As a Maker, have you felt during these Covid months that most of the time you have been drawn to work on pieces that bring you comfort, that feel calming and soothing... that are made with the purpose of comforting or encouraging a dear one?
I have been in this situation quite a few times and so much of my knitting time in the last year and a half, has been going through grief or uncertainty as family and friends have been sick, passed away or going through difficult situations.
So many times, as a family, we have asked ourselves: "How can we help?".
Help has been given and received in practical ways and so much of it by encouraging phone calls, video calls, flowers, cards... I just think of how we have felt the love all this time, and it is impossible not to shed a tear or just take some time for a good cry.
Without going into many details, a dear girl needed to feel the love, like so many of us have felt, and right away I wanted to make something special for her. I believe that when something is made just for you, made with love, made with care and dedication, it goes a long way. I took my sketch notebook and sketched and sketched, looked through stitches in one of my Knitting books and being overwhelmed with ideas, nothing felt right.
After a little while I came across the lace pattern you see in The Bantam Cowl. I combined it with other stitches and made it into a beanie, changed the pattern over and over just to realize at the end that it looks just so pretty on its own.
I wanted this sweet girl to feel, when she wore the piece I made for her, like if she was getting a hug. And it was my hope that she could wear it even when she was in her home. So it was decided... a Cowl it is.
Going through my yarn stash I got this beautiful neutral yarn that was so soft, a yarn that has amazing stitch definition and made it. I loved loved loved the final look... what do you think? It is here on the picture below.
But I saw this cowl and, again, thinking of my friend, I thought it needed something more. Went to my Yarn Stash one more time and there it was... a Hot Pink mohair blend yarn with sequins. That was it!! In a color that was striking! Totally her!
Made it, loved it... she got it! And I hope she feels a warm hug from us when she wears it.
This is what the Bantam Cowl is all about. Since last year we have endeavored to look for moments of peace, of tranquility, for moments that make us laugh, moments that give us a sense of joy and we have looked for ways to show our friends and family that we love them.
I kept the first sample for me, because she would know that everytime I wore it I would be thinking of her and I would also be reminded of the fact that we are all loved and that we should go out of our way to let others know that they are special.
More than a year passed after I gave it to my friend and during that time I talked and met new friends who were going through rough times, sadness and grief beyond measure.
I found myself going back to making this piece so many times and I always thought of how it all began. "Other Makers might enjoy making this piece", I thought. It is engaging, easy to memorize and the end result is just a pretty and airy piece. You might find comfort in making it for you, for others to give as gifts or to give the pattern to a Knitting friend.
The yarn I am featuring for this design is a hand dyed yarn by Helen from @untangledyarn
Back in the Spring I saw the colorway Island Sky and right away it brought me back to the sunsets I have always enjoyed back home In Colombia by the beach. I knew this was the yarn I would work with to release this pattern. An alpaca yarn in Sport weight that has such a soft feeling.
You may now get this pattern in my Website, Etsy and Ravelry. It is my hope that you enjoy working on it and that you consider giving it to a friend or someone else you think needs a new reason to smile.
As you know, I make matching pieces as much as I can. I had to make a matching set for my cutie and we could not love our cowls more than we already do. This design and this color will brighten our colder days for sure. We even wear it on our home when we first come down in the morning and to add to a cozy evening by the fireplace.
I made a few Bantam Cowls for those who support purchasing my Handmade pieces. Limited quantities are available now in my Website in the Ready to Ship section and stay tuned because more will be available.
By subscribing to my newsletter, which you can do so in my Home Page, you will be able to know first when pieces go to my shop plus new releases.
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YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
By going to the following link you will be able to watch the Pattern release video of The Bantam Cowl. Click here.
Plus, there is a video tutorial about how to knit the psso that we use so much in this pattern. Take a look here.
TO GET THE BANTAM COWL:
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