Handmade is Best

The shift in the weather has prompted many makers and crafters to start their Christmas projects. I've got my thinking cap on re some handmade goodies, for gifts and decorations for the house, but I'm finishing off some other projects first.

Yesterday the Mister and I visited a friend who always helps us a lot. I thought I would make her a wee gift to show her our appreciation of all she does for us. The yarn I used for her present - a cowl, was a good quality one and just the right shade of blue for her. Now, in the best thrifty tradition the cost to me was only my time, seven hours. The yarn itself had been part of a Rowan subscription offer that another chum bought for me as a birthday present a couple of years ago. This is the second gift I have made from the yarn and I have enough left to make one more item. My time is precious, so although the yarn for the gifts didn't cost me any hard cash, I have I think given a gift of value. It also helps when the recipient is delighted with the result.

It is the first cowl I have ever made and I'm so pleased with the result that I'm making myself one now, albeit in a different weight yarn. This blue Rowan yarn is a pure wool 4 ply, which is considerably thicker than the yarn used in the original pattern. It is made on a circular needle, which is always a bit fiddly to start with but works well once you get going, as long as you remember to mark the start of your rows. Seen here with a small red marker.

I pinned and blocked the finished cowl but it still seemed to take on its own different idiosyncratic look, nonetheless beautiful for that methinks. After all a pattern is only a guide and everybody brings their own creativity to handmade items.

Here is the link to the free pattern which is listed on the ever so useful Ravelry site.