Pattern on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/klickitat-street-cowl

Yarn: Color A – Remember that brown hand-spun yarn I tried to use last year? Well it made a re-appearance, and this time it was happy. 2 skeins hand-spun alpaca by my friend Simi from Boss Kitty Yarns

Color B – Dream in Color Yarn Jilly Superwash Merino Wool #727 Amethyst 1 skein 440 yards

Needles: US 4 – 3.5 mm

Finished the first clue on the first of February and the pattern with these two contrasting yarns was just so yummy!

Something I learned when working with hand-spun fibers during this project is that the raw nature of the fiber makes it a bit tougher. This alpaca is so strong that when I am working with it for a long period of time it will leave marks on my finger. This may also be because my gauge is a bit tight!

This is the first MKAL that I’m hoping to have done by the actual Yarn Crawl because I decided to actually participate this year (blog post about that to follow). So I was knitting during my birthday which is February 13th. This happens to also be my grandmother’s birthday as well! She always says, “You were the best birthday present I ever got!” This year it is my grandmother’s 90th birthday! My family has decided to throw a surprise party for her, and I am a big part of that surprise. Both my husband and I will be making the trip from OR to CO to visit so that us birthday girls can spend the time together. I am taking my project with me of course so I will probably get a lot of it done.

Flying into my hometown is always strange after a long time away. The place is small enough that it barely changes. Everything always looks the same, but just a bit more worn down. Sometimes I am surprised by a new building or an update to an older area, but it doesn’t happen often. This is almost comforting in a lot of ways, but it also just reminds me of stagnation.

Still, I feel connected to this land. The wide, desert prairies and distant mountains ranges. I tend to always visit in the winter time (birthday and Christmas), so there is a bite to the air and often whipping winds. The windy times are when I feel the most energy from the land and within myself. Being that it is winter time, I also LOVE to have all of my knitted items on!

2-12-2017 – Today is the surprise party for Grandma. I decided to give her the Campside Shawl that I made a while ago. It needs to be blocked so I had to rush and do it at my parent’s house. I packed it neatly and we headed to the party which was being held at my Uncle Pat and Aunt Sally’s house. SO much of my family made it! All the extended cousins and everything. I had not seen some of them since my Grandfather’s funeral. Grandma was completely surprised to see me! They had me kinda sneak up on her, and she was so surprised she just clung onto me and cried. I stayed there and hugged her for a long time. She is so precious to me.

2-14-17 At the end of the trip we got to visit with some friends that Sean and I know from different states that had moved to Colorado. Whenever I go back I try to visit with them. This was a great gathering and then Danny and Doug gave us a ride to the Denver International Airport. Which we ended up missing our flight and having to stay there overnight. I was SO glad to get home the next day.

2-16-17 Finished Clue #3 and started Clue #4! The contrast of this spun and plied alpaca yarn with the single strand purple is really giving some amazing texture to this cowl.

2-27-17 FINISHED! I still need to block and sew in the ends, but it is ready to go. Just in time for the crawl on 3-3-17. I am planning to do the full crawl this year. It will be my first year, and I am super excited!