I love my library membership. I can get almost anything I want to read on my phone or iPad. This year, I’ve decided to set a few goals for myself. One of them is to practice and improve my Swedish. I found that I could download Swedish magazines, and found ELLE, and this photo:
Aren’t alpacas the cutest?! Last week, I mentioned that I wasn’t sure why my sweater felt so soft, even if I was using smaller needles than the pattern asked for. I am typically a very tight knitter, so I expected a wool blend to be a bit stiffer, but it was so light and soft! I decided to learn a little more about the wool I was using and found that one of the properties of alpaca is that it’s soft, drapey – and super warm!
ALPACA AT A GLANCE
- Lighter and warmer than wool
- Super soft to the touch with a silky sheen
- No lanolin makes it hypoallergenic
I also learned that a 50/50 alpaca and wool blend is ideal for sweaters where you want to be able to see stitch definition, but where some drape is also desired, like the one I’m making.
Here's another link with a summary on alpaca wool.
The more I knit this sweater, the more I think I am going to love the result.
I then remembered a Max Mara skirt I had seen in the December 2021 issue of VOGUE. I had to look very closely, but I noticed it was an alpaca print — how cute! The photo had caught my attention because the woman in the photo reminded me of a doll my grandmother had given me many years ago. I searched for the skirt online to get a closer look at the fabric. The 100% silk skirt was a bit out of my budget at $843 dollars (ha-ha), but at “just” $75, this bag could certainly be mine. Of course, I am not going to buy it, but it’s cute.
I actually bought some waterproof fabric the other day and I’ve been wondering what to do with it. The Max Mara bag gave me an idea. I might make one of these reversible bags.
Bedford Pullover Update
This week, I managed to complete the first sleeve of the Bedford pullover, and today I started the second one. I’ve decided to try double-pointed needles for a bit. I knit about a third of the first sleeve using four double-pointed needles, but then started noticing the transitions were visible. I wasn’t getting the right tension as I moved from one needle to the next. So, I changed to a long circular needle and the magic loop method. It looked a bit better; at least I didn’t have 4 ridges anymore, but I still wasn’t too happy with the result.
It’s not like I’m getting big ladders, but I can see the difference. So, for the second sleeve, I am trying 3 needles to see what happens, but now that I think about it, I should probably use the magic loop again to make both sleeves match. This circular knitting in small circumferences is a bit tricky!
Could it be the yarn or the fact that I’m purling? I haven’t had this problem with the socks I’m working on. You can see those on my Instagram account.
In other news, I made focaccia!
I saw a photo of focaccia on Bon Appétit’s Instagram account on Thursday, and I immediately bookmarked it and sent the post to my kids asking them if I should make it. They both said yes, so of course I had to try it.
This was the easiest bread recipe I’ve ever made. You basically get a large bowl, add some lukewarm water, honey, and instant yeast and wait for it to start bubbling. Then, you add flour and salt and mix it up. You put a cover on your bowl and stick it in the fridge overnight.
The next day you lightly fold the dough onto itself a few times to deflate it, butter a pan, and add some olive oil. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and let it rise for about 2-4 hours. Before you put it in the oven, you get to play with the dough and a little oil to make the little indentations. Finally, you place it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 450F and you get the most amazing bread. It’s really that simple! Trust me, you need this recipe! Get it here.
We made some sandwiches for lunch with the focaccia. I can definitely see myself making this again soon. Let me know if you try it. I think everyone would love it.
Until next week. Ciao!
