12 Weeks of Gifting, Week 4: Dinkins Bayou Cowl

This week’s gifting pattern suggestion is the Dinkins Bayou cowl. It’s named for one of my favorite places: a still, quiet, little inlet just off Sanibel Island — a place where egrets and manatees flourished among the mangroves and rushes, where the quiet of an early-morning kayak ride was often interrupted by the splash of mullet jumping, the call of a roseate spoonbill returning to its nest, or the whoosh of a dolphin surfacing to breathe. The cowl explores the colors of the water and the shapes of the flora that used to thrive along its edges. Its variously-colored motifs remind me of the many colors I saw in and near the water on a day spent along the bayou; when worn in the depths of winter, this cowl brought me right back to the light and warmth of the Gulf coast.

If you’ve been following my shares about what Hurricane Ian did to Sanibel Island, then you understand why I speak in the past tense. Much of what used to be there is gone. So this cowl has become more of an homage than a reflecton. Maybe you’ll knit this cowl and remember, as I do, that once upon a time there was a place that was just about as perfect as a place can be.

Dinkins Bayou features tidy and attractive I-cord cast on and bind offs, and uses some pretty interesting knitweaving and dip-stitch techniques to create its repeated motifs. Don’t worry if you’ve never done any of these before — as I mentioned when I first released this pattern, it includes links to tutorial videos.

You can order this pattern on my Ravelry or Payhip shops, using code DBCOWL to save 20%, all week long.