Wow, am I really the first comment? Anyway, love the hat, so simple but so cute. Can't wait to see your version!

lol...yep, better whip out those scarves, brrrrr!

Wow, I'm one of the 1st commentors today. Bob is too cute. Like you, I have a plethora of knit works in progress. Personally, I'm looking forward to having the cool weather so that I can wear my fabulous hand knits. I'm going on a Pacific Northwest cruise in May and plan on wearing them then too. Can't wait to see the hat, I may need to whip up a couple of those bad boys for the cruise.

I do not believe even a woman as genetically gifted as Angelina could overcome the case of hat hair that followed the removal of that hat. Those hats were created for longshoremen who were suffering from male pattern baldness and no one else.

It's worse in Phoenix...it may drop below 70!!!! I may have to light my fireplace! But, we are all desperately washing our cars in hopes that the rains make it over the hills. It's been 140 days without rain here. Which makes for an exciting summer fire season!

And on the nasty divorce issue...been there done that, found THE PERFECT MAN for a second try. He cooks. He cleans. He doesn't question my yarn habit!!! And before you ask, his brothers are married. Sorry! But I'm sure there are more out there. Chin up girlfriend, it will happen someday when you least expect it!

A cold and rainy day is the purr-fect time to cozy up and knit! I hope you can pick up some Starbucks beans so you can make your own coffee at home when the "oh my gawd it's raining!" riots begin!!!

Are you feeling better today??

BTW, it's quite rainy in Paris in the spring (it rained every day I was there in early April 1981(and yes, I am old) so bring a lot of rain stuff.

Enjoy your alpaca, honey!!

Well, if you're looking for another new soft yarn . . . look no further than Chez Cat Hair! I read about this on another blog: there are companies that will take your pet's shedded fur and spin it into yarn that you can use for any knitting project. I was so tempted! But a friend of mine told me that I will have NO luck in the dating world if I venture out there with a scarf made out of my cat's fur . . . LOL! Anyways here's one company to check out:

http://vipfibers.com
It's fo reals!

I am RUNNING to Trader Joes today because it is going to RAIN this weekend and I am just sure that I will encounter most of West LA there and oh. my. god. becky. there will be NO MORE MILK OR BREAD, they will RUN OUT OF COFFEE and we will all starve before the rain stops and they can truck more supplies over the alps. No doubt I will have to cut off a little old lady in the parking lot in order to get a space and get into the store FIRST so that I can get the milk and bread. I might get into a wrassling match in the coffee aisle. It could happen.

So if you're in Trader Joe's later on and you see a wild eyed woman hissing at people in front of the coffee beans or stacking organic half and half, milk, bread and triple chocolate chunk cookies into her cart? Give a wide berth. There's a cold front coming and it looks like 'pocalypse. Every man (or woman) for hisself.

Dammit. It's clear that I need to splurge and buy me some Misty Alpaca. And all this time I thought the key to happiness and love were fancy jeans. (Screw it, it's both! Note how "men" do not fall on my "key to happiness and love" list. Meh.)

LOL about the rainy weather throwing everybody into a panic. It's not much better here, even if we are supposed to be used to bad weather in Massachusetts. Mention snow, and lines form in and around grocery stores...like we're gonna be holed up for days on end!

I love misty alpaca...and I think I have a great pattern for the hat...

check out this..

http://www.theknittinggarden.com/patterns/jsbooksix/nougat.htm

I think Brangelina probably CAN do that (save up lots of husbands until she finds a use for them)...

If you can't swing an alpaca, llamas are very cute. Not sure if you can use them for knitting, though.

I too love the Misti Alpaca. It is beautiful, wonderfully soft stuff. I knit a simple 2x2 rib scarf in a teal color for my mIL and a 1x1 rib scarf with a keyhole, in charcoal gray and a light blue, for a dear friend. Love it! (I also knit these when all I knew how to do was rib, but they still look quite nice).

Bob is a supermodel. He and Frankie ought to do a pictorial together a la Brangelina.

What's up with Pitt's dark hair by the way?

