I once heard someone say that a cliche—like necessity is the mother of invention—is a truth that has been repeated so often that we forget it’s true. And it IS true; necessity was the mother of Wicket Gate.
As a singer, my chest and throat are high-priority defense items, which is why I spend so much of my knitting time making scarves, cowls, and small shawls that can be wrapped around the neck. I love how handy and wearable they are, but getting a cowl over my head is always a bit of an ordeal. My straight, fine Asian hair (obviously I’m not the person wearing Wicket Gate in the photos!) doesn’t take kindly to heavy, static-generating wool or alpaca being tugged over it, and one can only have so many shawls.
The solution? A cowl that doesn’t need to be pulled over the head.
And because I am incapable of utilitarianism, even in necessity, the buttons make it stylish! I haven’t worked crochet buttonholes in a long time, and I’d forgotten how easy and fun they are (my knitter’s heart is jealous).
Twisted stitches give the cowl a nice texture but is still beginner-friendly.
Did I mention that it’s a stashbuster?
As long as you can get gauge, it can be made in any weight of yarn from sport to worsted; yarn with some alpaca (the sample is 100% alpaca) or other camelid fiber will give it a nice drape, especially in a heavier yarn.
Big thanks to my model, who kindly lent her talents for this and the Ealhswith Hat and Mittens! Wicket Gate is currently available on Ravelry; watch out for availability on LoveCrafts in the next several days. Enjoy!
Update: Wicket Gate Cowl pattern is now available for purchase via LoveCrafts.
