Applesauce Cowl

The last quarter of the year is already here!?! It feels like every year I get older the years go by faster and I wasn't fully prepared for that to happen. With the last quarter of the year comes my last design as the in-house designer for Leading Men Fiber Arts. It's been such a pleasure working with Steve and Andy while exploring their beautiful yarns and awesome community. 

So, time to share with you...the Applesauce Cowl! None of my other Leading Men designs worked with a gradient and I really needed one to shine. Applesauce Cowl uses slip stitch cables and simple ribbing for a highly textured and visual cowl. 

I originally used this stitch pattern on my sock design Applesauce Socks and thought the crossed slipped stitches would work great in a cowl design! The original sample used 6, 20 gram mini skeins for 120 grams total but I fully plan to knit another sample in a single skein (variegated this time) and use only 100 grams. 

The slip stitches in this pattern are specifically written without using a cable needle which makes it a great travel project. No cable needle means you don't need to keep track of it! Pretty much any fingering weight yarn you are comfortable wearing around your neck will work for this design. I wouldn't recommend a self-striping as it most likely won't line up with the pattern. 

In House Designing

 Last April (2024) I attended/vended at Makerfest in Loveland CO. I met lots of lovely vendor and fiber enthusiast. Among those fabulous people were Steve and Andy owners of Leading Men Fiber Arts. Both appreciated my use of scraps and mini skeins in my designs. A bit after the event they reached out and asked if I'd be interested in being the 2025 in-house designer for their mini skein monthly club! Are. You. Kidding. Me. I was so flattered that they asked, but as this is business I asked for details of what this collaboration entails and what the benefits for both sides are. 

All that to say, I'm the in-house designer for Leading Men Fiber Arts for 2025! Once a quarter I'll put out a pattern using mini skeins and Leading Men Yarn while Steve and Andy will put all pattern information into that month's mini skein shipment. After the shipment goes out they will run a knit along with my patterns. 

The patterns will be available to everyone, mini skein subscribers get a special discount code. First pattern is Street Mitts and the second is coming at the end of this month!