I don't know if anyone told you about this book but when I stumbled upon it I thought of you. It's called Sexy Little Knits and it can be found at this link (I wish HTML was active in your guestbook):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307236579/sr=8-1/qid=1141842468/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-9113602-5883108?%5Fencoding=UTF8

It's not out yet, but it looks really good.

I live at the edge of rural No. Calif., quite near a wonderful alpaca ranch owned by a former air traffic controller who said, "enough of this stress." Now she and her husband raise their alpacas, teach classes, and sell gorgeous yarn from www.westvalleyalpacas.com. It gives you hope that there are other ways to make a living. I knit with alpaca A LOT because it is so soft, lightweight and warm. When choosing a pattern, keep in mind that it's rather fuzzy knit up so little, detailed patterns don't show off as well. You also don't need a lot of bulk because of its warmth. Have fun!

We're supposed to see that same cold front this weekend. It'll look a little different here though. The stuff falling from the sky? It'll be white, as in snow? And the daytime highs will be about 19F or so.

However, a nice scarf out of alpaca? Always a good idea.

Liza {who wants to know why her kitty hord is absolutely useless when it comes to blocking stuff, does Bob offer classes?}

Ann-- that is great info, so maybe I should be thinking of something simple in stitch pattern. I guess i could even do garter on giant (19) needles for something airier. But I kind of wanted to experiment with a new stitch. Maybe I'll make something up. heh.

Natalie-- yes, sorry about the HTML thing. I don't want to enable it because the server guy who helps keep me virus-free says it's potentially bad, because of...? bad people? I have no idea.

Hi!

Tina, what is a keyhole? Did you like the scarves in ribbing? Martigny, can one knit a llama? LOL Mary! That's exactly the sort of thing I'm doing, just with a wider brim! Noelle -- my happy list doesn't include that either :) Rainy -- too funny!! At karaoke, which I never do because I SERIOUSLY do not sing pretty, I can only do the opening of Baby Got Back with the Valley Girl voice. "Oh my god becky look at her butt!"

Colleen-- I have icky issues with this whole "knit up a cat" thing heheheheh. Too funny. Liz -- feeling better today, thank you :)

Hi everyone. Wednesday!

also! me! CAFFEINATED!

I love, love, love my so called scarf. Way cool looking design that is so easy to do:

http://www.sheepinthecity.prettyposies.com/archives/000079.html

Jenny, I *love* that pattern!! I have to remember it when I'm knitting up some of that color-changing yarn that I like so much (Noro, adopt me? please?) but with black yarn that's kinda fuzzy, do you think it would show up? the pattern, I mean? The yarn is so soft I want to hug it.

I have seen stranger things in Encino Park than a herd of Alpaca. I lived there for eleven years with my Mr. X. I actually suspected he might be crackhead Bob when you first mentioned him but I don't recongnize any of the houses on your street so probably not. It has been almost nine years and I would hope that he has it together by now.

I tried to knit with the laceweight Misti Alpaca but it is too thin for my aging eyes. The sports weight is very tempting. Good luck surviving the great freeze of 06'

also, is something called "psso" too advanced for me, Remedial Knitter? hmmmm.

Debbie -- does your Crackhead Bob look like a taller, skinnier more horrifying version of Kato Kaelin (sp?)? That's my CHB. heheheh

Oh! I should add, the alpaca I have is pretty bulky. Is it Misti or Misty? Did I spell it wrong in my caffeine induced haze?

I'm with you on the alpaca! My husband (then boyfriend) and I were on an airplane about 10 years ago and I saw an ad in the in flight magazine encouraging you to purchase an alpaca as an investment, selling the fur. But the punchline was at the bottom where it said 'Alpacas, the investment you can hug!' and of course showed little kids hugging the alpaca. This cracked me up so much I decided I wanted one. But since we've lived in an apartment all these years my husband has yet to cave and let me have my alpaca. Guess I'll have to settle for alpaca yarn. Try it blended with silk, true yarn crack!

Loved your post yesterday - reminds me of me about 6 months ago...trust me, it fades into a bad dream/distant memory soon enough!

