I did manage to get my Balustrade cowl finished last week during the four day long cold bug. I managed to mess up the pattern and skipped several rows of the lace in the first and last panels. Since I did this twice, the cowl turned out perfectly balanced, so I will call it a design change rather than a total screw up.

I used about a skein and a half of the Pear Tree Merino. Having a bit of yarn leftover, I decided to make a pair of matching mittens. I chose the Give a Hoot pattern, which is a class here at the shop as well, for those who want to learn to make mittens. They have a cute cable motif that makes little owls. The Pear Tree is supposed to be DK weight but it is working up very well on US#8 needles for the owl mitts. I think I will pick up some beads from the Potomac Bead Company for the eyes.