The Bees' Necks

**THIS PATTERN IS IN A MYSTERY MKAL FROM JULY 13 TO AUGUST 24** The final pattern will be published to Ravelry on August 24th, any purchase of the pattern before then will not come with the completed pattern. July 8th: Initial pattern (without charts) is published on Ravelry July 13th: Official start date! Rows 1-12 of the chart are released July 20th: Rows 13-24 are released July 27th: Rows 25-36 are released August 3rd: Rows 37-48 are released August 10th: Rows 49-60 are released August 17th: Final rows of the chart are released! **What can you expect weekly?** Every Sunday by 8amPST I will send out a pattern update through Ravelry. This pattern update will include the next few rows of the chart, as well as some bee facts. Sometimes the facts will be about the bees on the cowl, and sometimes they won’t be. At the end of the MKAL you will receive a final update with a labeled schematic of the cowl labeling each bee species, and the appropriate information on each bee preceding the pattern. This pattern has been tech edited and sample knit. **What are some optional activities?** Join the discord! I will send out a new invite link with the Ravelry announcement weekly until the final release of the pattern. Every Sunday starting the 20th we will be hosting a book club reading Bugs in the System by May Berenbaum (I read aloud for a couple of hours over discord). As with the moths, I have caved to peer pressure, and here is a pattern with native bees. Specifically, native *Arizona* bees, as I currently live in Arizona and we are a global biodiversity hotspot for bees. This cowl comes in two sizes with options to increase or decrease the number of bees added. Gauge is non-essential and this pattern is easily modifiable to achieve the fit you want. It is knit bottom up in the round with a half-twisted rib and the main body knit in stranded colorwork. *This is an illustrative, non-repeating chart, and may not be suitable for beginner knitters*. However, beginner knitters can really do anything they put their minds to, so go nuts. I recommend a familiarity with ladderback jacquard as sections of this pattern require carrying floats for a large number of stitches. **Yarn** DK or Worsted! I knit from my stash with this, and recommend knitting size 2 if you are working with a larger yarn/gauge and size 1 if you are working with a finer yarn/gauge. Spincycle Dream State: (100% merino wool, 150yds/137m/50g), light worsted/DK Farmers Daughters Fibers: (100% non-superwash and extrafine Rambouillet, 255yds/233m/100g), light worsted/DK Colors used in sample: mc (Farmers Daughters Fibers, background): Natural cc (Spincycle, ribbing/bees): Stay out of the Forest **Needles** US size 4 [3.5mm], 24”[60cm] circulars *I knit very loose! You may wish to size up your needles to a US 5 [3.75mm] or US 6 [4mm].* **Notions** Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors. A love for bees. Tea and a cute project bag recommended but not required. **Gauge** Gauge is non-essential for this project. Colorwork gauge: US 4 [3.5mm]: 23 sts and 25 rows = 4” [10cm] Yardage Size 1 mc: 250yds/230m/98g Skeins: 1 cc: 240yds/219m/95g Skeins: 2 Size 2 mc: 217yds/200m/85g Skeins: 1 cc: 208yds/190m/83g Skeins: 2 **Sizes** Size 1 Finished Circumference after blocking: 30” [76cm] Finished Depth after blocking: 12.75” [32cm] Size 2 Finished Circumference after blocking: 24.5” [62cm] Finished Depth after blocking: 12.75” [32cm]