As for the Misti Alpaca, I vote for the Irish Hiking Scarf:http://www.helloyarn.com/irishhikingcarf.htm

I'm making one now using the Misti in a tan and LOVE IT. I recommend wooden needles though, as the yarn was slipping on me. It's an easy 6 stitch cable and is such a pretty pattern. (I actually have pix of it on my blog too.) Good luck!

A couple of weekends ago, I went to an Alpaca ranch in Los Olivos. The ranch is called West Ranch. Those baby Alpacas are so cute!

http://www.alpacasatwestranch.com/

This ranch is right next to the Firestone winery. So, if you want to get away some weekend, you can combine wine and Alcapas at all in one day!

Ooooh, love the hiking scarf! Plus, its name alone makes me feel sporty.

Oh, and I just remembered a good scarf pattern! It's in SnB Nation. The pink fuzzy angora one. I made that with one strand of alpaca and one strand of mohair held together and it turned out great. If you have the book I'd totally recommend that pattern. If you want to see my version, check out:
http://gallery.remarkablecow.com/v/Knitting-2005/green+scarf.jpg.html

I gave it away, and have to admit that I miss it now. :)

Well, in DC all the Government Wonks get hysterical at the mere mention of snow. They also all drive at approximately 10 mph in the rain. But if you must Stock Up for the Coming Deluge, Whole Foods has some great chocolate macaroons in the bakery section. Also, Trader Joes has a nice cabernet - from Australia, by Marquise-Phillips (sp?). The label has a "roogle" on it- half kangaroo, half bald eagle. Yeah, I know, kinda precious, but the wine is pretty good, and not too expensive.

Alpacas are nifty, but your backyard might be too small. How about an Angora goat? They are small critters, and I have never met a stupid goat, or one without a sense of humor. Plus, think of the yarn!

Damn she even looks look in a toboggan hat!
no wonder Brad couldn't resist her!

Wine and alpaca? DREAM VACAY. :) Oh! It *is* mistI alpaca, and my astounding powers of google even found a link to the official site. I think mine might even be considered "super chunky" now that I look at the site:
http://www.mistialpaca.com/catalog.php?collection=6&page=0

mel, that scarf is GORGEOUS.

We never are without our StarBucks at chez Nancy. My eldest son works there and gets a pound of coffee *free* every week. Love SB's!

You like that alpaca? You should try some Plymouth Baby Alpaca - this is knitting crack. Not Kid Silk Haze (whatever it's called), but alpaca knitting crack.

I knit a hood-scarf for my best friend and damn near kept it for myself (who cares if she bought the yarn for her project?) when I finished it.

http://www.plymouthyarn.com/index.php?nav=cPatterns.patternGallery&pattern_id=000956&yarn_id=000027

YUM.

Hi! The keyhole is simply a hole in the scarf where you slip the end of the scarf through, so it stays permanently wound. I used the basic pattern from the first SnB, the pink and red one, except I made up my own stripe pattern and I like the results. I also used the bulky stuff - 22 stitches CO made just the right width of the scarf (this was for the 1x1 rib). One change I wish I had made was to make the keyhole small - the existing scarf's hole (eww) is quite long (another eww) and I wish I had made it only about three or four inches wide.

I made the Irish hiking scarf is KnitPick's Elegance for my dad, and he is not a scarf wearer, but he really loved it. (phew). Elegance is quite a different yarn, not sure I would use alpaca for that pattern because of the bulk. But I haven't tried....

I just moved to the country (seriously - town of 1500) and I want an alpaca ranch!

"Brittany's unfortunate swimming costume" (you are southern, and very polite!) I love it! That's what I love about reading your blog. You make me laugh out loud! thanks!

Hey Laurie, they are predicting snow in san francisco on friday so maybe i need to join you in that knitting warm stuff goodness...if only i could stop knitting sushi...

Yeah, I've found myself spotting knitted items on tv and wondering how they were made... it's a sickness.

Does Bob know how beautiful he is? He inspires kisses all over his sweet little face.

Go see StacyO's alpaca cable scarf she's knitting currently - www.knitkittyknit.com - it's GOH-R-GEOUS. PS - I'm sorry you're sad, but I'm glad you have kitties to keep you sane!

