Over the years, I have been part of a craft swap group. Each person in the group chooses their own craft and makes one for each of the other swappers. We took a hiatus a couple of years back and just started swapping again this past summer/fall. When I found out that our next swap would be in the winter, I immediately knew that I wanted to knit something. I had seen the pattern for the Cullin cowl on Quince & Co.'s site. It looked like a fun, fast knit and any excuse to buy a rainbow of yarn works for me.
I started in September, carrying various cowls around town as I sat in various waiting rooms and gyms while my kids did their things. Over the course of the fall, I knitted eight cowls. And I was right about the pattern – this is a fun and fast knit. The lace pattern is simple and easy to memorize. Plus, size 10 needles and a good, chunky yarn was easy for me to manage without my tendonitis flaring up. Each cowl took a little less than one skein of Puffin so it was fairly economical as well.
Last night I plopped the pile down in front of my friends and they each chose the color they wanted. In exchange, I received a set of patchwork coasters, three stone topped bottle stoppers, an adorable fabric and paper decoupaged canvas and a cool leather cuff. Oh, and four cowls to put in the gift closet. Or maybe it'll be three for gifts and one for me, seeing that no one picked green.
i love the rainbow of colors!
they’re awesome!! great job (as always.) hope you’re well.
xo
This is the best! idea.
I have to rope some friends into a swap.
Also, you totally have to keep that green one, it’s so perfectly you!
What an awesome swap gift!
I don’t know how I missed that cowl pattern. The rainbow of knits made me smile.
I love this idea of a swap. Gets me to thinking! What a fun excuse to make lots of something. Thanks for the idea and the pretty pics. Inspiring!
Oh, I remember your swap group! Such a great idea. Your cowls look wonderful, as always 🙂
One of your first mentions of your craft group inspired me to create something similar with my friends. We too have taken a bit of a break, but I hope we start up again in the summer. Love the cowls, and the fact that you get one too.
what a lovely idea – though how could no one pick the green – my favourite colour. It’s so cold here at the moment I am going to knit a cowl both to keep my neck warm when it’s done but also to keep my fingers warm knitting it!
What a great idea – I’d like to start a craft swap group myself – maybe after my daughter’s wedding…
Lovely colors!
these are so fantastically excellent. did you find it just so satisfying, re-working the same pattern, over and over? i love that, and think i must be crazy; so many get bored with the repetition. i find it so soothing, like my version of zen. busy-fingered, fuzzy zen.
must get my hands on some quince + co. i’ve been eyeing their fiber forever…
Erin, such beautiful colours! The swap group idea is so great, I might steal it.
Lovely cowls – I wish I knew how to knit a little better than stockinette. I just made a stack of those woven coasters for my retreat mates in May. Are the corners rounded? That’s what I do to mine because I am never satisfied with what the square corners end up looking like. Have you seen the triangle log cabin pin cushion on Jeni’s In Color Order? Made a stack of those, too. Adorable! I may have to fill with rice because no one sells lizard litter in this retail challenged town I live in on a rock sticking up out of the ocean.
Ello there! I just discovered your blog and am slowly making my way through your archives. Could you tell me, is that a book with the boy playing the bagpipes and pigs? I have a young piper of my own and am always on the lookout for “stuff”. Thanks!
Oh, that isn't a book, but rather an art piece a friend made for me!