Progress!

Fall Break was such a great time to refocus on this yarn beast! With relatively little ado I had this project back on track. The final triangle down the middle is nearing completion quickly as the rows are ever getting shorter. 

 I had a moment of terror when I saw how extremely bright the orange yarn is. But my eyes have settled down to enjoy the brilliance. Perhaps I’ll be able to wear it for Thanksgiving… We’ll see!

Happy Halloween! 🎃 👻 

I *tink* I Made an Error

I didn't just make one error. I made two. In the same row! So that was a fun way to start my Sunday... Oh well! That will teach me to keep reading the pattern. Always the same mistake! This is the beginning of my Slipstravaganza shawl, the 2020 Stephen West MKAL pattern. It looks like so many people have already finished, and I'm still working on section 1, released one month ago... I'm just busy tinking back, haha! 

Anyway, I thought this knit would be a fun knit to celebrate 10 years of alpaca farming. I'm using farm yarns and a special guest yarn made of yak (gray color) that I procured from a local yarn shop. We've had alpacas here since November 3, 2010. I'll be posting more about the anniversary this week. 

Last month I read Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. It had come up on several teacher pages that I follow, and so it piqued my curiosity. It provided a lot of insight into growing up in rural Appalachian America. Lots of food for thought. Check out the other knitting and reading projects at Ginny's yarn-along page. 

Foundation Herd Shawl

I finally finished my Color Affection Shawl this past weekend! The yarn is Shady Grove Alpacas in fingering weight, color ways Bella, Moonstar, and Greta. These three animals were the first alpacas we bought when we started farming, thus foundation herd shawl.

Fresh off the needles! As you can see by the pucker on the right edge where all the increases are, I should have made more adjustments to make it looser. Do check the advice of other knitters on Ravelry if you plan on making this one. Fortunately most of the tension lessened significantly during blocking.

Blocking... I stretched it quite a bit, which gave it a more sheer texture and longer length. It also evened out some of the stitches a little bit.

More blocking... As usual, the washing and blocking made this yarn so light and fluffy! The drape of the fabric is really wonderful, and it feels airy yet very warming.

A few "candids" - not the best photo shoot. The light was fading, the Farmer was tired and not in the mood to deal with evening mosquitoes, so it is a bit hurried. 

One of the alpacas in the herd is peering at the photo shoot from the barn.

Quite a few friends have expressed "surprise" that we ended up dying our fiber when they saw the yarn. Across the front you see Greta (black), Moonstar (white), and Bella (medium brown). They personally brought us the colors I got to work with, and it is awesome that no dying is necessary! In the back is Cassidy with my brother #2 and his wife. 

Stay tuned for a new project using Cassidy's yarn, coming soon! 

Joining the Yarn Along at Ginny's today.

Blankie Fancies a Bath

I put an end to knitting my mindless blanket, and it struck my as hilarious to see it floating around in the tub. I just finished listening to the section in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where Harry finds a clue in the golden egg by taking it into the tub with him.

Really, I don't blame the blanket for wanting a warm immersion in this frigid sub-zero time of year. I'll post a dry and blocked picture when it is ready for gifting in a few days.

In the mean time, let's remember Memorial Day 2015 and this fluffy mass of fleeces en route to a fiber mill....

A sneak peak, my friends! I picked it up at the mill today. I will be unveiling the full glory of Shady Grove Suri Alpaca yarn in a few days time. But, wow, did it ever turn out nice!

I'm off to knit swatches, price the skeins, and make a business plan! Yikes, overwhelming! See you soon for the update!