Brad dyed his hair dark for a movie he's filming about Jesse James. How sad it is that I actually know this.

Ok, so I went looking for a pattern for a scarf that I printed free off the internet and haven't really found it, but here is a list of almost 100 scarf patterns. Free ones.
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/newscarves2002.html

And... while looking for the pattern I had in mind, I found something called the "faggot stitch scarf"... um... faggot stitch? Apparently when you do a YO and then K2tog it's called a faggot. You learn something new every day, huh!

WAIT - You get up on a Saturday morning? WHY?!?!?!

My vote for pattern would be the Irish Hiking Scarf: http://irishhikingknitalong.blogspot.com/, or maybe Golden Fleece's alpaca scarf (how appropriate) here: http://www.thegoldenfleece.com/alpaca_scarf.htm.

Knitty Gritty is in reruns until fall unless we can convince them otherwise. Vicki Howell has asked us via her blog to let DIY know that we want her back in the studio and soon so they'll start airing new episodes sooner. You can go here: http://vickiehowell.com/2006/02/whoa-nellie.html to learn how to send in your two cents.

Laurie!

You can handle the psso. If you can yo you can psso, check out knitty.com abbreviations and then about.com has some good stitch how-tos. I have faith that you CAN do this.

Roggey-- a hooded scarf?? That sounds wonderful! Is there a pattern for that?

It is SUCH a simple solution: Knit Brangolina's ribbed-brim hat with your two skeins of black alpacka. Just think of how soft and warm it will be! Yummy! You'll look lovlier than Angie ever could.

Long time reader, first time commenter...I learned a couple of weeks ago that a friend's parents have a big alpaca farm. He said they'd hook me up.

I think I have died and gone to yarn heaven. He goes camping there and suddenly, my prissy girly-girl self cannot wait to sleep in a tent. Please ignore the big squirming bag I leave with.

I've been seeing Brad, Angelina, Maddox and Zahara referred to BAMZ. So lame, I know, but saves typing. Here's hoping they name their kid Louella (or an equally weird name starting in 'L') so we can all type BLAMZ. Why is that so funny to me?

More on alpacas:
They hum. No lie. That's how they communicate, by different humming tones. It's quite a trip to hear them all at once, like a little tonal chorus. Horny males, however, make a louder, more insistent noise (why does this not surprise me?). There are two down sides to raising alpacas: they must be sheered annually, and they don't like the experience. Pat and John constructed a sheering table that clamps the alpaca still and holds it sideways but still it is a big trauma. The other negative about these luscious animals is that they are expensive, like $5,000-10,000 each. When I told this to the cowboy boyfriend, he said, "For yarn!?" (Hmmm, I can see the thought process here: "if you can't eat it or ride it, why spend 7 grand on it?")

I haven't tried misti alpaca yet but I am currently knitting with Blue Sky alpaca silk - this has to be the most luscious stuff I have ever used :-)

MMMMMM, alpaca is nice...touch the alpaca...love the alpaca...

Um, the YARN, not the actual animal...

No kidding on the unfortunate swimming picutre of Britney. Ouch.

Laurie, I don't know if anyone else has said this yet, but "psso" is REALLY REALLY EASY. Designers like to put things in code to frighten us, but once we crack the code, they have no power over us. :) You slip a stitch from the left needle to the right; then you knit a stitch, regular-style; then you pass the slipped stitch over the knit one and off the needle. Pass Slipped Stitch Over = psso. I usually see it written as sl1-k1-psso, like it's all one action. It sort of is. Hope you find a perfect pattern for the Misti Alpaca - it looks gorgeous!

Oh, and also: Mary from Virginia, I have knit the Irish Hiking Scarf (in wonderful scratchy cream-colored wool - I'm so Irish), and it is GORGEOUS. One of my favorite patterns! And, Bob is cute as a bug. And, I'll pray for Los Angeles. :)

Misti Alpaca is good stuff. I made my best friend a pair of deep plum gloves (yes, with real fingers and everything!) with 2 balls of the Worsted. So soft and lovely.

