Bust The Stash: Project 11 In Process - Foolproof Cowl

This is a stash-buster that I'm actually psyched about:

Foolproof by Louise Zass-Bangham

Originally, it was the topic of a Mystery KAL (knit along) published in April 2013. I can assure you that I have NO interest in mystery knitting of any sort. What could be more meh than spending a bunch of time and yarn making something, the end look of which you can have little to no idea about when you begin? Not my scene.

But now that the mystery KAL is long ago complete, the cowl pattern comes with pictures and the full list of clues all in one place. Now it's just a regular pattern that anyone can knit and it's INGENIOUS. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you want to figure out anything - if you want to save the world - put a bunch of top-notch knit designers in a room and lock the door. The veritable secrets of the universe are in every swatch of hand-knit fabric and these people know it. Like deeply.

As promised, in this project, there's no need for casting on, purling, knitting in the round or binding off. Just knit stitch, increases and decreases. How can that be? It's actually pretty straightforward once you discover how it works.

Of course, I have less yarn than I should to make the most of this iteration of the cowl. No mind. I'll make it again. This time I am using a tone-on-tone duo of Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Barn Owl and Woodsmoke colours. They actually look lovely together (if perhaps too similar to each other. I did, after all, confuse one colour for the other when I ordered yarn a second time). I have a lot of thoughts about BT yarn which I'll get into shortly. In short, it's enigmatic.

So, has anyone made the Foolproof cowl? Did you do the Mystery KAL? Have you ever done a mystery KAL? Did it work out or did you end up knitting something you consider hideous. I'd love to know.