I sometimes knit for our cousins, who raise alpacas. I saved one skein of brown yarn, called Casino after the first baby born to their herd. I wanted to try making a beaded shawlette, but had difficulty finding the correct size beads locally.
I managed to find some in an assortment of copper colours during our winter in the south.
The mixture had matte copper beads, along with 4 different colour of glass beads with copper interiors. I had a small crochet hook in my collection that was the perfect size to add the beads to the stitches as I knit.
It was difficult to photograph to show the beads, but it looks great in person....
See what others are knitting at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.
This will probably be my last knitting post for a while. I'm down to the final skein of alpaca yarn from our cousins' herd, and I'm hoping to deliver the finished items to them next week.
I've been using all the part balls, and small amounts of leftover yarn to make the final few items. I have finished another pair of slippers and some striped mittens.
This is the first of the pair of raspberry and cream houndstooth patterned mittens. I use an old Beehive pattern for 2 needle mitts, and this one isn't stitched together yet. The thumb is cream, as that is the colour of the stitches in the pattern when I began the increase rows. The stitch pattern was in an old knitting stitch book that I've had for over 40 years, and is only a 4 row pattern. As you might guess, I get bored with plain knitting easily, and either need to play with the stitch pattern, or the colour pattern.
I'm not sure if I'll be asked to make any more items for our cousins right away, or if they'll wait until spring, when we return from the sunny south. Of course, I'll be in full "upcoming quilt show mode" by then......
Check out all the knitting progress at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.
The start of a slipper..... I'm using up all the small balls of yarn, making stripes!
The slippers on the right are a "desert boot pattern, that takes a button on the ankle cuff.
The orange slippers are from the same pattern that I've started above. The pattern is from a Patons knitting book of my Mom's from the 1940's. The book also has a page of "2 needle Mitts" in many sizes....
My latest pair of mitts in the raspberry colour - all the items are knit of hand-spun 70%alpaca 30% merino yarn from our cousins' alpaca herd!
See what others are knitting at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.
I finally decided it was time to block the finished items!
The first scarf, made in ecru alpaca/wool yarn is made using the Asherton reversible scarf pattern.
The close-up photo shows the texture provided by the stitch pattern.
I love knitting lacy patterns. This one uses a pattern called Liesel.
The yarn is 100% alpaca, in natural dark brown.
Next is the "Combo Cable Scarf", pattern from Caron yarns. Stitched with 70% alpaca 30% merino yarn, dyed in a colour called Jade - more of a greenish gray.
This shawlette is made from the pattern "198 yards of Heaven". Stitched in raspberry 70% alpaca 30% merino yarn.
Lately I've been working on mitts and slippers - popular now the cooler weather is on the way. We had a light frost on the roofs this morning!
Two finishes - a "Hurricane Hat" from Ravelery made in a 70% alpaca 30% merino yarn in a coral colour. The second is another pair of mitts using the the greenish gray yarn. I borrowed the design from the scarf in the same colour to decorate the back of each mitten. I think I need to learn to knit mitts on 4 needles instead of the 2-needle version that I usually make. Maybe I could adapt the method of knitting socks on a cable needle to mitts......
I was in touch with our cousins today, discussing knitting patterns, and asking how their move to their new home went. Just a few days after their arrival, two of their female alpacas presented them with new members! These babies, or crias are 1 week old.
They were worried that they'd come before the move, and moving all their animals was a huge undertaking already. They have 2 horses as well as around 20 alpacas, and they had to keep the males and females separated during the move. The expectant moms rode in the back of their van! (That is how they take them to shows...)
I guess I better get knitting - there will be more yarn spun soon!
I'm still knitting for our cousins. This is another dyed 70% alpaca 30% merino yarn. I couldn't seem to get the colour right in the photo - it is a green/gray colour.
I picture this scarf on a man, but who knows where it will end up? We had a busy week with company staying for a few days, but I did manage to fit in a few minutes of knitting from time to time!
Check out all the knitting shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.
Or off, as the case may be.
This is a small shawl, using the pattern "198 yds of Heaven". More of the cousins' alpaca yarn, but this time blended with 30% merino, and dyed.
I'm looking forward to getting the scarf and shawl blocked, but right now my blocking boards are in the garage, behind a bunch of "stuff". A friend moved recently, and the moving company underestimated the size of the load, and there were several bulky items that didn't make it on the truck. We offered to store it, and I'm waiting for a call to have it picked up by the same movers. For now, our small garage is full!
I'm knitting a hat to match the brown scarf that I had finished. It is hard knitting for others when they don't give any directions to how many of each type of item they want. Oh, well - I'll just keep knitting!
