Knitting with Alpaca Yarn

We have an alpaca farm right across the road from us. These fascinating creatures are fun to watch and something really different for our neck of the woods. My horses just can't figure out whether to be afraid of them or not!

I've been doing a little research on alpaca yarn and I think I'm going to have to give it a try in my knitting. I'm allergic to pure wool, so I usually stay away from that, but I'm finding out that Alpaca's largest advantage is that, unlike wool, it is hypo-allergenic. That means that people who are allergic to wool will not have a problems with alpaca wool.

Another great thing about alpaca yarn is that it is a hollow core fiber which will keep you warmer than wool when you need to be warm, but breathes when you need to be cool. It is also smoother than wool so will not have the itch factor that wool has.

The down side is that alpaca does not have as much elasticity as wool so therefore when items made with it are stretched they will not go back to their original shape. Don't let this scare you though, because alpaca has a beautiful drape.

There are also a few things you can do to avoid having a problem with it:

1. Use a blended yarn (about 70% alpaca and 30% wool.

2. Choose small projects that don't necessarily need to hold shape.

3. Knit or crochet tighter.

4. Twist stitches to keep the "memory" in your project.

One other tip for knitting with alpaca is to use wooden knitting needles as it can be very slippery to work with.

Armed with these facts, I'm ready to give alpaca a try on some projects in the very near future. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Knitted Christmas Stockings

OK, so I know it seems a little early to be talking about Christmas Stockings, but I found this pattern last year right before Christmas, which, of course, was too late to get more than one done. I decided that since my family needs new Christmas Stockings, I would start making them in January and, hopefully, have them all done by Christmas. I need about 8 and so far I've got 2 done.

This pattern came from http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/. If you've never checked out that site, it is a great resource for lots & lots of free knitting patterns. I've used quite a few of them for various projects.

This pattern makes a stocking about 10" long. Of course, for my family that's not nearly big enough so I've adapted the pattern by using larger needles and casting on more stitches. It's really pretty easy to do and you can experiment a little to get the size you want. I made a few just as the pattern goes and they made nice gift holders for small gifts, like a bottle of lotion or perfume, or candy. They would be cute Christmas decorations, also, and can be made using any combination of colors and yarns. You can use your imagination and decorate and embellish them in any way you like.

The smaller one in the picture is made according to the pattern and I used a fuzzy white yarn for the top. The larger one is made using a bulky burgundy yarn and off white fuzzy yarn. Have fun and I hope you can come up with lots of uses for these little stockings.

Pattern:

One 50 gr. balll worsted weight yarn and size US 9 (5.5mm) needles. Gauge: 8 stitches and 10 rows to 2 inches - but of course that's not essential depending on the size you want.

Cast on 34 sts.

Knit 6 rows (you could use a 2x2 ribbing also).

Starting with a right side row, work 30 rows in SS.

Starting of short rows:

Next row: K24, turn,

Next row: P15, turn,

Continue in SS working one extra stitch on every row (before your turn) until all the stitches have been worked - [i.e. K16 turn, P17 turn, etc.] ending on a knit row.

Purl one row on the 34 sts. Then you can start the next stocking stitch part on the right side. The number of rows is not that essential and can be changed if so desired.

Knit 12 rows straight in Stockinette Stitch.

Shape toe:

Next row: *K1, K2tog, repeat from*to last st. K1

Next row: P2, *P2tog, repeat from*to end of row.

Next row: K2tog to end. (6sts)******

Next row: P2tog to end (3 sts)

Note:******at this stage the yarn could be cut and drawn through the 6 sts to make a 'stubbier' toe.

Cut yarn and draw through remaining sts and fasten off.

Sew seam.

Turn over garter st. cuff.

Make a cord for hanging and fasten to top of cuff.

Hang on doorknob, fill with favours for guests to enjoy.

Buying Yarn Online

Have you noticed the wide variety of yarns that are available online? There are a lot of online stores and popular shopping websites, which offer a wide variety of yarn, of all colors, types as well as from all companies.

There are shopping sites which offer many products and there are specific yarn websites which sell only yarn and other related items. These sites offer a lot options to their customers. You can choose which brand of yarn you want to purchase, the color of yarn, the size, as well as the quantity.

