Mixed Toffee Cowl
At the end of November 2019 we hosted our first CAL with the Mixed Toffee Cowl.
All of our CALs are currently done on our FB Community page. It was great fun! The interaction with the members of our community page was great, and we really enjoyed seeing the different colour combinations and variations that made each cowl unique. From a personal perspective it is also a rush to know that people like your designs and actually want to make them! It can be quite intimidating openly putting yourself out there like that, but it was also such a great experience. Our Community group really is a friendly and supportive bunch!
Testing inspired me …
Testing for Audrey Friesen over at Canoe Mtn Designs had been an eye opener for me. Audrey plays with some fabulous textures in her designs and isn’t afraid to mix it up. Her designs are quite stunning! I have learned a lot from her which I brought into this pattern. I wanted something that fed the senses with both texture and looks. And I wanted my first design to stand out. I think I achieved those aims 🙂
The Mixed Toffee Cowl was actually my first go at designing anything officially. I designed it back in February 2019 (almost a year ago and before I officially joined Sunflower!). It was actually meant to be a quick CAL for another designer in a group I was actively involved with to help her out, but in the end wasn’t needed. Its a gorgeous pattern and thought it was a shame to let it sit there so it came with me to Sunflower Cottage Crochet!
I would recommend anyone to have a go at being a tester for a designer or two – it broadens your horizons with stitches, techniques and textures and is a great way to meet new people. Its also how I met Sara!
Organising the Mixed Toffee Cowl – Our first CAL
We had a lot going on at the time that we originally wanted to do host this CAL …. our website was being redesigned, we were setting up an etsy shop and had the pressures of the stitch of the week and other designs keeping us occupied.
A YouTube Tutorial for each section!
I also wanted it done right! This included filming videos of each section to help people through it – the Celtic Weave and the alpine stitches are quite tricky if you haven’t tried them before. But they don’t take long to get the hang of!! Video tutorials help a lot. My aim was to make it as easy as possible so that adventurous beginners could follow it through. We have included in the pattern written instructions and links to the video tutorials as well as a close up photo of each section. It seems to have worked well. Our members were itching for the next sections so that they could get on!
All in all the Mixed Toffee Cowl – our first CAL – was a great success!
What you need to know to get started:
Materials:
In #4 worsted weight yarn of your choosing (I used stylecraft special aran)
- 3 skeins in different colours (if you are using the same colour throughout you may get away with 2 skeins)
- 5.5mm hook
- Stitch markers (optional)
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle.
Gauge:
Not important for this project as you can add or reduce the length as you choose. This one is a nice size so that if your tension is a little looser or tighter than mine it should still work out fine!
Sizing
My cowl has a circumference of 28 inches and is 8.5 inches tall.
Birthday Event:
On Friday 3rd November you can get this pattern for only £1 in my Ravelry, Etsy and Website shops. Just click your preferred shop from the buttons below and apply code BIRTHDAY1 to Ravelry or Etsy (the price is already reduced on my website shop!)
Pattern Links
Our PDF pattern includes written instructions for each stitch used and links to our YouTube videos which show you how to work each section!
Click the buttons below to join our Community on Facebook (just answer the joining questions!) , follow us on FB and follow us on Instagram
Here are some photos of the gorgeous Mixed Toffee Cowls that our Community made during the CAL! Do show us your projects of the Mixed Toffee Cowl – we love seeing them!