It seems odd to me that I'm doing more knitting than quilting lately!
Today we went to Tweed to visit the cousins who own the alpacas. At our family reunion in late June, they had given me 9 skeins of lovely hand-spun alpaca yarn to make items for them to sell. I delivered a whole bag-full of items, from scarfs and mitts to hats and mini-shawls. They were surprised that they were completed so quickly. They had been paying a local person to knit some items for the, but she took 20 months to return the few items. DH is happy that I like knitting, especially with someone else's yarn - less money for us to spend! When I do knit, it is usually to donate, so I'm happy to help the cousins with their business!
In fact they were so pleased that they asked if I'd like some more yarn to play with. This is today's haul. This time, most of the yarn has been blended with some merino wool. It is hard to tell but the 3 skeins on the left end and the two on the right end of the bottom row are tweed, with 2 shades of tan and beige. As you can see, the skeins vary in the number of yards, so I guess I'm heading back to Ravelry to look for some different patterns!
They were telling us that last fall they had people knocking on their front door looking for alpaca mitts, in any size! I just finished winding the first skein into a ball, and the ribbing for the first mitten is started!
I have finally used all 9 skeins of hand spun alpaca yarn, making items for our cousins. The final two items are another scarf in the medium/dark brown, and a mini/shawl in the darkest colour.
I get bored doing plain knitting, so another scarf with lacy designs and cables. It takes a little longer to make, but the constant changing pattern makes it more interesting.
Here's a close-up of the stitches.
For the final project, I dug out an oldie but a goodie. This closes with 3 buttons, and is worn with the opening to the back. It is wonderful to fill in an open neck winter coat. I still have mine that I made many years ago, although I haven't worn it for a long time - not necessary in the south. Some day we'll stop heading south for the winter, and then I'll enjoy wearing it again.
Check out all the knitted items shared at Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.
Another scarf blocked and ready to deliver. I took the design from a hat pattern, and I love it in a scarf!
I just started another scarf in the medium brown colour yarn - my last skein of yarn being knit for our cousins!
My cold with cough is finally on the mend, but I still get tired easily. I guess I can't expect to recuperate at the same rate I did when I was 30!
DH has been back entertaining at nursing homes and seniors' residences this week - he had to cancel several shows - didn't want to share his virus.
This is actually off the needles already.
This is made with the brown shade of alpaca yarn from out cousins' herd.
I'm back knitting on the lightest colour - a caramel shade - making another scarf.
I don't usually knit very often, but when we attended DH's family reunion in June, I volunteered to knit a few items for our cousins who raise alpacas. I came home with 9 skeins of alpaca yarn, from 3 different alpacas.
I headed to Ravelry to look for some different patterns and started with "Pearl-barred Scallop Scarf"
I love the texture in this one, and I love that I can knit with alpaca yarn, as I am allergic to wool.
Next I worked with the medium colour yarn and made the "Off-Set Diamonds Scarf".
I still had yarn left from the skein, so I made a pair of ladies mitts, using a basic pattern, and stitching them in a basketweave pattern - I love texture in mitts.
Using the first skein of the darkest yarn, I decided to knit a hat.
I used the "Mimosa Slouchy Beanie" pattern that is free from the Caron yarn website. I really like the texture in this hat, with its alternating cable and lacy stitch pattern.
I have a small "shawl" type scarf finished, but it is still drying after its quick wash and blocking. I'm knitting another pair of mitts in the lightest yarn colour. Then I'll see what other items I feel like making.
DH has been a great help, holding the skeins of yarn while I wind it into a ball. I remember doing this with my Mother - she knit many sweaters over the years. I love to knit, although I'm not as efficient a knitter as my Mother, but I don't often wear a sweater. Since we head south for the winter, I don't need hats, scarves, mitts etc., so I take advantage of every excuse to knit.
We are planning to visit our DS2 and DDIL in a couple of weeks, so we plan on dropping off all the finished items to the cousins on our way. They sell both the yarn and finished projects at local markets. The final picture is "Casino", when he was a baby.
DH has two cousins who have a farm about 1 1/2 hours from us. They raise alpacas, and currently have a herd of 30. One of the cousins had to come to Kingston for a medical test, and the hospital requires that she stay nearby for 24 hours. So they are staying with us overnight, amid boxes and packing confusion.
We're looking forward to having a nice visit and getting caught up on all their extended family news. We usually see them at family reunions, and it is so difficult to have any quality time with anyone. Their uncle and aunt are staying the the critters - always the most difficult thing to arrange when you have to be away from the farm.
The brought a small thank-you gift....
A bar of alpaca felted soap! Here is a picture of one of their babies
I managed to find some in an assortment of copper colours during our winter in the south.
