In the Studio - pale blues silk and alpaca

Scarf, alpaca and silk, garter stitch, approximately 10in x 75in when completed.

This is knitted with two yarns on double pointed needles so that two rows can be knitted before turning the work.  One is a solid powder blue and on that is variegated from a sky blue to a wheat color, The strips created by the variegation get stretched out a bit by the row of solid color between every row of variegated color.

Blue Marled Alpaca Scarf

Scarf; basketweave stitch variation; alpaca; size 7 cable needle

Photographed on a blue blanket, the blue is revealed in a new way. This is one in the series of works that vary the basketweave stitch. I adore knitting with alpaca because of the way it makes my fingertips warm while I am knitting. 

This is the first knitting that I tried using as a concentration exercise. It was quite wonderful to keep my mind conscious of the knitting rather than let it wander.  

Lots of alpaca and silk

A bit on the bulky side, this ribbed scarf will be very warm and soft. I've used two yarns switching each two rows. I'm using an old pair of plastic needles that were my mother's.

Wool and alpaca binkie

A nice bulky binkie in a very simple stitch.  I tried a complicated stitch pattern and it was lost in the fuzzy yarn. So now it's just a simple seed stitch and the bulky yarn makes it work up very quickly.

Blues - merino and brushed alpaca

Scarf, merino and alpaca, size 3 cable needle 24 in. garter stitch

I 

It seems like this scarf took forever!  Size 3 needles make a fine gauge - but the results are lovely.  I used a double-pointed needle and alternated the yarn each row, so that the yarns intertwined in an interesting way, even though it's a simple garter stitch.

Finished!

I Can't Resist Shaggy Black Shawls

Scarf, seed stitch, mixed fibers, size 10 wood cable needle.

The surface really looks this complicated, which is most of the reason I like to make black shaggy shawls. This one has fifteen yarns and that also made it a wondrful textile to put together.

I carried around a grocery sack of yarns for awhile, but it was definitely worth it to produce this wild and drapey fabric.

The textile was created in a pet-free and smoke-free environment.  It has some wool and mohair content and will be for cooler weather.

I'm beginning to love the "card" method of keeping the rows of yarns in order.  For this fabric I wanted to balance the delicate and bulky yarns and spread them through out evenly, so the card helped me determine what would be in the next row as I went along.

It's about 75 inches long, so plenty of length to produce wrapped up shapes or sprawled out shapes.  It will go around the neck twice and has plenty of length to do interesting knots.

The triangle is deep enough so that it can be worn "babushka" style like a headscarf and it will cover the back of the head and ears on those extra-cold days or nights.

It's just shy of "wild thang" category.

The light is reflected and absorbed differently by each yarn, and the beads provide a bit of sparkle.  So this can be funky or sophisticated and be a great wrap for many different occasions.

This scarf is for sale along with  others in my etsy shop, Little Hands Studio: 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/littlehandsstudio

In the studio - aqua silks and alpaca

The rib stitch is best seen in the left photo on the bottom right.

Shawl, mixed fibers: silk, alpaca, bamboo, nylon, metal sequins, beads; rib and mesh "simple lace" stitch; size 7 aluminum cable needle, 32 in.

As I was working on another shawl with lighter value colors I came across the left over yarn from this scarf  (January 1, 2014 entry) and wanted to take advantage of the uplifting feeling I get from aqua.  I scrounged through the stash and found some other lovely aqua remnants and decided to try this lovely rib stitch.

I worked most of one day figuring out the pattern with a couple of other yarns, so I thought doing a little more of it would help me get into the rhythm of it.  I was skipping a comma in the first pattern row and doing  k2tog yo twice instead of k2tog, yo twice.  After working on that other piece and now this piece I don't think I can mess up easily.

I'm doing long rows of 300 stitches so it will self fringe on the short ends.

Two for the show

Black silk and alpaca

Black and white nylon fuzzy on a plain wool base

Black scarf; alpaca and silk blend, rib stitch, size US 3 wood needle, 10 in. and Bland and white shawl, black wool with white nylon "eyelash", seed stitch, size 7 cable needle, 32 in.

I finished both of these for the December shows and sales but didn't get a chance to photograph them. 

The black ribbed scarf was dreamy to make due to the lovely hand produced by the silk and alpaca.  

The black and white shawl in-progress entry from December 2011 (!!!) talks about one plan, but I decided to drop the idea of the fasteners because I just haven't been able to make any that look good. It ended up being a deliciously soft and luxurious mondo shawl. I had a huge amount of the yarn - 10 balls.  I took a really long time to finish due to the change in idea, but also because it's honking BIG.  I changed back and forth between straight needles and the cable a couple times, just to break it up a little bit.  It seemed heavier on the straight needles.

Aqua

Scarf; silk, mohair, alpaca, bamboo, lurex, sequins; garter stitch, size US 9 needles

One of my first visits to Fabulous Yarns, or Fab Yarns, or whatever they call themselves, in Tivoli, New York, involved lovingly selecting these yarns.  Their beauty attracted me immediately and I have very much enjoyed working with them.  They include a heavy silk singly ply yarn with brass sequins, a brushed suri with a bamboo core and a very light mohair twisted with a lurex strand.  This to me is the ultimate party scarf.

I've got the big needles out again - playing with lots of yarn.

Brushed alpaca capelet

This is a feather light capelet worked in Lang Yarns brushed alpaca Degrade.  I have enjoyed the muted colors and I have two more balls!  I see a scarf in my near future.  I used a size 9 cable needle and worked from the bottom up in a wide rib, beginning with a rib every ten stitches, then decreasing to a rib every four stitches at the top.

Thanks to my friend Lauren of Colorful Stitches for the recommendation to try this yarn.

Alpaca and silk

Alpaca and silk

Capelet, alpaca/silk blend; seed stitch, size 7 cable needle, 24 in.

I'm enjoying the richness of this red along with the smooth softness of the alpaca and silk blend of fibers in the yarn.  I'm sorry that no one is making it anymore, but I'm glad I have enough to finish at least one more piece! This capelet will be about 14 in. long, with a bottom circumference of about 50 inches and circumference at the neckline of about 22 in.  At this point I don't know if I'll have enough yarn to do much embellishment, but when I'm finished with the body of the piece I'll see if there is enough to make a trim of any kind.

Chocolate brown capelet

Capelet, wool and alpaca blend, basketweave stitch, size 9 cable needle, 24 in.

This is working up quickly and is beautifully soft.  It's a thick-and-thin yarn, so the basketweave stitch brings out the nubbiness of it and makes a somewhat chunky texture.  I think it will be very warm.

I will charge $130.00 for this original design.

Green alpaca

Cowl, stockinette/reverse stockinette stitches with garter stitch edge, alpaca yarn, size 5 straight 14" needles.

I cast on 99 stitches, then knit 5 rows of garter stitch.  I started a stockinette stitch row and for the 50th stitch I reversed to a purl stitch.  I am increasing the reverse stitches by two each row, which will create a diamond shape in reverse stockinette in a field of stockinette.  I think that will be a good front panel for the cowl.

Alpaca cowl

Cowl, wide rib stitch, k2, p2; alpaca and cashmere blend yarn, size 8 straight 11" needles.

I cast on about 81 stitches for this cowl, which will be knit from bottom to top, then I'll seam it together at about 10" height.

Black alpaca cowl

Cowl, basket weave stitch, alpaca yarn, size 7 straight needles.

Cowl in gray alpaca silk

Cowl, rib stitch, with crochet edge and crochet applique flower; alpaca and silk blend yarn,  size 7 cable needle

Brown alpaca capelet

Black alpaca cowl cast on Dec. 5