Somehow, even though I knit and blocked and measured a gauge swatch, and calculated an approximate length I wanted my cowl to be and cast on the appropriate number of stitches, I ended up with a cowl nearly a foot longer than I had intended.
Pre-work, dusty mirror selfie is all you get.
It’s a wee bit large: 63″ circumference, 8″ tall. I don’t hate it, though I’ll never wear it long like that. I’m currently wearing it doubled up around my neck and it has a comfortably loose drape. I can also wear it tripled for increased warmth.
My ‘almost being choked by knitwear’ face.
My blocked swatch had a gauge of 5.5 sts/inch, so I cast on 285 sts to arrive at hopeful finished length of 52″. My swatch was small, which might have had something to do with it, and while I did knit it in the round, I did so on bamboo DPNs, rather than on the KnitPicks harmony wood circulars I ended up using for the cowl. I suppose those changes could have resulted in a project gauge of 4.5 sts/inch (285 sts / 63 inches). Let this be a lesson in the dramatic difference one stitch per inch can make!
Inglenook Fibers batt spinning.
I am still spinning for #Spinzilla, but sadly had no time at the wheel last night. I’ve been piling up the singles on my Russian spindle, though! All of that is the result of just one of the eight little batt poofs (batt balls? batt sections? batt muffins?) from Inglenook. I’ve yet to spin a large project on my supported spindles, so far I’ve only just sampled and then andean plied the yarn off the spindle into a 2-ply. Does anyone have tips for singles management when you only have one supported spindle? How to you spin and organize your singles for plying for an entire project? I need to figure something out, since promptly after shooting that photo, Darwin ran off with my spindle and tragically separated the cop from its rightful place on the shaft (bad kitty!). The single appears to have maintained its shape so I’m hoping it won’t be a total mess to wind up later.
What was your worst ever gauge miscalculation fail?
Woolen Diversions 
Oh no! Kitty spindle attack? I haven’t had that happen yet, mostly just attacking of roving because it is soft and smells funny. The cowl looks so pretty on you! I love it when it’s all wrapped up.
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Thanks! Yes, Darwin is a little imp and will attack almost anything yarn-like.
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It may be long but it makes it versatile and I love it, the colours, the length, everything!
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I actually love longer lengths for cowls. Yours looks wonderful wrapped several times around the neck. Beautiful colors. Another way I like to wear longer cowls is as a cravat loop.
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I hadn’t thought of a cravat loop! That should work nicely.
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Bwahaha Darwin. I love that cowl, even if it is super long. You always make the most gorgeous things with these jewel toned yarns. Gauge miscalculations tend to happen the most for me with socks, even when I get gauge perfectly. I don’t think I have a single pair that actually fits me just right.
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Socks are so hard to get just right, especially because people like different fits. I tend to go tighter than I think, which sometimes bites me, but with a bouncy merino it usually works out, I’d rather snug than slouchy.
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The cowl colors are beautiful.
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Oh, that’s an easy one. My husband’s hat to match his binary scarf: http://stormcoastcreations.com/?p=350
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hahaha! “Gauge: I Does Not Have It”
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I guess it might have made a nice cowl … too bad it was a hat.
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I think the cowl looks perfect doubled. It might be a bit too warm tripled!
I have three failed sweater where gauge was a problem!
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Yikes, sweater issues are one of my biggest fears! With a cowl it’s not a huge deal, but with a sweater… oy.
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Oh how beautiful!! The roving & the scarf !
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