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Sunday 21 February 2016

The Not-Simon Cowl



Involving the brave new world of knitting design, misunderstood accessories and feline models.



So here it is, my first 'proper' downloadable knitting pattern.  Best of all, it's FREE!  Just click here  to enjoy the warm glow of money-less crafty shopping!  Bask in the smug thrill of knowing that you've fed your knitting habit without spending a penny!  Gaze in wonder at the beautiful download appearing on your desktop for exactly 0 monetary outlay!

(And then return and buy lots of other patterns for real money, because I've got a cat to feed, haha).

Speaking of cats...   Who is this dapper fellow modelling my cowl?




Isn't he handsome?  I would use him for all my modelling needs - except that a lot of my other stuff is baby clothes.  I've descended far enough in to Crazy-Cat-Lady-ness, I think knitting baby clothes and then putting them on the cat would be a level of crazy I couldn't come back from...  

So, the beautifully modelled cowl is my first and FREE design available to download. (Did I mention that before?).  The pun title comes from a very predictable confusion stemming from a non-unexpected lack of women's accessories by The Boyfriend.  In short, it is a Cowl (basically a circular scarf) and not a Cowell (a repugnant peddler of dross, whom I would not wish to have wrapped round my neck).

Here's my 'official blurb'...
This cowl is designed to show off the best of two shades of variegated wool, blending them together to create lovely colour shifts all along the finished piece.  
The deep rib makes for a wonderfully practical neck warmer – you can wear it pushed down deep into your collar for a simple, elegant look, but as soon as a chilly wind strikes you need only tug at the top and – voila! – it expands up to cover your ears and chin too.  Invaluable for sneaky seasonal weather when you don’t want to bundle up in a massive scarf, but still want to be prepared for sudden cold snaps.  

I had beginners very much in mind with this pattern - I know that when I was starting out I found it really aggravating that all the cowl patterns I could find seemed to be either in the round or involve grafting, neither of which I felt confident about.  I've designed this to be knit flat in one piece, with some sneaky tricks to avoid the difficult stuff`!  This is a guaranteed no-scare pattern!





Thursday 4 February 2016

No business like Wren business

OfCatsandWren Designs is now open for business!

Bad news:  Shoulder has put me back out of full time work for the time being...

Good news:  Trying to find a silver lining in the situation, I now have more time to devote to creative projects, and those projects are a great distraction from pain issues.

So, business time!  I've started off by writing up some of my knitting patterns and making them available for download.  Click here to take a look!   I've included a mix of gorgeous grown up accessories, adorable baby clothes and sweet extras for children.  They're also available to purchase here, via LoveKnitting.com

Finally, there's also a Facebook page for the business, for sneak peeks and breaking news! (Because it's all go in the world of knitting design...)

Check out the patterns and see what you think!