Living Vicariously

We all saw Camp Poose when I was hooking it. It's lovely in the winter, too. The pond is totally frozen so it's hard to believe it goes right up to the tree line. And this is what you do at camp in the winter....ice fish!

What do you get? A nice trout for dinner.

Felted Alpaca Hat

There is something different in the way alpaca felts vs. wool...at least using these worsted weight alpaca yarns. The purl side has a nice bubble, almost boucle` look. I like it!

US 10 - 16" circular needle and/or DPs
3 Balls of Landscapes Alpaca (72 yds each) -or-
2 balls of Classic Alpaca (110 yds each)

With a SINGLE strand of yarn, CO 100 sts -
Join and knit 45 rows.
Turn your work inside out so the purl sts are facing you.
Knit 15 rows.

Next row: *K8, k2tog* repeat around.
Knit 2 rows.

Next row: *K7, k2tog* repeat around.
Knit 2 rows.

Next row: *K6, k2tog* repeat around.
Knit 2 rows.

Continue these three rows (changing to DPs when needed) knitting one less in the decrease sections until 30 sts remain. Knit the next two rows.

Last row: K2tog around. Pull thread through remaining sts and finish off.

Felt to desired size.

If this is your first felting attempt, measure you head and add about 1". That is the size you will look for. Trying on a wet hat is not fun. Throw the hat in a zippered pillow case protector or tie it up in an old pillow case and throw in with the regular wash. Classic Alpaca will usually felt fast...usually one load. The Landscape will generally take about three loads because of the silk...but not all colours felt equally! Check the hat often. Take the hat out and spread flat and measure. This is the outside measurement and will be slightly more than the inside measurement. If I want an inside circumference of 23", I felt until I get a measurement of 12" across the flat hat.

Let’s say you over-felted. Soak in a little hair conditioner and stretch the hat out on a pot or bowl with the circumference you want.

After you get the size you want, shape and dry out of the sun, usually 1-2 days.

Copyright 2003 by Janis Garwood a.k.a. WoolTales. sheepfreak2003 AT yahoo.com All rights reserved.

Happy New Year!

Isn't this photo amazing? It was an e-card sent by my friend, Lucy. She can do anything with a camera and editing! She does restorations, too! There's more of her shots here. I'm a point and shoot girl and the last few sets of family photos really show it. No amount of editing can save them. I think I will ask her to do a photo session when my daughter and honey come down in March. We will be celebrating Bruce's 70th birthday!

And what is on the agenda for the new year? Why, it is trying to get organized...again. After reading today's Knitter's Review, I'm pumped to do another inventory of stash. The fact that I have three new hobbies since the last inventory of '07 only makes it more urgent. I will NOT post a "before" picture until I have a decent "after" picture! I have organized my knitting files on my computer, but what kind of exciting picture does that make? I have decided that if I like a pattern so much I have saved it four or five times (which I have found), then I might want to go ahead a make it...with stash, of course. And not wanting my favorite yarn stores to go out of business, I will occasionally buy yarn for a specific pattern I'm going to make at that time if I don't have the yarn. So I'm not going cold turkey.

This organization is not going to start by itself. I hope everyone has peace and hope in the new year...the two things that should not cost anyone anything.

Cheers!