After the workshop on New Mexico Colcha Embroidery in August, I decided to knit up the churro wool I had purchased so I and my friends at the South Australian Embroiderers' Guild could see, feel and smell some of the wool that forms the basis of Colcha Embroidery. I had purchased four skeins from Southwest Wool - three in natural colours and one dyed with natural, local dyes.
Winding wool from skein to ball is challenging when living alone, but my new dining chairs came to the rescue.I wanted to use up as much of the wool as I could in a significant project that would both serve me well and be available to show people if I needed to do more talking about New Mexico Colcha.
I opted for a cowl that I have had my eye on for a few years, from Cowlgirls.
The feel of the wool was very firm and tough. It twisted as I knitted - and needed to be untwisted like embroidery thread often does.
Nevertheless, it knitted up fairly quickly. I'm a loose knitter, and wondered a few times if I should reduce the size of my needles.
I was also unsure how this was going to feel against my skin.
The pattern, however, was turning out really well once I got the hang of it. It had a nice variation - basically in three sections, a two-row per colour rib band, a centre of bobble bands and a one-row per colour rib band. This not only provides a result interesting to the eye, but is interesting to knit.
It was also interesting to see the way the colours appeared in relation to each other. The natural grey wool appears blue, and in the narrower border, the taupe takes on a grey tinge.
I am surprised at how much I like the result. I love the colours and the overall effect.
The best surprise is how comfortable it is to wear. It is lovely and warm, flexible and feels good. I wore it all evening at home after I tried it on, because I didn't want to take it off.
Shame it's the wrong season here - I love it!
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