Buttoned Neck Warmer #3

Pattern: DK Buttoned Neck Warmer and Hat (free pattern from my LYS)

Yarn: Manos Silk Blend (30% Silk, 70% Merino)
Needles: Size 6 circular

This cowl is a quick knit.  I've knitted three of these and gifted them.  Each has been in a different colorway.  Manos offers a wonderful selection of yarn.  Though I like this one a lot, the others are even prettier. 

I feverishly knitted on this cowl while on the plane to Denver back in June.  By the time I arrived I only had the buttons to sew on.  I became disenchanted with it and have been until I actually sewed on the buttons this week.  My intentions were to gift this cowl to the lady helping care for my mother.  I had not yet met her and when I did, I no longer felt this colorway would be flattering for her.  I still need to knit up something soon.   

Some of my knitting students from my mitten class want me to offer this cowl for one of my upcoming knitting classes.

Part of the fun of knitting is looking for just the right buttons for a finished project.  These are perfect for this cowl.  The picture does not show the true brownish-green that matches perfectly with one of the colors in the yarn.  The buttons for each of the cowls I've knitted were found at my LYS. 

Amy S., who is also a cross-stitcher was asking me about my new pattern book that I recently purchased.  I don't have enough time in my life already to do everything that I want to do, that the thought of cross-stitching again gives me visions of a pot of coffee constantly brewing in the kitchen and I don't drink coffee.  If not so painful, I'd use toothpicks to prop my eyelids open as I did in my younger, dancing, party days.

I seldom pay full price for my books.  I either wait for a sale at knitpicks.com or I use my Jo-Ann coupon, each at 40% off.  Then I can justify buying more yarn.  I definitely do not need any more floss.  I have boxes and boxes and more boxes of the stuff like a little girl who wants every crayon available that Crayola offers.

This book caught my eye in part because my older daughter, Amy, loves giraffes.  They were a favorite after, at age 3, we were at a zoo and the giraffe extended its long neck over the fence and ate her cotton candy while she was in her dad's arms. 

This pattern has my attention because my high school mascot was a tiger.  Brings back many fond memories of all the things I knitted with a tiger on it to wear to my high school football games on a chilly Friday autumn evening.

I have been approved by my local recreational department to offer additional knitting classes this winter season due to demand.  I am quite excited.  After the first class, which had only a few in attendance, the rest of my classes have filled to my acceptable max.  I absolutely thoroughly enjoy teaching.  The classes are once a week, 2hrs. in duration for four consecutive weeks.  I meet other wonderful women who want to learn to knit or learn additional skills.   

Sometimes I wake during the night and think about knitting patterns that I'd like to design, classes I'd like to offer and other knitting-related topics.  The other day I was trying to decypher whether I have a passion or an addiction for yarn.   

Happy Knitting!