Designed by Ashley Knowlton and kateatherley

This cowl is a collaboration between the three members of Knitty’s technical editing team, although everyone on the top of the Masthead had a little bit of a say in it.

It began with Kate expressing her love for some fiber dyed by Rachel (of PorpoiseFur). Rachel spun it up into an amazing gradient, and sent it off to Ashley to play with. Ashley designed a wonderful maple-leaf lace pattern, an homage to Knitty’s Canadian origins.

Kate’s challenge was to use the second half of the yarn to complement Ashley’s work. When using a gradient like this, the goal is to keep the color changes from competing with each other. We could have just kept working straight, but that would have been too straightforward, too ordinary. And we’re just not fans of the ordinary here at Knitty!

It was Knitty Editor, Amy, who suggested making a cowl rather than a standard stole. A long cowl is an immensely practical piece, as it can be triple-wrapped for protection on the hideously cold days of Toronto winters, double-wrapped for a bit of coziness in English winters, and worn singly and hanging for style in the spring and autumn.

And it was wise words from Knittyspin Editor, Jillian, that nudged Kate in the right direction for the lace pattern she used: a very lacy stitch, evocative of maple keys – the distinctive seed pods.