The Starz network has just started showing season two of Outlander (yay!) and I am here for time hopping Claire’s romantic triangle. To be fair, the show is NOT just about Claire being torn between two men. There are wonderful references to history, gorgeous scenery and knit wear.
You read correctly; knitting.
Claire may be dazed because she keeps jumping through time but I’m all about those mitts.
Last year I was all over the luscious pieces of knit wear featured on the show. I did work up a pattern I found for Claire’s Cowl although, full disclosure, I did not wear the cowl this past winter. It is huge and heavy and Philly does not get as cold as the Highlands seem to be so the cowl sat unused. I started a pair of Apothecary cuffs but left them sit for a while. I decided to frog them and give them another go.
Success! With an asterisk.
I used a pattern found on Ravelry by Carolyn who writes the blog, The Next Beautiful Thing. I was chugging along this pattern almost cocky like. Knit purls? I got it! Knit repeats, Who’s da woman? (Me!) buut when I got to the last section…
I couldn’t figure out exactly what the pattern was asking of me. I frantically texted a few friends and begged for help. I even e-mailed Carolyn because, well she wrote the dang thing!
Because I am too impatient and did not want to wait for a response… After realizing that Ravelry has a discussion section for most items, I checked to see if anyone else was having the same issue I was. Reading through the notes I figured out where I was stumped. After engaging in some words that may even make my grandmother blush and lots of frogging, I managed to be able to get the pattern repeats and complete my cuffs!
Skill level goes up!
When Carolyn wrote me back and explained the pattern, I shared with her that I was able to figure it out, using the Ravelry forum and mostly because I got out of my head. I didn’t share this with her but here’s the thing…even though I have been knitting for a while now, there are still times that I feel like I don’t know what I am doing. That there is some huge secret knit thing that I am not privy to and that the real knitters will find me out.
Here’s the other thing…that’s a bunch of ca-ca. I do have some decent stitches and even my teen is impressed.
When I showed The Bee my cuffs and she tried to take them. Thank goodness they were too big! She did ask for a pair for herself and then a some for friends and I cast on a pair for her feeling like a Master stitcher. She watched me while I worked and told me that I had secret skills.
Want to make a pair of your own?
Check out Carolyn’s pattern for Apothecary Cuffs.
Read Carolyn’s blog, The Next Beautiful Thing
Check me out on Instagram for knitting updates
Happy Stitching,
-r
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