Huit...Now Douze

When I made this little item for myself last month, I wasn't sure if I'd really wear it. Once I had it finished, I found myself looking for excuses to snuggle into it. I'm not sure if it's a cowl or a capelet. I'm going to avoid calling it a poncho, but that's just me.

I found the pattern, Huit, on Ravelry from a designer named Lisa Mutch. She has some great designs available in her Etsy shop, NorthboundKnitting, as well as her Ravelry pattern shop.

I really wanted an excuse to use some British Sheep Breeds Chunky that had come to live with me, but it's a little smaller than the pattern gauge. So I cast on 16 extra stitches and used them to add an extra rib at the front, back, and sides. I needed two skeins of yarn, US11 needles, and about three or four hours of knitting time.

The original design features eight ribs, huit in French, but mine has twelve, douze. The size came out just right to feel cozy around my shoulders, but it still fits under my raincoat. It's perfect for these rainy/sunny spring days in Portland.

I love the sheepiness of the Rowan Sheep Breeds, but if it's a little too rustic for you, I can recommend Cascade 128 Superwash. I used it to make one for a friend, and it came out perfectly. She uses it when she bikes to work, so the machine washable yarn is just the thing.

I wasn't so sure if I'd be able to pull off this look, but now I find myself hoping for a few more chilly days. And, um, there's a matching hat, too, Deux. Perhaps mine will be Trois...