How about a mistake rib scarf? Just like regular 2x2 rib, except you cast on 1 less stitch (i.e. CO a multiple of 4, minus 1; 35 is the number of stitches I'm using on my husband's scarf). Then do this: K2, P2, repeat across the row, ending with a P1 (because you're short that one stitch). Repeat this sequence on all following rows until your scarf is the desired length. Mistake rib makes a pretty, simple, textured pattern with a loose rib effect.

Cheers,
Helen

Already in Portland, OR we have the weather that scares the folks in LA. And it is damn cold!! (You'd never know I grew up in Colorado...on a farm no less.)

I love Misti Alpaca! I'm kind of an alpaca yarn whore. There is an alpaca farm near here that makes their own yarn (it's so yummy) and they call it wool. I'd go with the experts on this.

I'd go with a cabled scarf. That's what I bought my Misti Alpaca for...

Hey TaraL - i'm south of you by about 80 miles. Does that farm have a web site? That sounds amazing.

Hey TaraL - i'm south of you by about 80 miles. Does that farm have a web site? That sounds amazing.

Well, I know why all of the hideous weather is coming to your area - I'll be there starting tomorrow for five days. Apparently I'm bringing East Coast weather to the greater Los Angeles area.

Tell Bob I am very sorry.

I had to de-lurk myself & comment today because....Hello, my name is Katie and I am addicted to Misti Alpaca yarns. HI KATIE!

I've increased the stash with it in nearly every yarn weight. It is knitting CRACK! We should all get Alpacas for our back yards. The neighbors won't mind at all!

Love your blog, Laurie! I'm a misplaced southern girl too :)

Oh, and did you see the free patterns on the Misti website: http://www.mistialpaca.com/index.php?menu=14 ? The Chunky Diagonal Rib Knit Scarf is kinda cool....

"Unlike husbands, however, when it comes to yarn we can buy as many skeins as possible and seal them away in ziploc bags until we find a use for them."

This made coffee squirt out my nose... better than a Neti Pot!

Thank you Crazy Aunt Purl!

This suggestion won't work for the black yarn (or maybe it would, just in a different way) but, for your Noro addiction, I've been meaning to suggest the Edgar pattern from Knitty.com. I did it with some Berrocco Foliage in a turquoise, purple, green colorway and it was gorgeous.

Yes, I second the motion of the Irish Hiking Scarf. I made it in February and it is cute. Kind of traditional, but it would be great in black. Bundle up, missy!

Psso is cake. Really. Here's a link to a video. Just scroll down and click on the blue camera link under "SKP" (a common abbreviation for "slip 1, knit, pass slipped stitch over".)

Dammit, it'd be nice if I actually included the link: http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/decrease.php

I am having the same indecision about what pattern to use on an alpaca scarf. I fell in love with a tweedy olive green alpaca yarn this past weekend and decided I must have a scarf made of it (despite the fact that sixty-degrees is considered freezing where I live ). In the few days since I purchased the yarn I have cast on 15-20 for a scarf but can't decide what pattern to use either. My latest idea is to try alternating a six-stitch cable panel with a rib I found in a sweater pattern. (I forget the name of the rib pattern but every wrong side row is purled and every right side row is done in a k2, p3 pattern.) I think part of my indecision comes from the fact that this yarn is THE PERFECT YARN. Which means, of course, that I may never find the perfect pattern for it. But, in the mean time, I am loving the feel of alpaca between my fingers (even when I am frogging it). Good luck with your scarf!

Barbara. THAT IS MY EXACT ISSUE. Because it is the Perfect Yarn, I fear that I will never stumble upon its corresponding Perfect Stitch!

This exact thing happened with my Blue Sky Bulky (half alpaca, half wool) which I knitted and frogged FOUR times. Finally, I just want it to be done, so I am sticking with the current pattern and ... still. It isn't *perfect* and I know it...

YARN HAS MADE US CRAZY.

Bob. So. Cute.

Tina - They do have a website. There is one specifically for the yarn shop on the farm: www.foothillsyarn.com. They are super nice people!

make a pillow. then you can hold it all night.

a pillow is just two squares. you can make squares.

