The Owling

Ravelry has been hit hard with a case of owl fever. Awhile back, I knit a pair of "Give a Hoot" mittens. It's a free pattern, and I loved the mirrored decreases on the palm of each mitten.




These were the first owl cables I'd ever knit. Not long after I'd finished the mittens, I came across an owl sweater. This sweater stopped me in my tracks. It's wearable. It's a quick knit. It's feminine. It's knit in the round with no seaming, and best of all it's reminiscent of childhood, without being childish. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had a knit at first sight moment. "Owls" is currently topping the "most popular pattern" chart with 344 projects. I'm not usually one to grab a torch and jump in with the mob, but this sweater is calling to me. I'm fantasizing about all of the yarns I could use. I've got two hanks of Eco wool in my stash that would work perfectly. Although, I'm not totally convinced about the color.



There's another reason that this owl cable mania has such a hold on me. When I was pregnant with our baby, we had a family of owls nesting near by. Every night for several weeks, we would turn off our lights so that we could watch two adult owls teaching their baby owl how to hunt. It was beautiful and comforting. Every time I see an owl, I think of those evenings we spent holding hands, peering into the night sky, thinking of our baby. I think I must knit this sweater. I really don't have a choice.