Christina's Katniss Cowl

I have the most wonderful hairdresser. Over ten years ago, one night at knitting, a fellow Purlygirl mentioned that she had found someone who excelled at cutting her curly/wavy hair. If you have curly hair you know how difficult it is to find someone who understands how to properly cut it. I took her recommendation and meet Christina and she's still my hairdresser today.

A few visits ago she saw me knitting and asked if I could make a cowl like Katniss wears in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. I said sure I could. The next time I saw her she asked if I had knit her cowl. Uhhh. I thought we were having a theoretical conversation.

When I went to Fort Worden I grabbed up several skeins of Wool-Ease in two shades of gray and a some Patons Canadiana, also in gray, at the stash sale. I tried to knit The Huntress Cowl but my gauge was completely different plus I was not going to do the whole rope-inside-the-neckline thing. So I began winging it. I moved up to size US36 (20mm) with four strands of the worsted yarn. I then knit the two triangles from the original pattern. Or so I thought. I wasn't paying attention and didn't do my knits through the back loops for the herringbone so instead I got...something different. I was not going back so I forged onward. I picked up along one triangle edge, cast on some stitches (five, I think), picked up along triangle two, cast on and joined in the round. I then knit the herringbone stitch (got it right this time, yay me) for 7-8 rounds. I threw in some decreases at the end to bring the neck in a little. I was aiming for less authentic but more wearable. I then switched to much smaller needles. I though they were 13s but they may have been 11s. (Don't you love how careful with my note-taking I was?) I knit welts of reverse stockinette and stockinette. I bound off then crocheted a bit of the bottom of the long sides of the triangles and did a smidge of neatening and I was done.

I tried it on for some people at Purlygirls and the Knitters Guild and they all struggled to find kind but non-committal things to say. I pointed out repeatedly that Christina is both much taller than I am and much narrower.

I went in for a haircut today and presented her with her cowl. She put it on immediately and proclaimed that she loved it.