I made myself a cable/rib keyhole scarf and matching headband from two skeins of the chunky Misti Alpaca and I LOVE them. The scarf is basically 2/2 ribbing with a 3/3 LT center cable, and I worked the keyhole as a separation in the center of the cable. There is a pic at my blog (http://jcsparks.com/?p=121), but the beautiful aubergine color didn't photograph well. I'd love to make another scarf from this yarn, but I would definitely do some sort of simple lace pattern this time, to stretch the yardage farther and give myself some ventilation--that is some incredibly warm yarn!

Being from Texas, surely you have not forgot what REAL WEATHER is have you? All the other LA weiners will have to suffer all those awful things, just because THEY do not know what real weather is.
Aunt Gerry in Columbus Ohio formerly of Texas where we have WEATHER!!!! HE HE

I'm not sure if anyone has asked this yet - cause you have like 87 comments before this one and I don't feel like reading them all. Sorry - But, anywho. PLEASE post your recipe (is that spelled right, it looks really strange to me all the sudden) for the knit cap. I have loads that I've made, but don't really like and I thought the same thing when I saw that mag. cover.

Thanks CAP!

regarding yesterday's post: I believe that the hardest part is getting over feeling stupid.

My aunt lives in Comfort, TX! (Well, right now she is way up North bring a nurse in Polar Bear Provincial Park, Ontario... that's the real name, btw) and when I mentioned that someone on the internet that I 'knew' was from Comfort, she was really excited. So, HI! from my Aunt Carole.

Oooohh, Miss Kendra had the best idea! Make a pillow with the alpaca, or something equally snuggly.

Mellie! I do plan to post the final recipe when it's done, hopefully next week. Also, hopefully it will look decent.

That hat in the pic -- I can't tell if it has some waffling on the body but I'm doing plain stockinette ... here are more pics of Brangelina in "the hat"
http://www.savingfaceforum.com/index.php?showtopic=14863

Hi-
I am IN LOVE with Misti Alpaca chunky. In fact, after I bought my first two skeins I went out and bought 5 MORE! I have a few pattern recommendations...first, on the actual website, which I think you were at before? they have a free pattern for a diagonal rib scarf. I think it looks super cute! and free! also, do you crochet? Because I did mine lengthwise in single crochet in the back loop only and it was SUPER fast and easy! and beautiful! and cozy! can you tell I love it? (and also a bit too much caffeine?!) Also, I had some leftovers from one of the scarves, and made a ribbed hat! I made up the patterm and it was super quick, and since then i've made 4! Let me know if you want the pattern for it. Anyway, back to work. LOoove Misti alpaca. LOVE IT.

For a fun, easy scarf, try your magic scarf pattern with a minor modification: On every other row, increase one stitch by knitting into the back loop, then the front loop of the same stitch (k1-b, k1)at the beginning of the row, and decrease by knitting two stitches together (k2tog) at the end. The squares won't quite line up any more. You'll end up with a fun bias-draped diagonal scarf with cool ridges.

Rachel I will check it out! thanks!!

Also-- this was the original picture of the Brangelina hat that I saw, and it made me realize I MUST have this hat for Paris:

http://people.aol.com/people/galleries/0,19884,1161616_2,00.html

Can anyone tell if it's sory of basketweavy on the crown?

Laurie, you can totally do a psso. If you can bind off, you can do psso. I'm a bit puzzled about the "except" part in that pattern -- "knit into the back of the stitch" is something that I don't always get right (I love decreases and hate increases), but I think it will not be that hard to figure out either. But I agree that might not be the right pattern for something fuzzy.

I think one reason you don't want HTML in your comments is because spammers will fill it with spam for nasty websites. Actually I'm not sure why they don't anyway.

It is ridiculously warm here in Kansas today -- 75 degrees, in March -- I thought I was back in Houston for a minute this morning. But it's supposed to be 30 degrees colder tomorrow (and raining, which we need badly -- feel free to send yours from L.A. if y'all don't want it there).

