Cowl "Justine" and second chapter of Woven Stories: The legacy of the Fates´ - "Reading the signs"

Hi, here's my latest crocheted cowl. It's a project that's been a lifesaver now that the days are getting shorter, darker, and colder in Sweden. I'm also sharing the second chapter of my literary ramblings. :)

Estaré encantado de traducir ambos textos al inglés para ti.

Aquí tienes el patrón de crochet y el segundo capítulo traducidos:

English Translation

Crochet Pattern: "Justine" Cowl

Here are the steps I used to create this cowl.

Materials and Tools

• Yarn: Acrílico Torino Lm (LM acrylic). 80 grams.

• Yarn Type and Quantity: 400 grams

• Hook/Needle: 4.5 mm

• Scissors

• Tapestry Needle (Yarn Needle)

• Stitch Markers (if necessary)

• 
  

Abbreviations

Spanish (ES)	English (ENG)	Name
cad	ch	Chain
pe	sl st	Slip Stitch
pb	sc	Single Crochet
pa	dc	Double Crochet
aum	inc	Increase
dism	dec	Decrease
p.r.d.f.	FPDC	Front Post Double Crochet
p.r.d.a.	BPDC	Back Post Double Crochet
b.l.t.	BLO	Back Loop Only
b.l.d.	FLO	Front Loop Only

Pattern Instructions

Start with a magic ring or a chain ring. For the chain ring, chain 5 and join with 1 sl st in the first ch to form the ring.

Round 1: Into the ring: ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 1, turn.

Round 2: 3 dc in the first st, skip 2 dc. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc. Skip 3 dc, 3 dc in the last st, ch 2, turn.

Round 3: 2 dc in the first st. In the next space from the previous round: 3 dc. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc. In the next space from the previous round: 3 dc. 3 dc in the last st. ch 2, turn.

Round 4: 2 dc in the first st, then 1 dc BLO in each st from the previous round. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc. Continue with 1 dc BLO in each st from the previous round, and finish with 3 dc in the last st. ch 1, turn.

Round 5: 3 sc in the first st, then 1 sc FLO in each st from the previous round. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc. Continue with 1 sc FLO in each st from the previous round, and finish with 3 sc in the last st. ch 2, turn. (See Fig. 4)

Rounds 6 and 7: Work the same as Round 4.

Rounds 8, 9, and 10: 2 dc in the first st, then 1 FPDC in each st from the previous round. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc. Continue with 1 FPDC in each st from the previous round, and finish with 3 dc in the last st. ch 2, turn. (The ch 2 counts as the first dc of the next round).

Rounds 10 to 14: 2 dc in the first st, then 1 dc BLO in each st from the previous round. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc. Continue with 1 dc BLO in each st from the previous round, and finish with 3 dc in the last st. ch 2, turn. (The ch 2 counts as the first dc of the next round).

Round 15: Work the same as Rounds 8, 9, and 10 (FPDC).

Rounds 16 and 17: 2 dc in the first st, then 1 dc in each st from the previous round. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc. Continue with 1 dc in each st from the previous round, and finish with 3 dc in the last st. ch 2, turn.

Rounds 18 and 19: 2 dc in the first st. 1 dc in the next 3 sts, and in the fourth st, 1 FPDC in the st from the previous round. Repeat from until you reach the ch-2 arch from the previous round. In the arch: 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc. Continue repeating from until the end. Finish with 3 dc in the last st. ch 2, turn.

Rounds 20 and 21: 2 dc in the first st, then 1 dc BLO in each st from the previous round. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc. Continue with 1 dc BLO in each st from the previous round, and finish with 3 dc in the last st. ch 2, turn.

Round 22: 2 dc in the first st. * 1 BPDC in each st from the previous round. In the ch-2 arch from the previous round: 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc. Continue with 1 BPDC in each st from the previous round. Finish with 3 dc in the last st. ch 2, turn.

Rounds 23 and 24: Work the same as Rounds 16 and 17.

Continuation: Continue repeating this sequence of rounds until the correct measurement for the garment is achieved.

Edging and Final Finish

Final Round (Edging): 1 sc in the first st. [Picot of ch 3, 1 sc in the next 3 sc]. Repeat from * until the end.

Joining (To Form the Armhole/Body)

• Join the ends in the correct place according to how you want the garment to fit your body (use a stitch marker to determine the placement).

• Join with 1 round of sc. At the end of the round, close with sl st and make 1 FPDC in the st from the previous round.

• Continue the next round with sc BLO and close the round with FPDC.

• Repeat this last round until the desired measurement is reached.

Final Edge: 1 sc in the first st. [Picot of ch 3, 1 sc in the next 3 sc]. Repeat from * until the end.

