On my needles...

After I finally bound off Whakamarie, I dove back into Cocoon. I won the kit (Berroco Northstar) yarn and pattern booklet from Berroco last summer at TNNA, and cast on for this cloudlike coat in December to make myself a comfy, simple coat I could throw on over anything when Atlanta has a freak flash of cold weather. 

My first impressions of the pattern were positive, and still are. It's a simple stockinette coat knit in one piece until the armholes, and there's a bit of short rowing. I'm still intimidated by short rowing even though I've done it before, so this project will help me get closer to perfecting my short rowing. If it's not perfect, the yarn's forgiving (read: fuzzy) enough to hide my mistakes.

My first impressions of the yarn weren't so positive; the yarn sticks to my needles. I'm knitting this on my nickel-plated Knitpicks, which are pretty slippery, and the stitches wouldn't move up and down my needles freely. Over time, I've gotten more adept at handling them, and I'm making faster progress on this project with every stitch. The needle tips are pretty pointy, so I haven't had much issue with splicing the yarn. If the tips were less sharp, I probably would.

Still, it's all worth it. The resulting fabric is a dream. It's a lightweight yet warm cloud that is so cozy and soft. 

I'm about an inch from separating for the armholes, and I can't wait until I can grab this coat when I'm feeling chilly. It's a perfect neutral that will pair well with everything, and the alpaca/nylon blend doesn't itch a bit.

Pattern: Cocoon by Emily Nora O'Neil from #362 Berroco North Star
Yarn: Berroco North Star in 3002 Caribou
Ravelry: Riesquared's Cocoon