A Bluestocking Knits

I've had quite a lot of this RYC Cashsoft DK for a long time — this color is 505 "Mist" — and so far have attempted at least two other projects with it that turned out in the end not to be suited for each other at all.  As I was knitting away on the Foxglove Vest, it was clear that there would be a lot of yarn left over, and that it would look really lovely in the Pivot Cowl, also from Purl Soho.  When I finished knitting the Foxglove, I told myself I'd just have a quick start on the cowl before I worked in all of the ends (since there were a lot of ends, both from my having inherited a half-finished project, and my having inadvertently divided up most of what was left into partial balls!) — and the next thing I knew, the cowl was finished!

 So, yes, the Cashsoft makes a very pleasing Pivot Cowl, which works up in just a few days and breaks up the dull garter stitch with this interesting multi-directional geometrical shaping —

I used the selvage I learned from the Doctor Who scarf, slipping the last stitch of each row knit-wise, and reversed the first section so that the long-tail cast-on is WS-forward, because I like the way it looks with garter stitch better that way — but those are the only things I did differently from the pattern.

It's a very cozy cowl, and I really like the way it sits around the neck — being narrower at the top than at the bottom, it's a bit closer at the neck, and lies very handsomely across one's bust at the lower edge.  Hurray!

The Foxglove, however, has proven to be a sad failure.  I wasn't really sure about which size to make, since my own measurements are more-or-less between the given sizes, so I measured, and thought about it, and measured, and thought about it, and finally got going on the larger of the two choices — I put just a little bit of shaping at the waist as it's very straight and I am not, and I thought that shaping would compensate a bit for the ease.

The collar is very handsome and flattering, and not at all difficult to work.  I checked the size before sewing it all up, then blocked it, and it is huge.  Huge.  Far too big.  I'm crushed, really — I love this color, and perhaps more importantly I'd love to wear this color.  And I have knitted and ripped out and knitted and ripped out this yarn and — bravely — it still looks pretty good, but I just don't know if I can face ripping it out yet again.

Sigh.