Orange You Excited to Knit the Happy Jack Cowl?!
All groan-worthy puns aside, many people feel like they cannot successfully wear the color orange. I get it, it’s a tricky color that is seemingly limited to a few skin tones. For many people it is probably not the ideal color for everyday wardrobe pieces. But I am here to argue for BOLD statement pieces that pop off neutral wardrobe staples—orange accessories included! The Happy Jack Cowl as featured in knitscene handmade 2016 is a great candidate for several reasons.
First off, let’s talk about the yarn. The Turmeric colorway from SweetGeorgia Yarns was created with this particular project in mind. It’s an Interweave-specific colorway, which means you can only get it right here! The light variegation plays well against the allover drop stitch cable pattern without detracting from it. The Superwash Merino is also a wonderfully soft, and easily washable, choice for a piece with the potential to be worn a lot.
Secondly, the inspiration for the name of this cowl came from a super functional idea. All of the projects in this issue were named by Louisa Demmitt, current Instructional Designer and former assistant editor of knitscene. The inspiration behind this project name, Louisa informed me, came from Happy Jack Road in Wyoming, a lovely stretch of tarmac and dirt one takes to Vedauwoo (pronounced “vee-duh-voo”) Recreational Area. The name came about because of the distinct orange color, which helps you to be seen in an outdoor environment like Vedauwoo! I like that it’s not an obtrusive hunter-orange-type color but still helps make the wearer visible. Again—bold!
Last (but not least), another great thing about this cowl is that it looks great on a man, a woman, or anyone in between. We originally shot it on our favorite man model, Matt, for the issue. Later we asked Sara to model it so we could show off how great it looks on a woman as well. It’s also long enough to wear as is or wrap double, which helps you adjust just how much warmth you want from your cowl.
So, I encourage you to BE BOLD and try something you may have been afraid of up to this point. I liken wearing orange to chopping off all your hair—you know you want to do it, but you’re afraid it isn’t going to look good, but you don’t know until you TRY! Get your orange Happy Jack Cowl kit here!
Happy cowl knitting!
—Hannah
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