Every time you talk about Los Angeles weather, I notice I'm listening to a song about L.A., or weather, or both. California Dreamin': "I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A." Mamunia (by McCartney & Wings): "The next time you see L.A. rainclouds, don't complain, it rains for you and me." Route 66: "It winds from Chicago to L.A." All I Wanna Do: "This is L.A... the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard." Come Monday: "I spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. haze..." And more. I swear this playlist wasn't supposed to be about L.A. It's a good knitting playlist, though.

Oh, and I am yarn crazy too. One of the reasons I have done only a swatch of my Douceur et Soie and nothing with my Kidsilk Haze is that I can't figure out what pattern would be just *right* for these yarns. Perfectionism: the bane/excuse of procrastinators everywhere.

Oh, I get comment spam like nobody's business. I delete about 150 per day. Spammers are the lowest life form!!

when it rained on Monday, I was walking out of the building at the same time as my principal. He said, "Crappy weather! I'm not going outside again!" as a life-long Northerner (until last June) I say, "Los Angelenos are soft!" Winter storm warning is not a chance of rain -- it's the very real reality of 12" of snow.

BTW -- love, love, looooove, the Brangelina knit hat. I'm fixing to make one myself!

Will leave Afghanistan and THROW my body on top of yours to protect you....
stand fast!!!

I haven't tried the Misti yet but I have been knitting a blanket out of this fabulous 90% alpace/10% silk blend that I seriously want to clothe myself in from head to toe. It is is the softest thing I've ever felt...and I even own cashmere! The only downside is that it sheds all over my lap while I'm knitting...but the softness, did I mention that?

Thankfully, Vickie Howell posted re: why all the reruns of Knitty Gritty on her blog (http://vickiehowell.com/2006/02/whoa-nellie.html). My mother was getting very antsy about it (wants to know when she needs to force the entire state population + visitors to watch her baby try not to cuss on national tv).

One of the pictures made me think The Hat was maybe kind of seed-stitchy on the crown. Or double seed stitch. Can't exactly tell though.

I was going to reccomend a mock cable for your scarf, but someone already mentioned it above as the pattern from SnB Nation. A lady in the knitting class I'm taking (Yay for Sweaters!) Is knitting a scarf in that pattern in green, and it looks uber cute. But I'm not sure how well it would show up in black.

Also: I'm going to be in the LA area in 16 days, so I'll pray it will go back to sunny. But only for my own selfish reasons ;)

I agree with sunflower. The pic with the cotton candy looks like it's seed stitch at the top (k1, p1; p the knits, k the purls). Whatever it is, it's gorgeous.

I LOVE this yarn...have finished a ribbed scarf with a ruffle fringe. My friend and I go to the yarn store close to us and fondle the new colors..they humor us cause we buy LOTS!!

If you have a copy of Stitch and Bitch Nation, there is a pattern in there for a mock cable scarf. I made one out of Misti Alpaca for my mother-in-law for Christmas this past year and it turned out so beautifully that it almost didn't make it into the gift box. I only used one skein too, but I didn't add any fringe. It's "baby-butt" soft.

I'm with you - I absolutely LURV misti BABY alpaca. It's almost as soft as some cashmeres, and a lot less. Great for combining with other yarns to give a super soft texture. For your next "handbasket roadtrip" there's a Bonny Doon Alpaca Ranch near my favorite winery - Bonny Doon - up near Santa Cruz. Rhone wines and yarn on the hoof!

Like Julie, I highly recommend the 'psso' for your scarf. The video on knittinghelp.com is clear. It's an easy lacy stitch, with #10 or #11 needles it'll be sexysoft, light and lacy. You can do the hat with a k/p ribbed brim, then k2 slip1, psso odd rows, knit even rows. I just did a hat like that (no brim though), a take off on your hat recipe. Accessories parfait pour rive gauche cafes!

On storm watch on the Westside, watching out for killer palm fronds!

That's a good strategy. The next time I don't know what to say I'll talk about knitting. *LOL*

I read your blog everyday. Love it! I gave up knitting years ago b/c I thought I was too cool. I have to start again! Where do I begin? What kind of scarf is cheap and easy to make, but still looks stylish? What size needles do I buy, and what type of yarn do I get?

