Crux Cowl for Me!

Ever since I knit Crux Cowl for Knockout Knits I knew I wanted to knit another for myself... this summer I was in Taos New Mexico and fell in love with a skein of Widdershin Woolworks handspun BFL/silk yarn at Mooncat Fiber. It was a worsted weight and only 130 yards, but I knew it would be perfect to show you how versatile the Crux Cowl pattern is!

Also, I knew that Crux Cowl could be confusing some people as on your needles, it does not look like it does in the photos in the book!  This is because you are working columns of 4 stitches that have a stitch in between them that is dropped creating a long horizontal float.  This dropped stitch does not unravel the stitches next to it as they are either worked through the back loop or as part of a criss-cross stich, that locks them into place. And, that stitch isn't dropped until you have worked the whole cowl... hence the confusion!

It was easy to adjust this pattern for a smaller amount of yarn.  First I weighed my ball of yarn with my handy dandy digital scale (if I was a good blogger I'd have a photo of this step), then I cast on the larger size, and worked the ribbing as written.

I then weighed my ball again and subtracted that weight from the first weight; this is the amount I needed left over to finish the ribbing at the end.  I jumped into working the 4 round pattern, checking the weight on my ball as it got smaller.  When it weighed close to the same amount as for the ribbing, I discontinued the stitch, dropped the stitches (SO FUN!) and worked the ribbing before binding off.  Easy!

And then once it was done... I convinced the girl to take some photos of me attempting to be super super serious.... thanks Miss B you can really catch the essence of your Ma!