Sometimes knitting lace can be therapeutic. That is, as long as it does not require more concentration then I am willing to give it. Relaxing on the beach over Spring Break, I found this knit quite relaxing. Having no desire to knit with wool in the sun, I chose a mixed fiber that I could wear with some of my spring outfits. As for the pattern, I wanted to knit something that did not require line after line of intense concentration on my part as I still had to keep track of the kids on the beach. I wanted to knit something that was visually interesting but that required me to only think every other line. It sounds quite silly as I write this; but that’s how I ended up with this pattern. The actual pattern stitch is only 4 rows. In between there are simple knit rows. It made for a quick and uncomplicated knit for a day at the beach.

For this lace pattern, I used progressively smaller needles. The end result has a flattering flare to it. So when being worn the pattern is more visible and does not get lost in the folds around the neck. To help prevent mistakes and keep track of the pattern I placed a marker after every 10 stitch pattern repeats. It also helped me to count stitches every now and then to catch any mistakes early on. That said it really is not as difficult a pattern as the end result might have you think. After just a couple of rows the pattern became quite intuitive, making for a pretty fast knit.

In this sample I used Berroco Comfort in worsted weight for a soft spring feel. I was going for the look rather than the warmth. However, I do think that if knit in wool this cowl would make a great gift come the holidays.