Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Alpaca love

I'm going to join everyone already raving about handknit Holidays. It is a great book, like all of Melanie Falick's books. My Mom fell in love with the Vintage Beaded Gloves and I lucked out and got a great deal on a bunch of odd-balls of Alpaca. The only 2 that matched were the perfect blue to match Mom's winter coat.
So began the softest gloves around:

They are yummy. I brought them to a women's day my Mom and I went to on Saturday and had our friends try them on too. So soft. I think I want to marry an alpaca farmer now. A little caution to others who make them though. I had to restart these after discovering that the sizing is different than I'm used to. After my 1st attempt came out way too big, I switched to the small size and that fits great.
I wanted to make something for my boys with some of the other alpaca skeins. M loved the Candy Cane Hat in handknit Holidays, but wanted it in the colors of a candy cane. A boy with a white and red hat? Hmmm, is that not an open invitation for dirt? We instead decided upon the very Christmassy colors of red & green:

As I was making it, I worried a bit about the rolled brim not looking boyish enough. But once finished, I think it looks great and it doesn't roll as much when it's on him.
I'm not quite sure about the 1st decreasing row. I wish the pictures in the book showed this more clearly, but I do not think it was meant to come out the way mine did. M wanted to wear his hat though, so I had no time to refigure it myself. But again, once on his head it doesn't look as bad:

And what did M think?

He loves it. He has no idea what an alpaca is, but loves that it's so soft. And with both colors being worked, I think that it will help add extra warmth to the hat. (don't you love that smile showing off his 2 missing front teeth?)
And by the way, I had to make the woman's size to fit him. Do my kids have bigger heads than most kids? So with this pattern too, I found the sizes odd. But still, a great, great book.

6 Comments:

Blogger jessica said...

Anything in alpaca has to be a dream to wear. M doesn't know how good he has it, lucky boy:) I love his smile too! Cutie pie, can i call him that?! he isn't to old for that, is he?
Is holiday handknits a new book? i don't believe i've seen it yet... but i really think i want to get my hands on it! The gloves are lookin good too!

12:35 PM  
Blogger Rain said...

What a cutie! You're right - boys and white don't mix well.

2:25 AM  
Blogger chris said...

I really must order Handknit Holidays! I keep seeing such great projects from it all over blog land...like yours! :-) The gloves look so beautiful and I can practically feel how soft they must be. And M is the CUTEST!! So precious in his wonderful hat. You do such beautiful work. I always love seeing what you're up to. ;-)

1:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You should definitely join the Handknit Holidays knitalong @ http://handknitholidays.blogspot.com! (i love this book to, but have yet to join the KAL.)

10:57 AM  
Blogger Kathleen in Ormond Beach said...

Really cute hat! And those gloves look to die for!! Will have to put the book on my wish list and hope for the best :)

3:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is a great hat! Don't you just love the book? Did you ever get your felted pumpkin figured out?

5:11 PM  

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