There are other advantages of buying yarn online. You can find yarn from many different companies and you can obtain even rare kinds of yarn, from the comfort of your own home. You don't have the hassle of traveling long distances for a particular kind of yarn.

You also can compare the prices of yarn from different websites and buy yarn from the site or online store which you feel is offers the best deal.

Many websites also offer links to other sites and online stores which sell other kinds of yarn and other related items.

The price of yarn bought online is not a lot higher than yarn bought from actual shops. You will pay a slightly higher price for shipping costs. With the price of gasoline that is probably a good deal!

Another advantage is that the yarn is delivered to you usually within 72 hours of purchase. This time frame may differ depending on where you live.

There is a downside to buying yarn online, however. You will miss the experience of feeling the product, seeing it and touching it. If you like to see how the yarn feels, you will not be able to experience that.

Since I live in a rural area and don't have access to a lot of special yarn stores, the convenience of buying yarn online far outweighs the disadvantages. I don't know about you, but even if the yarn doesn't work for the project I intended, I can usually find something else to knit it into.

www.topknittingsource.com has a great selection of all types of yarns at very affordable prices.

Crafting is Good For You....

If you are a crafter like me, you know how satisfying your crafting is. Why is crafting so satisfying and how does it benefit you? I think there are several reasons that we love to craft and they are all beneficial to our well being.

First, when we craft, we transform something insignificant into something great. We take a skein of yarn and knit it into a scarf. We take random pieces of fabric and put them together into a beautiful quilt or wall hanging. Flour, sugar, oatmeal and chocolate chips turn into delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Part of the joy in crafting comes from knowing you made it. You are not just a passive consumer, you are a creator. When you wear that beautiful sweater or give someone a batch of homemade cookies you feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in being able to say "I made it!".

Doing it yourself is also very relaxing. In fact, recent studies have shown that brain chemistry during knitting is similar to when doing yoga or meditating. I'm not surprised, I think the repetitive process of knitting very soothing. And when I cook, I find a kind of quiet enjoyment in the chopping, kneading, mixing, stirring.

Actually I think my desire to craft is pure selfishness. I just love to make gifts for my friends and I like the fact that every time I craft something I am not buying it, but mostly I create because it makes me feel good. The great thing about the time we live in now is that crafting is a choice and not a necessity. We don't have to make our own clothes or knit our own sweaters, we can do it just because we enjoy doing it.

If you have never tried crafting, or don't think you have any creative talent, you might be surprised at the satisfaction you will get from doing it yourself. There are many types of crafts to try your hand at and you many not necessarily like all of them. Try taking some classes and experimenting with some different types of things until you find one that gives you a sense of satisfaction.

Good News About Knitting

I read somewhere that knitting may keep our minds sharper than people who don't do something to engage their brains as they age. A study of long-lived nuns found that precise activities like knitting and writing helped the women stay sharp in their old age, and that one nun was still knitting mittens and having involved conversations at age 104.

That sounds encouraging to me. As much yarn as I have stashed and all the knitting patterns that I have collected and saved - for when I have time - I should be able to stay on top of things for a good long time.

Actually, for me, knitting is a way to relax and refresh. Doing something repetitive actually soothes the mind. There's just something satisfying about the clicking of the knitting needles and watching your project grow.

Some of my favorite projects have been making baby afghans and my current project is to making wrist warmers or fingerless gloves. I work a lot in offices on computers and my hands get cold. Fingerless gloves really help to keep them warm.

A really simple pattern is to cast on 36 stitches with Size 5 knitting needles. Work knit2,purl2 ribbing for about 2". Switch to stockinette stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row) for 3" to 4" (measure from your wrist to just the beginning of your fingers. Switch back to knit2,purl2 ribbing for about 1/2". Cast off. Fold the rectangle into a tube with the ribbing at each end. Using a tapestry needle sew the 2" ribbing together, leave about 1" to 2" space for thumb unsewn and then sew the rest of the way through the 1/2" ribbing. Work in the ends and you have a simple fingerless glove. My hands are small so if you want them a little bigger, just cast on more stitches - just remember the number of stitches needs to be divisible by 4.