I started and finished this alpaca hat over the past few days. I used my handspun alpaca yarn from Kate's alpaca Valentino. The pattern calls for an alpaca/merino blend, yet I prefer to use 100% alpaca. I knitted a similar hat last year with a heavier handspun alpaca yarn. It turned out to be too small so I donated it to the Dulaan project. This hat weighs 3 oz (last year's weighed 4 oz) and this yarn is 12 wpi. The ribbing was knitted with size 8 Addi Turbo needles and the body was knitted with size 9 Addi Turbo needles. Size 9 needles may have been a little too big for this yarn, but the hat did bloom a bit after I washed it. It is a quick and fun cable project to knit. I worked the 4 increases in the last row of the ribbing in such a way as to keep the edge ribbing sts even as they went into the 7 stitch ribbing cable. The increases were not placed evenly throughout the ribbing, but I like the continuity.
Kate is currently working on a sock experiment where she is knitting one sock with her handspun alpaca and another sock with alpaca spun at a domestic fiber mill. I recently sent her the alpaca article out of the Winter 2007 Interweave Knits and I look forward to hearing her expert analysis.
That looks great, it has a nice shape. Your spinning looks like it must have been very even and consistant.
My one encounter with alpaca was a beautiful black hat. It accidentally got into the laundry basket, washed in hot water and dryer. It's the most adorable alpaca thimble now.
Posted by: Dave Daniels | January 23, 2008 at 06:33 AM
Love the hat. Looks so soft and warm. I gotta quite sleeping and eating so I can get as much done as you do!!!!
Posted by: Peggy | January 23, 2008 at 06:56 AM
I like your hat. Alpaca is so soft and cozy, I love it.
Posted by: Cheryl | January 23, 2008 at 01:22 PM
I have been comtemplating spinning some of the alpaca that I have to make a hat for myself. I am suffering a bit of project confusion or funk at the moment, so I am not sure what to get into next.
The hat looks excellent.
Posted by: textillian | January 23, 2008 at 01:30 PM
That alpaca looks so soft and cozy. Just beautiful.
Posted by: Opal | January 23, 2008 at 04:49 PM
The hat looks so lovely - love the cables & the color.
Posted by: Ann | January 24, 2008 at 06:04 PM
Love the new hat! I look forward to your report on the socks!
Posted by: Carol | January 24, 2008 at 07:44 PM