He loves it!!!

Digging a path in the snow can be quite laborsome! Whenever I do it I end up wheezing! But our wonderful neighbor, Kevin, always comes to my rescue...with a snowblower! So We had to do something special for him.

As those of you who live in snowcountry know, shoveling your path or driveway is a back breaking job! But Kevin is always there with his trusty snowblower ready to chew up and spit the 4 foot pile of snow!

He's so sweet!

"Can you knit Kevin a cowl?" My Faithful Sherpa asked. "As a way of saying thank you?"

A couple of weeks ago we took a drive around the valley after a storm, just to see the sights. That's when I decided on what colors I wanted to use for his cowl. You can read about that drive here: http://www.josefinafineknits.com/blog/colors-of-the-storm

When we returned home from our drive I started sorting thru my yarn to find the perfect combination.

Sometimes this process takes a while!

Yup, takes a while!

Cashmere, wool and acrylic...that will keep him warm! Once I've decided on which yarn to use, I place everything in a ziplock bag. It makes it easier to carry!

And then the knitting starts! The Linen Stitch is my favorite and I tend to create all my cowls with this stitch. You can knit it tight, for warmth, or loose for lighter cowl.

After I've finished knitting, the blocking process happens. I fill a bowl with warm water, add a little soap and let the cowl soak for while until it relaxes the stitches. This allows the stitches to lay in the same direction creating a clean and finished piece.

We were so excited to give it to him. I was a little nervous though. My Faithful Sherpa has no problem wearing his rainbow, wool cowl but Kevin is a quieter man, and a little more traditional.

But he loved it!!!

"How do I wear it? It is worn like a turtle neck? Do I just slip it over my head?"

A few hours later he came over so excited. "I had a chance to try it out. I ended up having to take off my jacket because it kept me so warm. I'm going to be the envy of everyone winter!"

Thank you Kevin, for clearing out our path and carport! And I'm so glad you love your new cowl!!!