My first cabling projects, Phildar hat and cowl

I figured it was time to try something new to improve my knitting skills... So I went to my LYS (they are soo super grumpy there, I wish there was another store nearby..) and noticed two super cute projects with cabling in Phildar's magazine.

These patterns are from the Phildar magazine nr. 98 (autumn/winter 2013-2014). The hat is pattern 46 and is knitted with their Partner 6 yarn on size 6 needles. I made a swatch first to try and practice my cables, but it looked like crap. So I just decided to start and see how it went. After a row or 6 it started to look like cables, so I'm glad I just decided to start.

I love the colour of this wool, somewhere between grey and purple! They call it Bruyere. I made the hat shorter then they suggested, instead of 54 rows I knitted around 42, because I prefer my hats more snuggly at the top.

In the store they only had thinner wool than suggested for the pom pom, which is the reason that it is not super nice and round, since I got tired of winding the wool and decided this was enough wool for the pom pom. Cutting it to make it rounder only made it look weirder..

The cowl (or snood) is pattern number 50. I had to take a good look at the pattern to try and decipher it. It is knitted on size 4 needles and wasn't as nice and fast as the hat! I really liked the wool, which is the zephyr line combined with the partner 3.5 (that is the pink colour). 

I'm loving my cables!

I did find an error in the pattern, they ask you to put the stitch on the cable needle and then bring it in front of your work, well, that doesn't look good! You have to move the stitch to the back of your work and then knit the other stitches. 

When I finished it I thought that the cowl was a bit too big to wear it without wrapping, but too small to wrap it twice around my neck. Now that I've worn it for a couple of days I'm really happy with it. When I wear it with my Minoru jacket I just fold it up a bit and it is super nice and warm. 

Are you working on any knitting projects? I've almost finished my Happy Triangles sweater and I'm starting with The Crash sweater soon, knitting along with the Holla Knits Knit-a-long!

Milo also really likes my cowl, he just jumped right in!