Lace shoulder wrap

Lace shoulder wrap
Originally uploaded by Loretta.

This pattern was from the latest issue of Interweave Knits. It called for laceweight Misti Alpaca, but I didn't have any, so I used leftover yarn (Knit Picks Merino Style) from the Sunburst sweater. It's worsted weight instead of lace weight and I used size 9 needles instead of size 3 or 4 called for int he pattern. I also ran out of yarn before I completed the bottom patterning, but oh well! I think it came out great. The pattern looks a bit like swimming sea turtles to me. It was an easy pattern to memorize so it was great for knitting on the bus. I'm sure I'll make more of them.

Alpaca silk scarf

Alpaca silk scarf
Originally uploaded by Loretta.

My hands needed a break from the fair isle, because I stupidly pushed past my limits on Saturday night in a fever to get the sleeve started. You'd think I'd know better. I probably should have taken a whole day off, or maybe two. But my friends Renee & Sophie were visiting and that visit included a trip to the yarn store and knitting while watching videos. Sigh, I had to knit something. I had two skeins for Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk that I had picked up from the clearance shelf of one of my less frequented yarn shops. What to do with 2 small skeins of yarn?

I cast on about 300 (give or take) stitches to size 9 needles, then I knit back and forth in garter stitch until I was about out of yarn, then bound off and used the reat of the yarn for fringe.

The resulting scarf seen here is about 6 feet 5 inches long exclusive of the fringe and is very soft. It wraps nicely around my neck a few times, or I can wear it folded in half with the ends passed through the loop. I'm ready for winter (all but the dark nights, *shiver*)

Crocheted sleeve steek

Crocheted sleeve steek
Originally uploaded by Loretta.

After knitting the sweater body to the top of the shoulders I did a three needle bind off to join the tops of the shoulders. Then I crocheted up and down one of the sleeve steeks and cut the sitiches between the rows of crochet.


Here is a picture of the cut steek









Then I picked up stitches around the cut steek for the sleeve. It will be knit down from the shoulder to the wrist, repeating the color patterns from the body (except upside down).