Whitlam cowl

The Whitlam cowl project was a testknit for a yarnshop in Leeds. They have started translating their patterns into German and French so I had the pleasure to test the French version - as you can see above, it worked out very well!

The cowl was a nice in-between project since my Marigold cardigan has been somewhat stalled in the last days after dropping a double-pointed needle (DPN) through the cracks of our balcony floor boards.... it's still possible to knit with four instead of 5 but it's more difficult so I'll probably have to buy a new set now.

Nice, easy, pattern with only one repeat to be memorized so it becomes automatic after a few rows. I like the wavy end bit which gives it some extra style and is much prettier than a normal seam. Looking at it now I would have rather made it longer though, it's too short and thin for my liking (I prefer chunky scarves and cowls).

*****
Pattern: Whitlam cowl by Jo Spreckley
Yarn: Baa Ram Ewe "Titus", shade "Aire"

Summer in Brussels

Staying at home over the summer is not such a bad thing, at least if the weather is ok. We've had our share of cold & rainy days but in between we managed to make the best out of the sunny ones. We cycled a lot in and around Brussels and discovered new places.

For example this farm in Neder-Over-Heembeek which offers educational activities for kids but also employs persons with intellectual disabilities and where you can have a nice drink after cycling up a crazy hill in the midday heat.

Or this place in Anderlecht, where you can pick your own fruit (in our case raspberries, but it depends on the season) and eat it right there with delicious ice cream. Unfortunately, the raspberries didn't like being transported back on the bike and they arrived home all squished and soggy. Thank god for blenders and smoothies!

In the meantime, I used the rainy days to advance on my knitting. I finished my Whitlam cowl (more in my next post) and making good progress on the Marigold cardigan. I have to admit that knitting with alpaca yarn, one of the warmest that exists, is probably not the best choice for a summer knit but I was so excited about this project that I couldn't wait for the winter. By the way, Marigold was also with me on the canoeing trip although I didn't advance much seeing as though I needed my hands mostly to paddle.

Finally, we also have a holiday cat. She's not ours but we're cat-sitting her while her owner is away and so far she has been behaving very well! Mostly she seems to be sleeping but occasionally she walks around a bit to inspect what we're doing or plays with her toys. Aaah, sometimes I wish I was a cat!