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The Rio Calina Cowl

Cat with her arms outstretched in a field. She is wearing a golden colored Versatildes.

To all my dear friends out there…I want to let you know that I am dying. Don’t be worried, it’s apparently part of life! When I was 12, my rascal friend Janet and I stepped into the lair of Madame Marla, who emerged from behind beaded curtains with a dishrag in her hand, since she’d been washing dishes as we jangled the doorbell. For $2 she agreed to read our palms. When she said that I would live to be 86 and I’ve always figured she was right. Oh, well!

 

Truly, these days are so sweet and peaceful and beautiful. My most beloved daughter Jenny and dearest grandson Charlie are here with me as long as needed. Because of Covid, Jenny’s work is completely remote so I have the two best possible caretakers I could dream of.

 

PLEASE DO NOT write me at any of my usual emails. Instead use this one which my dear friend Val Curtis created. She will be managing my Ravelry offerings and helping Jenny long-term with my business things. Please use this email: [email protected]. This way I can turn to that collection and read them and feel the love and still manage to tend to essentials in my own normal inbox. It is very unlikely that I will respond to any emails as I have to conserve my energy. But know that I love to read them. And someday Jenny and Charlie will have them to turn to, and their hearts will fill again and again.


The photo is of my unpublished Rio Calina Cowl. It looks complex but is SO simple. It teaches you to let go and allow the spatial brilliance and inherent grace of nature create a unique stream of cabled rivulets. And it has two distinct surfaces. This is one of my favorite designs I have ever done, and Jim Petkiewicz and I have used it for our travelers over the years, since it is so impressive and draws strangers into conversation.  

 

Here is a free copy of the pattern. If you want to learn more about the pure grace that underlies it, my Versatildes ebook goes into depth about this starting on page 98. I like to imagine that this technique can soothe and heal all manner of troubles…and is so so beautiful to watch emerging. And I would love for thousands of knitters to be knitting this design…it is truly beautiful.

 

My gratitude to all of you for supporting me over the 20 years of my knitting and teaching career is inexpressible. You have allowed me to actualize my dreams again and again, and have let me coax you playfully into discovering your own best and truest self again and again. I’ll probably continue doing that from “the other side.” So thank you dearest friends, thank you. I love each and every one of you tender beautiful beings, whether we have actually met or not. It’s easy.

 

All my love always,
 
your friend,  Cat
 

If you would like to share your creations that were inspired by Cat’s patterns, please use the hashtag #catbordhi

If you would like to make a donation on her behalf, please donate to the San Juan Island Family Resource Center.

See Finished Projects on Ravelry

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Mary Peirce Biagi

Ravelry: Annaguy1956

Yarn Used: HiKoo Sueno, 1 skein of mountain fog, 1 skein of bashful, 1 skein of plum and 1 skein of slated. Each skein is 255 yards. 2. Caron Simply Soft from my stash, unsure of quantities, used 10 colors.

Tips: 1. Followed original pattern except for 1. 2 decrease wedges and 2 decrease wedges; 2. the very end where I completed last wedge and cast off using 3 needle bindoff, didn't do the unique wrong side row. 2. I cast on 120 stitches, adding an extra 20 stitches because I wanted it longer and wider, adding an extra w&to to each wedge making it wider. At the end I completed the last wedge, then repeated row 1, then the unique WS row before 3 needle bind off. 6-1-3-1-6 wedges. For the description of the K-below I would add the word /through after the word into.