Yarn Review for two Christmas Presents
On October 29, I started a Christmas present–Girl Friday made out of Berroco Ultra Alpaca. This picture pretty much sums up how I feel about this wonderful yarn:
OK I used some alpaca yarn once about a year and a half ago and it shredded all over me. Unfortunately that turned me off of alpaca yarn for a while. Then I saw some folks on Ravelry who started the project with this yarn and started thinking about it. Mom wants a warm cardigan but it can’t be too bulky. This yarn’s alpaca content can provide some extra warmth without it being too heavy. I started this project and fell in love with this yarn. It’s so squishable and yummy! Here’s the progress so far
I’m knitting this at a 4.75 stitches per inch gauge as opposed to the 4.5 stitches per inch as instructed in the pattern. I am knitting the pattern for the 37in chest size and. with these modifications, the size will be 35 inches. My friend Steph helped me with recalculating gauge:
(pattern bust size in inches) x (pattern gauge stitches per inch) / (YOUR gauge stitches per inch)= bust size in inches of YOUR sweater. For example: 37” x 4.5 spi/” / 4.75 spi = 35”
I’m really enjoying knitting this. It’s going by pretty quickly too so who knows when I’ll be posting a finished cardigan.
Project #2
Jermaine did something dumb. He put a vest on his Amazon.com wishlist. Just for kicks, I was looking at it and saw this said vest and that’s when the monster came out >
. hehehe I sketched some versions of cabled vests for him to pick from.
I do, in fact, doodle on something called a Doodle Pad. HaHa 
Those squigglies represent where the cables would go. 1-many in parallel rows with equal spaces between them, two bigger cables on each side, one up the middle to follow the v-neck, or that last one with cables on each side. Jermaine picked out the fourth option. I will be spending some time with my favorite knitting book and an Aran Cable book to develop a vest for him for Christmas out of this lovely yarn:
Does anyone know any suggestions about knitting a garment for a significant other with whom you live and still trying to maintain the surprise aspect? 
Have a great weekend everyone!
I believe that requires regular attendance of a knitting group that misses you…
Quite the dilemma you have there! The easiest option would be to work on it during your commute. If you need more time, show up at my place some nights with it
I just started a skirt out the ultra alpaca…LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the yarn!!
I believe it is possible to work on things for the people around you – they don’t know knit from purl – and if you can hide the pattern photo, tell him you’re working on a sweater for yourself – just don’t hold it up around him is all