The Dacia Cowl

Youth 

We all feel something when we encounter it. Some of us feel nostalgia, some of us feel envy, and some of us are delighted to see how youth is experienced now. I feel all of these things when I encounter young people. Their defiance in the face of time, time which sits on our chests like acidic foods we can no longer process. Their infectious joy to discover long known things. Youth is not wasted on the young. 

I poured my love of color, choosing something akin to a stain glass window in the full light of the sun for this free pattern. I named it after someone that is the embodiment of a stain-glass window in the midday sun as well. The warmth and adorable glow that emanates from these colors that collide and provide a different view of the world are everything that person is and has always been.  

It is my sincerest hope that The Dacia Cowl provides a warm glow that can be seen from the far reaches of your world and into your heart. 

Feel free to share your thoughts with me on here, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. 

Now Playing: Crush, "With You" from the newly released album, "Midnight To Sunrise". 

Thanksgiving, The New Life

Thanksgiving, The New Life

This holiday looks nothing like what was celebrated as a child. The number at the dinner table has decreased significantly as my siblings have stretched out all over the country and my father's side no longer gathers at our table. My mother, being the baby of the bunch never has to host. lol This year, my son's family kept it quiet, low key, and with my Genghis being a real puberty monster, I did not want him to feel bad about being overwhelmed around people he loves and misses.

Holiday visits are now a choose your best availability and go from there; no more back and forth about making sure we all get together. As a result, I can sleep in and not stress about food prep, quantity, and post consumption clean up. Dinner around here to a vegetable stir fry, deep fried catfish, baked spaghetti, and a pie- preferably sweet potato but if my sinuses have been gentle with me (and they haven't this year) a buttermilk pie. Being newly recovered, I’m looking at matsutaki soup and a skirt steak with sweet potato chips and seaweed crisps to snack on with Stoli (I had to add that to the Windows dictionary) vodka.

Since I'm not big on the new American tradition of post holiday shopping, I assumed that I could get more rest. The reality is that if I want to be taken seriously as a designer and provider of patterns then I have to sit on the other side of the retail experience. I wanted to dive right in and hope for the best, but I didn't want to be massively embarrassed so I sat my presumptuous ass down and researched. My hubris won't get the best of me this time. I learned that yarn buying does better during the post Thanksgiving experience and specifically indie brand cult classics and major label with major sales. After the winter holiday season (did you know there were over 20 holidays celebrated during December?), people are ready to spend experimentally with gift cards they've received (I’m not there yet but it is coming) and looking to recover from the holidays with fiber therapy (have we coined that term for regular usage yet?), that is the best time for pattern makers to strike with a combo punch. This does not discount from those that buy patterns, but I have found that the biggest pattern purchases (See Me This Week) come after the yarn is in hand.

So, I don't feel as bad as when I compared myself to artists in different fields that put beautiful art out on a monthly basis. My contributions exist in their own realm of beauty and should be respected as it stands and not diminished by comparison. Thank you to every one reading these missives. To quote that great philosopher, Kendrick Lamar, "We gonn' be alright".

#nowplaying Colde Crumbling (오르르)

Sunday Updates

It has been a stellar Sunday. The music has flowed between new jazz and chaotic k-pop, finishing up with 
French hip-hop. I have completed a swatch for the Bluebells and Honeycomb sweater that is changing shape 
in my mind, should it be baggy and comfy or structured and fitted? It has been interesting removing the 
pressure to produce and perform. Admittedly, this is the core of being successful- maintaining momentum 
and meeting the demands of market trends and definitely getting ahead of them. I had to catch myself 
because doing that is the surest way to lose myself. 

I gave the rest of my world my attention. The weather has shifted from wonderfully hot to unyieldingly 
scorching, and now it is beautiful, cool, and predictably autumn. I sit at my desk and work on sizing and 
dimensions with the windows open as it prepares to rain for the first time in over a month. I've befriended

 a spider that has been around since late Spring. Her name is Shelob, and she has laid 3 egg sacs already. 

She lets me know ahead of time when a storm is coming because she moves to a spot where the wind and 
rain cannot touch her. She stays usually in broad daylight and keeps me company when I'm gardening or 
just watching the natural world move. I do not feel bad or ashamed anymore for stepping away from 
knitting after our conversations. 

Being able to breathe while loving something is natural and invites longevity to your passion. 
Sitting in accessible spaces also lets those around me know that they have my attention. What you never 
want to do is disturb a knitter's stitch count. Without having to worry about knitting, I can breathe a bit 
differently. 

As it stands, I am super stoked about this project. I love pairing daring yarns with a natural backdrop- now. 
For the longest, I avoided variegated yarns because they were so unpredictable. I was not a fan of surprises 
of this sort. I've loosened up since then. Pooling does not frighten me anymore. lol This project 
places The Spunky Sheep in the starring role. It is exciting what is to come and I cannot wait to
share the finished product. 

     

Today has been a good day. 

#nowplaying Oxmo Puccino- Le mal que je n’ai pas fait 

Filed Under: Bungled and Buggered

They can't all be works of art, now can they?

So, I did a thing and it came out well. It was extremely form fitting, the sleeves and hem were long enough that I could reach out without body exposure.

Then disaster strikes, I place it in a basket to soak and shape. Wetness occurs and my wrath must be suppressed because the only other occupant of my work-space is the heir that isn't aware. How can I be pissed off at this face for long?

See what I mean?

