Visitors

Some bead loot, and new earrings made last night for visiting relatives.

My technique needs some refining, but it's coming along!

Alpaca Clara Cowl

Alpaca Clara Cowl, circa November 2014.

That one took a long time to dig out and finish.

It's actually been almost finished for about a year.

I followed the pattern, knit as written, except I stalled out at three repeats of the braid instead of four because I was trying to figure out if it was long enough.

I pulled it out last week and decided that it was, indeed, long enough.

Then came the 1x1 rib kitchener stitch that the pattern called for to finish it off. I've thought about it, and thought about it some more, and then chickened out and did a three needle bind off. I think it's fine.

I'm a fan of three needle bind offs, personally, and I'm the one wearing it, so there's that.

Now the yarn.

The color is beautiful, a pink raspberry. It's an acrylic brushed alpaca blend, soft, and, I'm hoping, durable. I bought three skeins and knit the cowl held double. I was afraid I would have to start pulling from both ends of the third skein to finish, but after the bind off, I had about a yard of the first two left.

Perfect, I say. Now I get to add the third to my stash!

I had trouble with this project, a little bit. Cabling so many stitches got me, but with some practice and ripping back, I got it. I could tell that one side looked more like a braid than the other, so I wouldn't call it fully reversible, but I'm happy with the finished project.

Would knit again.

Size US 13 needles, 2 balls Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Brush (220 yards) in colorway 9004 Raspberry, pattern Clara Cowl.

Right Side Three Needle Bind Off

Wrong Side Three Needle Bind Off

Sunny Weekend

A friend treated me to a magical visit to an alpaca farm this weekend. He had noticed a small sign on the way to the highway that I never had, and after driving down a small road for a short ways, there it was.

A beautiful green pasture leading to a lovely house and barn, and, better yet, alpacas!

15 males and females, freshly shorn, and kept separate for responsible breeding. That is Harvard Alpaca Ranch.

They have award winning alpacas, whose ribbons they proudly display. They send the fiber out to a mill. The turnaround on the fiber is loooong, but they're expecting some product to come back in July! Will have to check it out!

As it is, I was supportive and picked up two beautiful alpaca skeins (I think/hope those were local, too). Special projects brewing!