Hi, Laurie! I love your knitting posts the most. There are tons of free patterns on this site: http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory.php

Amen to finding the perfect man. My court appearance to finalize everything is today and I'm dreading it immensley, yet I know there is a perfect man out there waiting for me when it all is over. I've found what I would consider a "perfect man" more than once, sadly I was too married as was he. It always happened when I wasn't looking for him. Hopefully now that I'm no longer married he will find my way to me once more.
Can't wait to see this hat! I noticed it as well on the cover thinking I had to keep an eye out in the stores but a knitted one! That would be even better :)

Trixie - hood-scarf is actually something you tailor to your needs.

For my friend, she had a hood-scarf her mother bought her at JCP years ago. As my friend loved the length and width of this old HS, I just measured them. I planned to knit it as a rectangular scarf, fold over and stitch one side (to the depth my friend was comfortable with) and voila!

I swatched the alpaca yarn to get gauge and knit it up. It was a bit wider as I added edges garter stitch to help with the curling of stockinette in the body of the HS. It was large enough that my friend didn't want it stitched. Another friend of ours showed her how to wrap it as she wraps her head covering (she's Muslim) & it stays put.

Here's a few sites that offer shaped knitted hood-scarves, if you don't want to do my lazy ass method =) You can always sub yarns, just remember to swatch.

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/kff-hood.html

This is a PDF free pattern with photo:
http://sarahpeasley.com/freepatterns/eveshoodedscarf.pdf

http://www.jenipurr.com/knitpurr/archives/000444.html

I feel like SUCH an enabler. Oy.

Or maybe a perfect matchmaker?

Never was such a skein of yarn given by a yarn company put to such excellent marketing use! Laurie, you rock the casbah!

Hey - guess waht - it's sunny and warm where I am. I'm sitting outside and writing this at a Starbucks in Fayetteville, GA. Rumor has it that it is going to get warmer up in NJ, too, so it seems we've turned the weather tables on the West Coast [evil laugh] mwahahahahahahaha!

I feel like SUCH an enabler. Oy.

Or maybe a perfect matchmaker?

Never was such a skein of yarn given by a yarn company put to such excellent marketing use! Laurie, you rock the casbah!

Hey - guess waht - it's sunny and warm where I am. I'm sitting outside and writing this at a Starbucks in Fayetteville, GA. Rumor has it that it is going to get warmer up in NJ, too, so it seems we've turned the weather tables on the West Coast [evil laugh] mwahahahahahahaha!

"SAY IT ISN'T SO."

Isn't? Purly, you are losing your southern-ness for sure. Any true southener would have said "say it ain't so".

You mean the newsboys caps are OUT? I just found a pattern for one on my knitting machine...I really wanted to try it. Alright, it actually wasn't for me, but my dad is so far behind the times fashionwise, that the newsboy cap would be pretty daring for him, LOL.

i can tell you why knitty gritty is just reruns! it's because the show styleious is about to hit air with a bunch of new shows. and the host (cant remember her name) is in this show... styleious. dont watch that show tho...it's HORRID. it will rot your brain. i work for the company that owns DIY... that's how i know this... it's also the reason that i had to, single handedly, watch all those stupid new stylious shows.

Hey Laurie,

Here's the next best thing to raising an alpaca in your back yard -- an alpaca farm live webcam!
Go here: http://www.mountainshadowfarm.com//webcam.htm

Isn't that a hoot?! I found that website while surfing for some Qiviut yarn (my personal holy grail), and saw that they spin, dye and sell some lovely alpaca, too.

Enjoy! :-)

just found your website because of a misti alpaca search and because of this uncontrollable to seek out everything knitting! just wanted to comment on the misti alpaca....i'm in the middle of knitting a good size blanket for my goddaughter and her fiance for their wedding present... i tried other yarns but couldn't resist the feel of it! i knew it was going to be expensive (i needed 15 plus skeins!) but she's worth it... a beginning knitter herself so the appreciation factor is there! anyway...i love it and will always have this crazy love for it forever!