At this point, I can only stare in absolute sadness and resignation at my beloved sweater. I haven't tried Color Rid or anything. I've kept it covered, hanging in the closet. Ugh, I'm going to go listen to John OFA Rhee's "Over It" and get all angsty. :)

 

This Feeling Right Now

I have published a pattern on Ravelry. I've never known or had the courage to take my skills and talent to where I wanted. I never believed that it was possible for me to do what I want. I always settled for what made sense and what was immediately tangible. This moment right now, I feel scared and invincible while typing through tears.

I sat in the movie theater with my muse, watching Bohemian Rhapsody, when the logo popped into my head. I hurriedly scribbled it into my phone and as soon as I got settled at home, I came up with this logo. as the first draft.

I knew I wanted to something with this, but I didn't know what exactly. I didn't know if I wanted to sell the items I created or sell the patterns or what. Then I remembered how hundreds of knitters and I would see an amazing item online and all but swarm the designer for the pattern. We would collectively be crushed when they would refuse to sell the pattern, preferring to sell the items only. Most of us have our own yarn preferences and ideas for customization. So it made sense FOR ME to produce something and move along that line. I have no less than 10 designs at various levels of completion and sketches of about 10 more. I feel like 9 volt battery. 

I can't wait to share it all with you. ✌

Thank you!! 

Listening to: Sam Kim- Summer Nights 

Free Pattern: 2019/06/29 Cassi When She Glows Yoga Socks

Pattern Name: Cassi When She Glows 

Designer: E. Janelle Eason, Joyeux Tricots 

Difficulty Level: 3 of 5- working in the round (double pointed needles or magic loop), color work- stripes, additional cast on 

Preferred Yarn Weight: DK (worsted and aran works well too)

Preferred Yarn Characteristics: yarn with a good memory to retain the stretch and still hold shape and most importantly,
next to skin soft

Finished Size: 14” x 12”

Gauge: 9 rows x 5  stitches = 1 inch on sz 6 and 8 needles

Yarn Used: LolaBean Yarn Co (https://www.lolabeanyarnco.com/) Arc of Light Gradient minis

Needles: sz 3 (for casting on), 5, 6, & 8 (double pointed needles or magic loop)

Notions: (2) stitch markers, crochet hook (F),  

Notes: In this pattern, I let the needles do the work. I didn’t increase in stitch quantity because I didn’t want
any increase marks on such brightly colored yarn. I worked it from the top down because when I tried from the bottom up,
I always over-increased and did not like the overall look and so I decided to make these from the top down. 

**I cannot stress this enough to mind your gauge. Your leg and foot circumference matters greatly in your fit so
measure twice to knit once. Thankfully, this was a yarn that could take several (and I do mean several) do overs.  

***While I am a ROYGBIV obsessed, there is NO wrong color combination. Go wild. Be tame. Just enjoy the project. 

Abbreviations: *CO- Cast On, *BO- Bind Off, *dec- decrease, *StSt- Stockinette Stitch, 

Total Pieces Knit: 2

Stitches Used: Knit and Purl

Link for reference: 

Charts: None

CO: 65 (size 3 needles)

 Join the stitches in the round and place marker between last and first stitch

3x2 rib (K3, P2) until the end of the row 

Work rib for 2 inches (size 5 needles)

(change colors) 

StSt 2 inches (size 6 needles) 

(change colors) 

StSt 2 inches (size 8 needles) 

(change colors) 

StSt 2 inches (size 8 needles) 

(change colors) 

StSt 2 inches (size 6 needles) 

(change colors) 

*K3, P2T, P1 (size 5 needles) 

Repeat from * until the last 5 stitches, then K3, P2 = 55 stitches 

3x2 rib for 2 inches 

Begin foot section: 

BO 35, K20 

CO 20 (CO stitches that will hug the foot’s arch comfortably using your foot circumference and your knitted gauge.
My foot circumference is 8 inches and my knit gauge is 5 stitches per inch. 8x5=40) 

Form a ring with the cast on stitches to the knit stitches and PM between last and first stitch.  

Work 3x2 rib for 3 rows (size 5 needles)

(change colors) 

Work rib for 3 rows (size 5 needles)

(change colors)  

Work rib for 3 rows (size 5 needles)

(change colors) 

Work rib for 3 rows (size 5 needles)

(change colors) 

Work rib for 3 rows (size 5 needles)

(change colors) 

Work rib for 3 rows (size 5 needles)

Bind off loosely. 

After knitting, I rinse my projects using Dove conditioner. 

For this project, I did not block them. I just wove the end and hung them out to dry.  

Ready? Ready!

I had a thousand ideas on how I wanted my first post to appear. I wanted to make sure that I published my new favorite knit project that I posted on Instagram Cassi When She Glows, a beautiful ROYGBIV legwarmer/foot wrap now referred to as yoga socks. These are a gift for my dearest friend and burlesque showgirl, Coco Rose. I wanted to give a proper introduction of who I am and how I got here. So much has happened between the planning and concept phase of this blog that I just laughed at how the world turns and decided to show and then share all of that.

Briefly though, as for me- being entertaining is second nature. I enjoy engaging people, getting them to open up, laugh a bit, and usually feeling better after spending time with me.

This is different. There is no one to riff off of, no back and forth banter, no energy/emotional exchange. It's just me making sure that I am not subconsciously asking myself if I am enough.

Without taking much time being long winded as I am known for on my family, here is the free pattern for the happy, hand knit yoga socks Cassi When She Glows. 

Please leave comments, reviews and share your project's progress. These will also be listed on Ravelry❤️ as soon as I work out the details. 

I wish you happy knitting!