Finishing: Using a tapestry needle, weave in all loose ends to finish the garment.

Chapter 2 of Woven Stories: The Legacy of the Fates´:

Justine was still in a state of shock. After all, she had been Fiona’s student in her knitting courses and then her secretary. She felt that she didn't deserve everything Fiona was promising. Her gratitude was immense, but she also felt a sense of surprise and disbelief. Fifi, as she affectionately called her, had entered her life during a very difficult and dark time. In a way, Fiona had saved her from the darkness, and she didn't want to lose her. She wondered if the illness would take her suddenly, or if she would have enough time to say goodbye. She had become her best friend, even though she worked for the old woman. The girl, perplexed, looked at Fiona with a face full of disbelief and tears in her eyes.

Fiona sweetly said, “Come on, don't just stand there, take out your yarns and pass me my project bag; I need the scissors.” She added, “Do you remember when you first came to my crochet courses?”

“Yes,” Justine nodded. “As if it were yesterday.”

Justine remembered in silence while knitting, that winter afternoon when she was anxious, lost, and despairing on the city streets. A charming Victorian yarn shop with sweet colors caught her attention. Outside, a pamphlet hung with the website of a designer offering her knitting courses.

Justine had just suffered a nervous breakdown due to the tension in her job, which she had to abandon because of fierce mobbing. At the hospital, they had told her she needed sleep and to seek help. She contacted a psychologist who, after a few therapy sessions and studying her case thoroughly, recommended she try knitting, as it reduced anxiety and was also a very creative endeavor that could improve her low self-esteem.

Snapping out of her reverie, Justine spoke, “Fiona, this place is so important to me,” Justine said. “I have a very vivid memory of the first time I came here. As I walked along the cliff path, I thought about turning back and going home. Within two hours, at the end of the first class, I felt like my life had meaning again. For the first time in months, I didn't feel afraid; I could finally take my mind off the neurosis of my anguish. Since then, you, Sentinel Cove, the craft, and the group have become my sanctuary and my family.

“And yet, my life is still a disaster! My family has betrayed me multiple times. They are like sharks stalking their prey. Since I lost my job, I survive on sporadic commissions. I am so grateful to you for offering me a job as a secretary. I’ve learned so much about running your business, and it’s so much fun. It doesn’t even feel like work. You also know that my boyfriend left me and ran off with my best friend, and since then, I haven't found anyone I can even communicate with. Everyone just uses and discards me. I'm never enough.

“And if that wasn’t enough, I don't know what to do with my life. I don't want to go back to my profession. I know returning to work as a lawyer would make me relapse into drinking. Only knitting makes sense. I don't know if I can bear losing you so quickly. I simply can't.” Justine broke down crying.

—

“Remember that I am the one who is dying,” Fiona said, smiling after a moment of reflection.

“I’m sorry, Fiona, it’s true, it’s unfair for me to overwhelm you with my problems,” Justine said.

“Precisely because of everything you tell me, you are here. Your outlook on the world must change; you have much to repair within yourself before taking charge of this house and its legacy.”

Justine replied, “Do you mean it’s all my fault, that I am the problem? I don't think I'm the one who needs to change; if anything, my life should change, but I don't know how.”

Fiona added, “No, I’m not talking about guilt... nor am I saying you are the problem, and no, it is not your life you are going to change. It is your gaze that must change. Trust me, child, I have lived many lives and I know this well. You cannot change others; circumstances simply present themselves. Each day has its purpose and is inexorable. Imagine you are the captain of a great ship heading out to sea in search of adventure. Those who know the sea know that sometimes, calm reigns, and other times, the storm wakes up. Perhaps you can read the signs of what is coming, but the ocean is the one that decides. A sailor can only navigate... and make decisions. Most of the time, difficult ones. They cannot change anything, and they must overcome both: the challenge and the fear. Life, Justine, is like our craft, a project. It is not a straight line but a complex framework of moments. Sometimes, you knit with intention and purpose, and you know exactly which stitch to choose; other times, you can only knit with uncertainty. Each day is a new stitch that, anchored to the last, builds the texture of our being. The ball of yarn slowly unwinds at a constant, slow rhythm, and the final fabric becomes a gift, a legacy, a treasure. Your errors, your pain, your losses are not failures but opportunities to undo, repair, and learn. When the Great Weaver’s spindle begins to turn, the Destiny of us all begins to be woven with cosmic thread. The Great Weaver knows, like a spider, every detail of what happens in her web.

Justine, insecure and sighing, said: “Okay, but where do I start with all this? What do you mean?”

Fiona replied, “Start by going to bed. You have much to do tomorrow; I need you to collect something for me. I will give you instructions at breakfast. Now... good night.”