That's me chatting with the charming Guido Stein on Its a Purl, Man podcast.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
As in, what a gift ! Blog content sitting right here under my nose, um, actually on my shoulders. This is how happy I feel wearing my handspun alpaca shawl, knit last October. (full disclosure, I am portrayed here by a sister but I didn't have to coach her, it feels that good to be wrapped in this yarn)
I can finally show projects I test knit
A sister and niece passing through last weekend were
yarn: handspun alpaca from Victory Ranch. Luscious beyond belief.
For reference, here's the pattern shown in the book, knit by the designer for us.
notes: I made my brown shawl smaller intentionally than the one above , using (?) 430-ish yards of the heavy worsted weight handspun yarn, instead of the 700- ish yards of the lighter weight machinespun Victory Ranch alpaca shown in the book. The larger one is flowier and certainly more delicate looking but I adore mine, and its gotten a lot of wear. I like to make believe it's dressy but earthy may be the better adjective.
fun fact: see all that fringe? every inch of it was cut and attached to the shawl on a MetroNorth train enroute to a meeting in NY, I'd idiotically decided I had to have this shawl to wear and cut the timing too close. I 'd been fringing calmly for about 20 minutes after leaving the New Haven station when I did the math of how many fringes I had to do, how long it took me to apply each one - I think I decided it was 3 in every 2 minutes- and divided the remaining 90 minutes of the trip, and started to sweat...let's just say I looked like Lucy & Ethel in the candy factory. I bet I scared onlookers.
It was worth it.
It looks terrific and cuddly!
ReplyDeleteOooh, I'm working on that same shawl right now out of some localy grown alpaca. It is terribly addictive (both the yarn and the pattern) and I can't wait until it is done.
ReplyDelete(As a matter of fact, I probably knit a little too much on it while I should have been studying for my final...)
Hey Cathy R do you have a blog? I want to see it! Reading your post makes me want to knit another Meseta Alta, it is very addictive knitting. This time I'd go lighter weight.
ReplyDeleteoh what a darling shawl, i love it!
ReplyDelete>>I looked like Lucy & Ethel in the candy factory<<
ReplyDeleteAnd the shawls look just as delicious as the candy!
Another lovely pattern from Shear Spirit - I keep finding another one
ReplyDeleteI really like when I open the book to show off. Yours looks great.
Oooh! lovely! I can see why you get alot of wear out of this one!
ReplyDeleteDid you get through it with Vitameatavegamin? The shawl is intoxicating!
ReplyDeleteHah, I bet your scared away anyone who wanted to sit next to you on the train, which really is the goal, isn't it? The shawl is lovely.
ReplyDeleteheh heh heh, you just made me smile with the thought of you fringing away in the train ;) I love that shawl, and actually plan to knit one for myself in my own hand-spun alpaca... just have to finish spinning first ;)
ReplyDelete