Leafy Child's Cowl

I've been working away at a new pattern, which I've decided to call The Leafy Cowl. (I toyed with the idea of calling it either the Fairy Cowl, or Pixie Cowl, but I think I have finally settled on Leafy.) It is knitted in Debbie Bliss Blue Faced Leicester Aran, but other similar weight wools would work well. The pattern is now available on Ravelry. Just click on the links in my sidebar.

This pattern has some simple cabling on the neck section, as I wanted it to be really cosy. It also has a tension gauge, a recommended wool and yardage details. 

I usually call my knits quick, but the leaves (of which there are 25 in all) took me two evenings to knit. I guess you might say that is not really long, but I had to knit a few prototypes before I did this final version, so feel a bit leafed-out. Compared with some of my other patterns there is quite a lot of knitting (and also running in of ends).

Here is Little One in the cowl, and I am in the process of knitting an adult version. At first she was a very reluctant model, until she decided to draw up a modelling contract where she gets a percentage of any pattern sales. We haggled a bit, as she tried to also get a flat rate for each photo I took. Smart girl, but since I take about 10 bad photos for every OK one I didn't agree to this! Sorry about our slightly shabby side alley. Originally I had decided to take some fairy photos in the woods with Little One posed on a tree stump in a dress, but in the end preferred these ones taken at home at the side of the house. This is a cowl for a girl who might turn her hand to a bit of carpentry or DIY.

Little One is ten, although very small for her age. The cowl would fit most children between 4 and 13. Teenagers and adults should wait for the adult size pattern. The cowl has a stretchy double cast-on edge, which is very elastic. If you are not familiar with the double cast-on method I have made a photo tutorial, which I have put in a new knitting tips corner that will remain in my sidebar. I am also thinking of doing a separate Baby Leafy Cowl, probably in a softer finer wool.

I'm really happy with how the cowl has turned out. It will be so useful, as it smartens up any outfit, and is very cosy, and I hope it has a quirky stylishness. I drew some of my inspiration from the flower fairy books, by Cicely Mary Barker.