I pulled out my mosaic knitting Mix Tape Cowl the other night, and I think I was rewatching the Great Pottery Throwdown while I was knitting. The pattern is cool in that it gives you like 16 different stitch patterns that you can choose from for each stripe. I’d chosen number 3 for the first, and 13 for the second. I got to the last mosaic row and realized it didn’t look like the picture. I checked my pattern, which I had displayed on my iPad, and it was showing the instructions for 3, not 13. Somewhere in there I’d gotten things moved around, so apparently I just invented my own stitch pattern.
I briefly — very briefly — thought about ripping back, but decided it definitely wasn’t worth the bother. Nobody but me would ever know, and it looks fine. Still, I do hope I can do the rest of the stripes correctly!
I also recently got yarn for another new project. I got a bit of money for Christmas and decided to get a sweater quantity to make a Turtle Dove II sweater (the pattern is free on Rav). I found a fantastic sale on Cascade Aereo that allowed me to get TWO sweater quantities and I can’t decide which to do first.
I’ll wear the heck out of the gray one, but the teal one will be more fun to knit. Which would you knit first?
bonnyknits 
I think the mix tape cowl looks great, and based on the type of pattern it is, you can easily make up your own pattern for the stripes if you want. It looks great as-is!
Thanks! I prefer to be a rule-follower but it’s good to know things will be be fine if I do go rogue!
I’m usually a rule follower, too. Patterns like this, though, have much looser rules. 🙂
Teal 😁
I’d go right for the gray. No one will ever know about the cowl. It looks great!
You have such good judgment—I think I should listen to you!
Okay, but only if you read the disclaimer. 😅
The gray yarn looks amazing!!
I have almost the same choice ahead of me, in almost the same colors, with my Purl Soho Linen Quill: I got a sweater’s worth in both a light icy turquoise color AND in an almost-black color, and while the almost-black would fill a gap in my wardrobe, I’m so tempted to start with the icy turquoise even though I already have several sweaters in similar colors!
I decided to start with the gray because it will be such a good background for all the colored shawls and cowls I have. But you can’t go wrong either way, really!
I love projects like the cowl where the stitch pattern changes things up – keeps it fun and interesting to knit. I’m going to vote for the gray as the workhorse color it is.
And such a good backdrop for bright shawls! 🙂
Your mixtape cowl looks great! Love the colors and the patterns 🙂 That is a tough choice!