The Indie Design GAL 2017

For five years now independent designers have gotten together on Ravelry to create the Indie Design Gift-A-Long. Join the Indie Design Gift-A-Long group on Ravelry to see what it’s all about! There are games, prizes, and something called an Opadoo, but I’ll let you puzzle that one out for yourself. This year more than 300 indie designers (including me!) are participating by discounting a selection of their patterns and participating in the forums. The sale is running now through Nov 28, 2017 at 11:59pm US EST. Use the coupon code giftalong2017 to get 25% off all the patterns included in the sale.

I also plan to participate in the GAL as a knitter. I really need a thick, cozy cowl for this winter, so I searched the participating designers for cowl patterns and found these.

© Bonnie Sennott

The Calliopsis Cowl by Bonnie Sennott just looks like it would be fun to knit. Two lace patterns, two colors, and a bit of garter stitch makes a very pretty cowl. It would be fun picking colors for this, and why stop at two? This would be great for fingering weight leftovers or mini skeins.

© Sarah Schira

The Rain on Notre Dame cowl is a literal interpretation of the Sarah Schira’s visit to Paris, and I just love interpretive knitting patterns. The combination of stitch patterns in this cowl is just perfect.

© Kerri Blumer

Blendon Woods Cowl is another cowl that immediately caught my eye. I love the variety and symmetry of the cables, and I can just imagine what a thick, cozy fabric that would be.

© sosu

I would love to make them all, but I think the design I’ll be knitting for the GAL is the Chevron Cowl by Susanne Somer. It’s made with three colors of bulky yarn (which I have in my stash) in two parts; the outer chevron section is knit sideways and grafted into a tube at the end, then the inner stockinette section is picked up and finished with a lacy border. I think it will be warm, soft, and windproof! Just what I need for the upcoming Wisconsin winter. What are you knitting for the GAL?

Thank you for knitting!