When I Grow Up I'm Gonna....

When I grow up, I'm gonna be? What? This yummy, super soft baby alpaca yarn is waiting to be something. My daughter selected this when we had a yarn shopping day. She loves green and purple. Most of her clothes are green and purple. Her room where she's living will be green and purple (still hasn't technically moved in).

This yarn is too pricey to buy much of it, so one skein of each limits what it came become. She asked for a scarf and while she knits herself; she wanted something beyond her current knitting skills. So, it's not really a question of what it will become; but the details of what type of scarf. So, when you shop for yarn, do you know ahead what you're going to make? Or do you buy colors, textures you like and figure it out later?

She asked for stripes, so currently I'm thinking about whether or not I want each color to have it's own texture, or maybe only one color have a pattern/texture with stitches in contrast to a plain 2nd color....Thoughts? I don't think I want both stripes be the same stitch?

Yummy Baby Alpaca, Chunky and Fabulous

This beautiful luscious red scarf is made with 2 different sizes of knitting needles, 10 and 17. This stitch is called Condo stitch and is straight garter stitch knitted alternatively with the 2 different sizes.

You can see how lacy the stitch can be in this photo where the scarf was held up next to a light in order to see through it. The suggestion is to use the size needle suggested on the yarn wrapper for your small needle and then go as big as you like, depending on how open you want the lace to be. I like this 7 size difference. My daughter made this fabulously soft scarf for her school secretary as a special gift to thank her for all the extra things she's done. The yarn is Cascade yarns, Baby Alpaca Chunky ( a bit pricey but this is a special gift).

Below is my start using the same technique but with size 8 and 15 needles and some rather nice high end wool. I say high end, because I rarely purchase fiber of this nature; but am treating myself. I've not made myself a scarf in about 5 years and those I have are looking pretty pathetic. I love the fun colors in this yarn. Crystal Palace Taos 100% wool. Daughter needed to take needles with her so I'll knit this off onto my round Denise needles and attach a different size to each end.