instructions a lot because a lot of the rows had a different pattern.)
Can’t wait to see how yours turned out (after you give them as gifts and can blog about them). Haha, my mom and sister-in-law don’t visit my blog even though they know about it, so I felt pretty safe posting photos of my ‘test cowl’ and mentioning that I’d make them the same one in a different colour.
Do your family and friends visit your blog regularly? Lucky! That must be nice! (Haha, my mom yawns a lot and gets sleepy if I even bring up my blog in conversation, which isn’t often for that very reason. She literally fell asleep one time when I was talking about it once. :S)
I don’t personally have any interest in knitting, but these posts don’t bother me at all..it’s your blog, show off what you want!
And I have to say, that neon pink is amazing, I bet it looks awesome as a hat!
Hey Amanda!
While I do like showing things that interest me, I also love to show things that interest other people, too, so we can share the excitement. 🙂 Seems more fun that way.
The pink yarn was actually thinner than I thought it was going to be. Been knitting the beanie with it already, and it’s going to be a light hat. I kind of wanted it to be chunky like the purple and mustard ones I made before. The yarn is good quality, though.
Awesome! I’ve just been thinking that I need to pick up my knitting needles and whip out a few projects for Christmas. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Martha recently posted: Hey there! Want to swap buttons?
Hey Martha!
That makes me so happy! 🙂
Do you know what kind of projects you’d like to start? A scarf? Hat? Sweater?
That neon pink is amazing! And I love the purple too! I’m pretty good at crocheting, but not so good at knitting yet. There are a lot of good Learn to Crochet books out there you can get. Some even come with a beginning set of hooks, if you buy one. I don’t wrap the yarn like they suggest in the book tho, so if you aren’t comfortable doing that, don’t worry about it, just hold it however you are comfortable and just make sure you keep your tension the same throughout. That is one thing that is key in crocheting. If you do start learning to crochet and want tips or anything, you can e-mail me any questions you have, any time and I’ll try to help you out whenever I can. You Tube has some excellent videos too. :0)
I love your knitting posts, btw!
Angela recently posted: Nail Mail…again
Hey Angela!
Yes, the tension is the part I had trouble with the first time I tried crocheting when I was a little kid. I’ll have to try again after watching some YouTube videos. When it comes to needle crafts, I learn best visually.
I’m glad that you’re enjoying these posts on knitting. I’m having so much fun – way too obsessed…haha! (Just bought more yarn today.)
I love Sunrise Fiber Co. I ran into her shop a few months ago through a message board we both frequent–her colors are so saturated and gorgeous!
Hey Nikki!
She definitely has a lot of cool, unique yarns. 🙂
What have you made with her yarn?
You are soo skilled!
It is so funny because my sister picked up crocheting and recently texted me a photo saying “my kind of swatch” 😉
I love the neon shade you picked… and speaking of loving the look of things… did you change your header? Add the floating polish bottles?
I also love the sidebar with Suzi from OPI! 😀
Marta recently posted: Striped tips
Hey Marta!
That’s so nice of you to say, but I really believe it’s not about skill, but just about trying things a lot of times. We never know what we can do until we just…well, do it. 🙂 And the pattern for that cowl were very straight-forward, which helps a beginner like me to follow it. Gradually, I want to continue to challenge myself with more patterns and perhaps I’ll be able to eventually even create my own knitted designs! (How awesome would that be? :D)
Yay for noticing the new header! Yes, Vivian (who created the original for me) also added the polish flowers, polish bees, and polish butterfly. She also added the wonderful Cheshire Cat because it sort of became a blog mascot over time. 🙂 Vivian’s so creative and talented. I asked her for the bees and butterfly, but when she drew them, it far exceeded my expectations!
I’m coming on a little late here. I like that you have your knitting stuff posted but that was how I found you anyway…some knitting search I was doing online. Anyway, I am an avid knitter setting up my own website/blog/etc. I’m up in Canada now too, so it was cool to see a knit chick! Hope you’re keeping up with the knitting. And I was going to be starting that same beanie hat that you made! I love the girl who does those knitting videos. It made the Internet seem like a tad smaller world than it actually is! 🙂
~ Kimiko
Hey Kim!
I’m glad that you enjoy my knitting projects as well! I was on a real kick, knitting those beanies because the pattern was so fun, and the style was very fashionable yet practical. I was working on a neon pink one, but I had to put it on pause for a while, as I prepare to move. Lots of packing and organizing. Once I settle into my new place after the move, I’ll have more time to knit.
You’re going to LOVE making that beanie! It’s challenging, and I love how it’s not boring. Each few rows you knit are very engaging, and the finished look is very pretty. I even convinced one of my co-workers to knit the exact same hat. (She loved it so much, she made THREE of them, and she wants to make even more!) 🙂
Oh my goodness, first of all, love the color of that yarn. I love to wear neon colors all the time for my nails. In fact, I rarely ever go darker because I just love bright, fun colors. Anyway, the cowl looks super cozy for winter and am jealous I don’t have one! Glad that it’s so easy for you to make though, I love easy projects.
Hey Gezina!
That’s awesome how you always wear brighter colours on your nails – it shows your positive personality and free spirit! 🙂 I love, love, LOVE neon manicures because you just can’t look at them without smiling or feeling happy. Easy colour therapy! 😉