27 September 2019

Time to knit a cowl

Essence of Fall Cowl by Anna Ravenscroft, Anna Alway Designs
With autumn coming on fast, it's time to retrieve your knitting needles from their summer vacation and make some warm and cozy accessories for the cooler season ahead! So today, I am going to make a start on my new blogpost series called "Autumn Accessories" and I thought I would begin with the humble cowl.

Did you know that the cowl has a history stretching back more than 1000 years? Today we think of a cowl as a simple ring of draped fabric or knitting to go around your neck, but originally it referred to a hood attached to a garment such as the monks would wear in the Middle Ages.
Cadfael TV series featuring Derek Jacobi, photo in blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Of course, people have always worn hoods, hats or coverings for their heads in winter, but the cowl seems to have arrived in England with the Normans in 1066. The french soldiers often wore a form of close-fitting cowl under their helmets as an additional protection during battle.

However, it gradually softened into a loosely-draped garment covering the shoulders and with a hood attached. Monks such as the Benedictines adopted this as part of their every-day clothing. Many of us will be able to picture this clearly, especially if you are avid reader of the Cadfael series of books, most wonderfully translated into a TV series with the redoubtable Derek Jacobi as the lead.

By the 12th century the cowl was a regular item of clothing, both in the cloister and the general population but it later faded from use.
Vionnet cowl neck dress, photo in blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Stepping rapidly forward to the 1920's, a designer named Madeleine Vionnet introduced a new style of cutting on the bias as a modern interpretation of ancient fashion from Greek and Roman times. The garments that she produced had a wonderful drape and flow and she named the new neckline a "Cowl Neck".

It was then a simple step for knitters to combine these two ideas: a warm, draping knitted fabric going around the neck as an addition to any outfit. Like the mediaeval hooded cowl but without the hood.
Teversham Cowl & Headwarmer by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Today, there are many different styles of cowls. The one above, the Teversham Cowlis a short close-fitting style which is easy to pull on. This length of cowl works well for men, especially if worked in a thicker yarn.

However, short cowls also suit women very well and are quick to knit. The photo at the top of this blogpost shows Anna's new cowl pattern, the Essence of Fall Cowl which uses just 1 ball of yarn in each colour so could be quickly completed before the cold weather sets in.

This shorter-length style is especially useful at this change in the seasons because you can slip them easily into a pocket or bag, ready to bring out if the weather turns a little cooler.
Rainbow Cowl by Anna Ravenscroft, Anna Alway Designs
However, cowls can also be worked in a longer, wrapping style. This is another of Anna's cowl designs, the Rainbow Cowl. This can be draped like a scarf or wrapped around twice to give an extra layer of warmth for the colder days.

This longer version is easy to slip over your head without destroying an intricate hair-do. It can also double-up as a knee- warmer if you sit with it on your lap, so is very good for subtle warmth without the appearance of being too bundled-up.

I hope that's given you some inspiration for a new cowl or two to start your autumn knitting! I'll be back next time with some more cozy accessories and will look at Moebius Cowls and Infinity Scarves.

Until then – Happy Knitting!

Moira
​Reversible Knitting Stitches by Moira Ravenscroft & Anna Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs

​Last Blogpost: Autumn Accessories
Autumn Accessories Series #1: Autumn Accessories
Next Up: Add a twist to your knitting!

Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches
My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com
Keywords: Patterns/Accessories, Autumn Accessories Series,
#AutumnAccessories, autumn, cowl, neckwarmer, two ends of yarn held together, doubled yarn,

21 September 2019

Autumn Accessories

French Street, Kent in Autumn – Photo by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Today marks the Autumn Equinox and although it's still sunny and warm outside, I expect you have noticed like I have that the mornings already seem darker and the evenings are noticeably cooler. Yes, Autumn is on the way and it will soon be time to think about all those end-of-year gardening jobs.

I do love the autumn – that feeling of being a kiddie again as you kick through a pile of leaves or try to catch the next one as it floats gently down. Simple pleasures, but I never seem to tire of them and I expect most people feel the same.
Autumn – Dead-heading the hydrangeas, Moira Ravenscroft in her garden, Wyndlestraw Designs
It's also a time for reflection and meditation, isn't it. There may be lots to do: raking the lawn, trimming the bushes, preparing the house for the coming snows and low temperatures. But while you're working you can lose yourself in an audiobook or stop to watch the squirrels scampering around gathering their winter stores of acorns.

Then after a job well done, you can go back indoors for a well-deserved cup of tea and some knitting by a sunny window. What could be better...
Winter Warrior Cowl & Mitts by Anna Ravenscroft, Anna Alway Designs
So I am going to start a series of blogposts about small, simple items that you can make a start on now while there is so much to do outside. Cowls, scarves, hats and other accessories that will make a big difference when the cooler weather starts to bite.

This might be for an item you wish you'd had last winter, or perhaps someone close to you is dropping a lot of hints that they could do with a little bit of knitted wonderment. Either way, they'll be finished in no time at all. That's the beauty of small items – there's not much knitting needed to complete them!
Winter Warrior Mitts & Cowl by Anna Ravenscroft,, Anna Alway Designs
So first-up in the list of items I'll be looking at will be cowls. I don't know about you, but I always feel warmer if I can keep the cold breezes from whistling around my neck. You round the promontory by the lake and suddenly a cold breeze whips up and finds that tiny gap at the top of your collar [brrrrr....]

And the best solution for that is a cowl. Small, easy to carry, instant warmth. Perfect. So in my next blogpost, I’m going to explore the history of the cowl and include examples of knitted cowls for both men and women. Anna has just uploaded a new cowl pattern onto her Ravelry store and I'll include details about that too!

Many thanks to Anna for the photos of her Winter Warrior Cowl and MittsFind the pattern for those here.

And while we're chatting about photos, let me tell you about the other two in this post The one at the top of the page shows one of our favourite walks in the UK at French Street in Kent. This place is beautiful in any season, but I especially love it with the low autumn sunlight highlighting the paths. Then the middle photo shows me gathering a veritable bouquet of spent hydrangea flowers in our garden in Massachusetts. We had so many this year!

Until next time – Happy Knitting!

Moira
Keywords: Patterns/Accessories, Autumn Accessories Series, Travel Notes,
#AutumnAccessories, autumn, cowl, mitts,

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