I'm at the shop today. It is raining, cold & generally speaking, a very November-ish day. Since a rainy day often means it is a little quiet around here, I am doing some pretty productive knitting. I've just finished the first of a pair of Fingerless Mitts from an Ann Budd pattern in Weekend Knitting. This is one of my favorite knitting books--the patterns are various, the photos are appealing & the projects are realistic. A nice recipe for a knitting book. The fingerless gloves are a simple, and it turns out, quick project. Garter stitch knit end to end with clever short row shaping, there's not much to them technically, but they make a cozy mitt & my fingers are cold!
Here's the impromptu yarn review: I am knitting these fingerless mitts with a new yarn from the Alpaca Yarn Company called Swizzle. Here are the specs: the put up is in 100 g skeins measuring about 215 yards. It is 100% Superfine Alpaca, spun in Peru & hand dyed right here in Central PA. The gauge on a US#7 needle is 5 st = 1". Care instructions, dry clean or handwash.
Now, technical specs & a picture (thanks, Beth & Tasha for letting us grab your image!) can only tell a knitter so much. There is nothing like wandering into a nice LYS, breathing in that first woolie breath & letting your fingers find their way through the yarns.
Swizzle is a beautiful yarn. The 6 colors are lovely, rich & tonal. Twisted into a smooshy skein, this yarn is soft, warm, & pretty. The generous yardage means one skein will make up into a great hat, or a pair or mittens. I've been looking at and selling this yarn for a few months, but I'm just now knitting up my first skein. I'm knitting the purple colorway 'Plum Perfection,' & it is lovely. I made a ribbed beanie (96 st on size 6 needles) and the striping effect was perfect. I had enough left over to cast on for the fingerless mitts, and I may be able to get both of them made out of just this one skein.
I recently knit a very coarse or 'rustic' yarn for a felted bag. The contrast between the corriedale wool and the Superfine Alpaca could hardly be more pronounced! The alpaca knitted fabric is soft and drapey with just the right amount of bounce when knit in rib or garter stitch.