Inspiration
Watercolor Cowl: A Box of Paints
Jaunty. That’s the word for Kaffe Fassett’s Watercolor Cowl. It’s a neat alternative to a scarf, taking far less fabric to achieve a warm neck via its tidy kerchief shape.
It’s also clever: A simple rectangle of vibrant color becomes a cowl with one short seam.
This project is also a convincing demonstration of how much the perception of color depends on adjacent colors. Kaffe simply changes the two background colors—from a sharp almost-black against near-white contrast to two cool blue-grays—and the effect is totally different.
It’s hard to believe the squares of “paint” are exactly the same colors in these two versions, but they are.
A Mini-Swatch
I learned so much from my single-repeat practice swatch for the house motif in Kaffe’s Village Scarf that I also swatched the Watercolor Cowl in miniature. I cast on 17 stitches and worked a single repeat of the 15-stitch chart. I worked a second repeat on top of the first, just to get really good at it, and I’ll use the extra edge stitches to sew the swatch into a pin cushion.
One thing I learned was that I need not fear the diagonal lines in this motif. At each color change, I followed the technique that Jen Arnall-Culliford teaches in her Intarsia 101 videos. Just do it—it works just as well on diagonals as on the straight-line color changes in the Cityscape motif.
Here comes the neighborhood. More Village Scarf houses—I can’t stop making them.
Fun fact about the Watercolor Cowl: each square of “paint” takes less than a foot of yarn. This is the perfect project for knitters who are blessed with lots of oddments of Felted Tweed. (Not that I know how anyone would accumulate a lot of oddments of Felted Tweed.) Just make sure you have a ball of each of the two background colors, and off you go to cowl-land.
Happy trails!
I love the effect the different background colors have on the “paint” square. I honestly look at the pictures of this cowl more than I should admit.
Loving those little houses more and more. I’m thinking of a throw of those houses, wondering if it’s best to knit all of one piece (probably not) or in individual houses, seamed together (maybe), or in strips, like several scarves and seamed (probably the best compromise for me). Thank you for more from Kaffe Fassett! Your first Field Guide of his designs changed my knitting life, and this one continues the adventure.
Think this might end up my first foray into intarsia
these look like such fun but I have to finish my husbands cardigan for Christmas and I’m already worrying about enough yarn with only 3 skeins left for the sleeves and front band. Pray for me. can’t find anymore.
Good luck! If all else fails, perhaps a contrast band would be a nice solution?
Diane, I have been there! I hope you have enough yarn to finish your gift! I am sure your husband will love it, as long as he is “knit worthy.”
I ordered the background yarns to make the watercolor cowl and I was surprised at how quickly my order came. Thank you for your excellent service. Can’t wait to get started today.
These little houses! So very charming and I’m going to make one after Christmas during our long January:) I’m thinking of embroidering the house address above the front door along with some embroidered french knot flowers under the window for a pin cushion for my sister.
Oooh, I like this!
What a lovely idea! I thought I couldn’t love the houses more, but you delightfully proved me wrong!
I already see how addictive making tiny houses is going to be. When you’ve run out of pincushion recipients, I think these could be adapted—with small-gauge yarn, one chimney, no sky, a back (could be done in one piece a la beekeeper hexagons), and a little stuffing—as Christmas tree ornaments. I’ve made these in needlepoint and don’t see why it wouldn’t work with knitting.
OK, I may have to get over my avoidance of intarsia and dip in a toe. The houses are winning me over!
The little swatches are so cute. I can’t let go of the idea of putting them in tiny frames to hang in a fancy dollhouse.
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Did it! Thx.
Please could it be done in double knitting wool