Handmade Holidays Part II: the Perpetua Cowl
Love cables? So do we! We love them so much, in fact, that we needed a project for the holidays that fully embraced the soft, squishy, and mesmerizing qualities of cable knits. In continuation of our Handmade Holidays Collection, we’re excited to share the next project you’ll be itching to cast on: meet the Perpetua Cowl Holiday Bundle!
Meet the Perpetua Cowl
The Perpetua Cowl, by the talented Ruth Nguyen, features sinuous tracery inspired by the growth of plant life around old buildings, such as cathedrals and historic colleges, and the peaceful irony of such places where the natural and the man-made grow old side-by-side. The rustic but refined hand of Aran-weight Stone Wool Corriedale reinforces this atmosphere, providing definition to twisted stitches and bobbles; the double-length cowl benefits from the yarn's squishy drape.
In true Twig & Horn fashion, our teammate Emma (AKA the girl in the jumpsuit, behind the Canvas Bucket Bag), jumped at the chance to cast on this cushy cowl. We’ve included her helpful notes on the making of the Perpetua Cowl—scroll down for the details!
Emma, the girl in the Jumpsuit
First off, we’d be remiss in not mentioning that Emma is our go-to model for Twig & Horn—if you’ve been following us even for a few weeks, or visited our website, you’ve likely seen her in many product photos by now. She is the ‘jumpsuit girl’, the unofficial brand ambassador of Al’s Big Deal (fun fact: their jumpsuits come in many different colors), and also happens to be the one each of us turns to for troubleshooting pretty much everything on the website. She’s also the unofficial ‘it girl’ at the office. Want to know where to find the latest and greatest brioche sweater pattern? Ask Emma. Need to find the perfect pair of high-waisted denim jeans? Emma’s your girl. Where can you find the best pizza on the Mid-Coast? Emma knows!
The Perpetua Cowl: For Beginners who Love a Challenge
As a self-described beginning knitter, Emma never hesitates to cast on projects that demand her to learn a few (or a lot) of new techniques. So, it came as no surprise that when faced with the Perpetua Cowl, she felt confident in casting on this project and troubleshooting her way through it. While slightly daunting to start, once she worked her way through the first portion of the cowl, she got into a rhythm and it was a breeze thereafter. And the results? An incredibly cushy, cable-y accessory that knitted up in less than a week!
According to Emma, if you love cables, you’ll LOVE the Perpetua Cowl. Although a cable needle is not needed, she found it helpful to use the Copper Cable Needle (using Technique I: hold + transfer back) to make cables, as well as to denote where the next cable takes place in the pattern. In fact, there was a particularly challenging row of the pattern where using the Copper Cable Needle as a giant stitch marker really helped in keeping track of where the next cable starts. As a side note: even if you don’t choose to knit with the needle, it also works exceptionally well as a cowl or shawl pin!
Working with Stone Wool Corriedale
Like the rest of us at Twig & Horn, Emma loves Stone Wool yarns; and Stone Wool Corriedale is no exception. As a cozy, 3-ply Aran-weight yarn, it’s a thing of beauty that showcases the warmth and depth of natural wool. The Corriedale breed, developed from crossing fine-wool Merinos with longwool Lincoln sheep, produces a soft-to-the-touch wool with a long staple length. Stone Wool Corriedale is spun from carefully sourced Corriedale fleeces, and strikes the perfect balance of hard-wearing and supple. Knits like the Perpetua Cowl can be worn close to the skin, and will wear well as they age from season to season. If you ask Emma, a native New Englander, Stone Wool Corriedale is a sturdy yarn, with just the right amount of stiffness to stand up to the wintry elements without being itchy or scratchy against the skin.
And there you have it: the finished Perpetua Cowl. Fair warning: once you bind off and try it on, you might not want to give it away. (We had to hunt Emma down to photograph it because yes, it is just that cozy and she had already taken it home!) If you can part ways with this lovely handknit, hop over to the Perpetua Cowl Holiday Bundle—we’ve included everything you need to make this the perfect gift for a loved one. Don’t forget to download the FREE digital gift tag that you can print out for your Perpetua Cowl!
Thank you for reading and happy knitting!
-Susan at Twig & Horn