Beautiful Vistas at Highland Alpaca

Photos from Alpacaland

This weekend some of us went with Karen to support National Alpaca Day. Aren't these just the most charming creatures?

More pictures to come.

After the fashion show.

                                                                                   After the fashion show, we gathered as usual at Panera's. The first picture shows the twins' sweaters, fronts, backs, a sleeve. Since the picture was taken another sleeve and the twins have arrived. I hope we get to see the finished products before Theresa has to gift the proud mom.

Lisa has been gathering small balls of yarn from people as they finish projects. Some in the group say it's rather like a memory quilt: there's M's socks, N's felted purse, O's afghan, etc. It's an attractive coverlet knitted in entrelec technique and obviously a very "green" project.   

Fashion Show at Knit One

                                                                                                                                               Last Saturday a group of us went to the fashion show at Knit One, an LYS on Murray Ave in Squirrel Hill. Waiting for it to start guess what we did? Yep, made purchases! We all realize when we are in dangerous territory and went anyway.

There were 30 some entries but I focused on crochet. Anyone surprised? It was that or photo everything with so many beautiful and lovely entries and charming models.

You can spot us sitting along the yarn bins and hidden by the confident gentleman knitting in the foreground. 

There was a pretty crocheted blue tank top, but this was the best pic I got. I tried for a better one but someone popped up in front of me. I was unable to ascertain if it was a Doris Chan design.

The next pix show Becky coming down the red  carpet. Her entry was a combination of knit and crochet which I think is the best of  both worlds. She won first prize and a gift certificate: only fair since she bought the yarn for the project at Knit One.

Finally Lisa (whom I actually don't know) wore the white shawl. It's lovely and crocheted and designed by her. We would love to hear from her.

Knit One did a lovely promotion for our Yarn Ball and Three Martini Luncheon. And we handed out flyers. Then we went to our usual meeting. Whew! 

Freeform Crochet

In Three Rivers Crochet we are always trying something new. In this case freeform crochet. Lynn used the book by Margaret Huber to inspire her  to make a sweater for her daughter Becky as a gift for Christmas. While Becky was out of town, Lynn snatched a sweater to get a muslin pattern and began working (returning the sweater before Becky returned). Eventually Joe (the dad) said you better have her try it on before you sew up the seams. 

Well the end result was that we (the group) did not have to wait for the winter holidays to see the finished sweater. Of course Becky now knows what her present is 4 months in advance. Does she seem sad at all about this?

 We really need to send a pic to Margaret Huber. She would be so proud of Lynn.  

Latest animal Blanket

Chris has just started a shrug from Kidsilk Dream. Just wonderful designs. KC brought in the first edition of Debbie Bliss from Vogue. Lots of drooling. 
This is the latest kitty blanket made by Chris.

60 Scarves in 60 Days

The group thinks they can do 60 scarves in 60 days (really 90). The group accepts the challenge and donates locally reporting their donations. Although some of the scarves are going to be sent to the winter Special Olympics. The scarves will be worn by members of the team; crocheted or knitted in soft white and Delft blue with Red Heart's Classic Yarn. So look for pix of scarves soon.  

More Socks

KC a.ka. Karen/Care Bear recently finished knitting up this pair of socks. She tells me it is a shift rib pattern. The yarn is Noro sock yarn. Noro really knows how to do color.

She admits to being addicted to socks.

Socks are "In"

You can't read anything about crocheting or knitting nowadays that socks are not mentioned. People who make socks go on about how making them is fun and wearing them divine. As though handmade socks were addictive!

I have as yet to make my first pair. Should I make a stab at it?

Well Shelli has. She made these socks as a gift for her daughter. I think they look pretty darn good.

If her daughter gets addicted, she may have to crochet many more. I think she should have been more careful about what she gifts.

Design Solution? Elastic

The bottom band has a row of elastic around the last row, and helps to place the band on the hips just below the waist. Even so I wish I had taken even more rows out of the length because the mesh still overlaps too much and hides a lot of the band which I think is part of the appeal of the design. At the time I was making it I added a line of sc around the neck

and along the opening for the tie. I'm glad I did or the totally relaxed top area would have allowed the mesh to hang even lower. I consider the project a success, and have been getting a lot of wear from the top. It is warmer than it looks; so I'll continue wearing it in cooler weather.

Mesh Coverup

                                                             Remember this photo?Well I made the mesh coverup with a few changes. I substituted the crochet ribbing for knitted ribbing. Because I am not that familiar with knitted ribbing I actually made the bottom ribbing too large. You can see the result.

The instructions also called for 16 in. from the ribbing to the underarm. I took out 5 in. and probably could have taken another inch out of the arm area. Then I took several inches off the length of the arm with a smaller cuff to avoid the wide arm opening. I know what you're thinking, but I had gauge. And checked for it several times.  See the next posting for my fix. 

Wow, what a response!

Where have I been? Nowhere, just got busy crocheting. Don't think the group hasn't been busy either. They are, too. All of a sudden, there'll be a flurry of info and pix. Isn't that how life (and crochet) goes?

The last post "Knitter's Backlash" got some responses. Seems everyone is taking their CAL or KAL personal.

What you see here is the back of my Aran cardigan being blocked. The second front is almost done and I'll block those two pieces at the same time. When you can compare the pieces and flip them around I discovered that the mock cable pattern has a lot more definition when it is upside down from the pattern's directions and pix. I'm going to leave a postit note in my book about it. It's not that I'm not happy with how the design looks as is; anything can be improved on. Right? 

The Kal may be due for some changes. Becky had a good start on her sweater but the tweedy yarn (which was quite nice) didn't show off the cabling much at all. So she went looking for another pattern since she might have to buy some yarn, too. (Aw, shucks) and she showed Jonathon a pattern she found for a guy (he liked it). The plot thickens or changes or whatever!