Are there buy buttons on the side of the page? If so, you've caught this pattern on one of the handful of days every year when it's available! If not, read on for details of where it went and what to do if you want to be notified the next time it's available.

A few years ago I got overwhelmed by my back catalog, retired most of my earlier work, and launched Tiny Nonsense. That gave me space to make Cool New Stuff! But some people missed the earlier things, so I make many of the retired patterns available for a few days once or twice a year.

• If you see the buy buttons on this page, you’ve caught it on one of the days it’s available! You can buy it just like usual.

• If you don’t see the buy buttons on this page, then it’s not currently available. It will probably be available the week after Thanksgiving and for a few days in June or July.

• If you want to hear when the retired patterns come back, subscribe to the mailing list or patreon, or keep an eye on my instagram.

Yon adv at or in that more or less distant place

This is a companion to Hither and Thither (the cuffs and hat in the pictures at the bottom of this page).

As far as I can tell, two things are true about pretty much all knitting. Knitting leaves is more fun than it has any right to be (so easy, so tidy, so satisfying), and accessories are better in sets.

Which is why I’m delighted to add this lovely, lacy cowl to the cuffs (Hither) and hat (Thither) that came out earlier. And while I probably won’t wear all three at once, there’s seriously a part of me that loves knowing I could (and I sort of doubt I’m alone in this).

The pattern includes instructions for both a taller and a shorter version of the cowl (the shorter one is shown in the pictures). Don’t worry, you don’t have to decide which you want to make right away! You’ll knit for a little while, then try it on (or measure) and see which height you like better.

Both versions come in three sizes (100, 120, 140 stitch cast on) and two gauges (5 and 6 stitches per inch), so there’s plenty of flexibility to make the size that feels most comfortable for you. The cowls are tapered (the top is about half the size of the bottom), as I find that makes for the best fit (plenty of fabric at first to keep you warm, not too much up top to get in your way).

The piece in the pictures was knit at 5 stitches per inch. It’s 40 inches around at the widest point, 20 inches around at the narrowest point, 9 inches tall, and shown on a size 16 dress form. The sample took 275 yards of yarn (if you want a really big cowl, 375-400 is a safer bet).

These are perfect for you if:

• You’re as taken with knitted leaves as I am
• You want a mellow project that looks impressive when you’re done
• You know in your heart of hearts that accessories are better in sets

They’re not for you if:

• You don’t like charts (the pattern uses charts)
• You hate swatching (you need to swatch to check your needle size)