fo: cashmere cowl

yay! my first finished project of 2007. i finished this sunday evening (it's just been too dark to take a picture), and i think i like it. perhaps slightly less than i thought i would, but it's still really nice. i think maybe if i make another, i will make it a little wider, and maybe a little longer - i wish it was a little drapey-er than it is, though my finished dimensions match those of the pattern. it should be the perfect size though to fit nicely under a cardigan or coat, and it really is very cozy. and i can't overstate how nice this yarn is - so wonderfully soft, and the color, with its subtle variations in shade, is lovely.

i have quite a bit of the yarn left - any ideas on what to do with it? it's fingering weight, and the project would need to be fairly small, as i don't have that much left - probably about 200 yards of the original 400, maybe a little less? it seems a waste to let it languish in my yarn stash, doing nothing, when it's so beautiful and deserves to be seen!





pattern: purl bee's cashmere cowl
yarn: jade sapphire's 100% mongolian 2-ply cashmere, color: tourmaline
needles: denise needles, size 8

even though i loved using the cashmere, my mom showed me this article and it made me sad. i don't know what to think - is it bad to buy cashmere yarn? the article refers to cheaply manufactured sweaters, but i would guess cashmere yarn contributes to the problem, though the demand is surely not as great. does anyone know anything else about this? i'm really curious now.

anyway...enough of that. in better news, i have a new camera! ever since i started my blog, i've become painfully aware of how crappy my camera is. i've had the same tiny 2 mp camera for like four years now. this new one is much nicer. hopefully you'll see an improvement in the quality of my images here, though i realize that a nice camera can't completely make up for lack of photography skills!

now that the cowl is done, i've just got my baby blanket that i'm working on. i definitely need a project to do when i'm sick to death of double-knitting white stockinette, so i think i will either cast on for the second lichen ribbed sock that i started in november, or else start these (yes, i am on a total purl bee kick!), with some pretty malabrigo.

p.s. i'm home today because it snowed so much here last night. exciting!