It’s been a race to the finish, but Paper Tiger Fall/Winter 2013 is essentially done, and the first pattern has been released! You can see all five patterns in the lookbook, which is viewable here. The patterns will be released via Ravelry over the course of the week and I should have some hard copies on hand this weekend at Knit Fit! I’m incredibly proud of this collection and I’m thrilled to finally share it with you.

I’ll be writing a little bit about each pattern in the collection as it’s released, so this evening I thought I’d start with the first one: Inkling.

The end of summer and beginning of autumn always makes me feel the anticipation of going back to school I had as a student, even though I haven’t been a student for years. I’m still a lover of new books, fresh notebooks, and any knitted garb with an academic bent (and I still read books about phonology in my spare time). This cowl is a nod to my huge soft spot for academia, my years in grad school, and I must admit, it’s also a nod to a few of my favorite fantasy authors and academics, both in name and appearance. I wanted to give the old school scarf idea a more modern treatment, so Inkling is a seamless infinity cowl, long enough to wrap twice around your neck when you need some cozy warmth, but not too long to wear down in one loop. I’ve been trying not to wear the sample too much, but to be perfectly honest, I don’t want to take the thing off! It’s simple and cozy and goes with everything, and the color possibilities are endless. Wear your nerd pride with some Hogwarts house colors, or go for muted neutrals and pastels to soften it up. I want to knit about a dozen in different color combinations.

The pattern is simple; it starts with a provisional cast on and the cowl is knit in the round. When it’s long enough, the ends are grafted together so it’s completely seamless with no wrong side. For a full list of details including yarn and needle requirements, and to purchase the pattern, visit the Ravelry page for Inkling.