I’ve been working furiously on a secret project. So before I divulge I must have your solemn oath that you won’t breathe a word to anyone. Promise?? Ok, good. I’m participating in my first ever knitting swap! One of my favorite online knitting groups is Tiny Owl Knits (Tiny Owl is a line of knitting patterns by Stephanie Dosen and she has a devoted group of Owlies, of which I am one). Her patterns are influenced by fairytales, walks in the woods, and the occasional gnome. So when the group announced a Halloween swap, I knew I must sign up straightaway. Our task: to create a handknit gift for our recipient and to fill our parcels with seasonal treats! We had to fill out a questionnaire so that we would have some information on our swap partner and be able to tailor our package to her/his taste. After some research I settled on what I believed was the perfect pattern for her – a textured, cabled cowl – and found the perfect yarn – a dark currant red with black highlights.
I brought the yarn home and wound it up into cakes. It was here that the whole thing kind of fell apart. The ball winder didn’t work so well and I ended up having an emotional meltdown over my inability to wind the yarn into anything except a tangled mess. Finally I had cakes of yarn that were useable and I went to the webpage to buy the pattern. Except that it said it was available and had no option to buy it now. A search online indicated the designer had vanished from the face of the earth, leaving only a tantalizing picture of a beautiful cowl, but no pattern. Another meltdown. I found a few people who had left comments on the pattern and messaged them on Ravelry to see if any of them ever found the pattern. I didn’t think I’d hear from any of them and dismally started searching for a back up. I went to bed discouraged and frustrated. The next morning I checked my messages on Ravelry and someone had contacted me about the pattern! She said another member had sold her a copy and asked for my email. By the time I got to work she had sent me a pdf of the pattern for free!!! That was a completely unlooked-for miracle and I am still so grateful to the kind knitter who helped me. So my swap partner will have her cowl after all. I’m almost done knitting it, and now my thoughts have turned to the other items to include in her Halloween parcel. The cowl itself isn’t particularly Halloween so I’ll need to be creative. And then it hit me…. poison apples! There’s my theme! The yarn’s color looks just like the deep crimson of a poisoned apple and it has an ominous fairytale quality that’s perfect for Halloween. I’m on the hunt for apple-themed treats to include with my cowl and here are some of the pictures that I’m using for inspiration.
I’ll share photos of the finished cowl and assembled parcel once it’s headed to the post office. Hope you have a fantastic day…and beware if someone offers you an apple.
Blessings to you,
Sarah
anordinarymiracleday 