My Spiral Cowl came off the needles back in December, but I’ve only just gotten around to photographing it.
Spiral Cowl by Keri McKiernan
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend
This started off as a gift for one of my best friends, but gradually morphed into a Christmas gift for my Mum since she’s a big fan of cowl. Instead, the Flutterby mittens went to my bestie after I spied the book that inspired the pattern on her bookshelf.
Spiral would have been a quick knit if I hadn’t taken an almost month long hiatus from it to concentrate on the mittens, but it was still a relaxing knit which allowed me to enjoy quite a bit of reading throughout. (looking back at my pics of Spiral as a WIP reminds me that I’m yet to post my Amsterdam trip photos! That shall go on my to-do list…)
I made a couple of mods to the pattern. I’m not a fan of picot edges so changed it to a garter stitch edge. I also increased one stitch after the border, which allows you to knit the cowl in one continuous spiral rather than working a pattern repeat over 7 rows. If you’re ever going to knit this pattern then I’d definitely recommend this mod. It really frees you up just knit and not have to count rows or pay any attention to a pattern. Just keep going round in a spiral until it’s long enough or you get bored. Much easier, and much more fun!
The Manos yarn is an absolute dream and I loved every moment of knitting with it. It’s soft, has a wonderful sheen and is sooo warm. I’m a complete sucker for semi solid yarns, so I adore the subtle colour variations within the skein. I probably wouldn’t rush out and start buying it regularly, but for a once-in-a-while indulgence it’s definitely a winner.
