Greyhaven Cowl

Yay - a finished object!  I've had the urge to knit alot lately, mostly since the weather has cooled down a bit.  Winter in Florida is not the winter I've experienced in DC, but it gets cooler during the days and downright chilly at night.  Snuggling up on my comfy couch under a quilt with some knitting in my lap seems like just the thing!  I wanted to knit a gift for a dear friend of mine, and I thought a lacey cowl would be nice.  I found Grayhaven on Ravelry and dove into the stash.

I used Misti Alpaca in Cream and boy do I love this yarn.  Its soft and cozy and knits up beautifully.  The lace pattern on this cowl is really lovely, and she created it with a larger edge on the bottom, so it drapes nicely on your neck.  I think this is a perfect size to keep your neck warm and I think I might make another for another friend.  Or maybe for me!

My only modification to the pattern was using a US8 needle all the way through because I couldn't find my US7.  I had some difficulty with the purl cast off, but I got the hang of it towards the end.  I tend to be tight with a knit cast off, so I'll consider this in future projects.  The cast off here is still a little tight, but I think I can fix it.  I won't see my friend for a couple weeks, so I can re-finish it.  No models were available, so I took a shot of the cowl resting on an upside down flower pot. 

Do you find you knit more during cold weather?  Or maybe hand quilting or embroidery?