Lifting Fog

The end of 2011 was definitely a hazy blur of pregnancy, birth, newborn-ness, Christmas preparations and holiday events.  However, in all the chaos there was quite a bit of holiday knitting going on!  I can't say it all got done in time to be under the tree, but some of it did and some of it has been being finished up in this first week of the year.  By far my favorite thing made was a Summer Wind cowl for my mom.  I started this back at the beginning of baseball playoffs and knit, knit, knit right on through the World Series (huge Cardinals fans around here).  I didn't even take much notice at the beginning that the cowl I was making was Cardinal Red, (I had randomly chosen the color because I knew that it looks good on my mom) but by the end of the World Series with the Cardinals pulling off a very exciting win it began to feel like it had all been planned.  I'll admit, it was a bit hard to give it up, but mom has been warned that she may have to wear it nonstop at the end of each baseball season for the sake of superstition.  I don't actually have a picture of anyone wearing this cowl, I was 8 months pregnant by the time it was done and not feeling at all photogenic, but I have the couple shown here with it in progress and right after I blocked it.  This was my first lace project and I have to say that going from the scrunchy finished object to the blocked finished object where all those holes are opened up is quite addictive.  This pattern looks great on, worn long or doubled up around the neck, there are plenty of pictures of people wearing them on ravelry here.  I used Spud and Chloe fine in Red Hot for the yarn.  I felt like the yarn should be softer when I was knitting with it, since it is superwash merino and silk, and actually started to doubt I had chosen the best yarn until I blocked it.  Blocking made the fibers soften and drape beautifully.  I'm glad I bought the same yarn in another color to make one for me!