Blandy Cowl Week 1/4

Welcome to our first mini-series here on the blog, and my first knit-along project!

 

The Program 

I'm going to be making the "Flora and Fauna of the Farm" cowl designed for Blandy Experimental Farm's 2026 knit-along.

 

To be fair, I'm not actually knitting along with anyone at this point, because this event took place over the course of July and I'm late to the party, but for our intents and purposes here, we're still calling it a knit-along.

If you don't happen to be familiar with Blandy Experimental Farm, rest assured that you are not the only one. Tucked away in a small, rural community about an hour west of Washington, DC, Blandy has operated as an extension of University of Virginia (UVA) since the 1920s. Originally opened to teach farming practices, it has now expanded to become a research facility, state arboretum, and botanical garden.

PhD candidates Ethan Skuches and Willow Lovecky designed this cowl to anchor a summer lecture series hosted by some of the farm's current ecological researchers. The pattern is currently available for free on Ravelry. The designers were inspired by another Virginia native, Meredith Willmott, who studies insects and makes epic insect-inspired knitting patterns.

I found out about this program through my mother. Since she is not a knitter herself, I volunteered to make this for her so she can still have street cred with all the other nerds traipsing through the weeds. 

 

The Yarn

My first attempt at this cowl used two yarns I pulled out of stash: the golden yellow Stylecraft ReCreate and the reddish-brown Cascade Refine.

This was a terribly misguided idea, partly because these yarns are different weights, but mostly because they remind me of ketchup and mustard. Once I made the connection, I couldn't unsee it, so after an appropriate period of mourning, I ordered new yarn.

My current attempt uses Universal Yarn's Bamboo Pop in "Seashell" and "Penny" (ignore the pink at the bottom).

 

Earlier this year, I made a pair of socks using the fingering weight Bamboo Pop Sock yarn and I quite liked it. The fingering weight and the DK weight are both a 50/50 blend of cotton and bamboo. The DK Bamboo Pop has a smoother texture but is just as soft and springy as the sock version. It feels very nice next to skin, with no prickle whatsoever. This won't be an especially warm cowl, but that's okay since we don't have an especially cold climate here in Virginia.

 

The Cowl

So far, I've worked the bottom ribbing and the first five rows of the chart.

The pattern calls for 8 rounds of twisted rib, but I ended up working 15. I'd rather have a cowl that's slightly too tall than one that's slightly too short. I also worked the first round of stockinette in the contrast color rather than the main color...because I wasn't paying attention.

The first five rounds of the chart were challenging, but they don't look like much yet. The floats are very, very long and there are no repeating motifs. I felt glued to this chart on a stitch-by-stitch basis. It is starting to get a bit easier now that I can better identify where I am, but this is definitely a whole-brain project.

Speaking of my whole brain, let's talk about the first lecture of the series.

 

The Bees 

Our first presenter is Willow Lovecky, one of the knitters who worked on the pattern design. She is a 4th year PhD Candidate whose research focuses on chimney bees and their nesting practices. You can read more about her work on her website.

Chimney bees, like 90% of known bee species, are solitary nesters. Unlike many other solitary nesting species, however, chimney bees are known to congregate and build their homes close together. They build underground nests with hard, densely packed soil, often making their homes near bridges and buildings where humans have already worked to compact the dirt.

Sharing space with chimney bees is rarely a concern for humans, as the "big, fuzzy bees" are typically friendly and non-stinging. Because of their tendency to congregate, it can be easier to spot an area with an active chimney bee population compared to catching a glimpse of a solitary bee that nests in private. Chimney bee nesting grounds can be identified by -- you guessed it -- a "chimney" of dirt rising above each nest.

After mating, each mama bee will collect water to soften the hard-packed soil enough to mine out a home. She smooths the walls from within and spends most of her 4-6 week adult lifespan ferrying pollen to her nest to feed the next generation. When she has collected enough pollen, she seals her egg into the chamber where it will live until it is ready to emerge as an adult the following spring. 

Chimney bees are widespread across the eastern half of the United States. If you live east of the Mississippi, you may be able to find a chimney bee community on your next nature walk. If you'd like to learn more in the meantime, Kate Redmond of Riveredge Nature Center in Wisconsin has a wonderful article about the bees and their behavior.

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed this crossroads where stitching meets science. If creepy crawlies aren't your cup of tea, I believe the second installment features butternut trees. See you next week for that update!