Madonna of the Yarnwinder by Leonardo da Vinci

For fiber artists everywhere. Happy New Year!

An Olive and Gold Neck Cowl for Wintertime

Here's Lynnie, my son Jake's significant other, wearing the newest addition to my Etsy shop: a neck warmer in olive green and mustard gold, handknit in nubby handspun.

The construction is simple: I knitted it lengthwise, as you would a scarf, in alternating stripes. The nubbier stripe uses thick-and-thin handspun in the moss stitch, while the smoother stripe uses two-ply worsted-weight yarn in the stockinette stitch.

You might also wear this on your head, as a very thick and warm headband. Or, you may want to make it a holiday gift for the fashionable dog.

Above: Biggie Smalls, Jake and Lynn's French bulldog/Boston Terrier semi-puppy. He knows how to pose!