"free" knitting

i will apologize up front for my photo quality of late. leopard print means indoor pictures. indoor pictures mean i have worked away all the daylight. sorry folks.

ahem...

sometimes knitting doesn't cost money, and two of my projects fit into that group right now. most of us do a needlecraft for the pleasure of the activity. it is nice to have the final product, but it is the activity we enjoy, or we would just go out and buy scarves and sweaters.

right now i am getting to knit on a beautiful luxury fiber--Plymouth's Royal Llama Silk. (60% llama, 40% silk) it is an absolute delight to knit with. you see it worked up in the grey scarf... it is a store model for the shop. we need more models of "manly" scarves, and this yarn is perfect for men's knits.

it is warm and soft, but the fabric is remarkably light and feels very strong wearing despite the lovely hand. the tweedy texture is beautiful and makes this yarn eye catching while remaining subtle. it looks best in either a plain fabric or knitted up into a bigger texture or cables. that is why i think it would be great for men's knits... nice plain or in a masculine texture or combination of rich colors. the particular color i am knitting up is called "Agate".


obviously because i won't be keeping this scarf, i didn't pay for the yarn, and i will be financially rewarded for my efforts. what a treat to be compensated for knitting with such lovely stuff!

my second unfunded project is a garter stitch loop-through scarf. you pull the little tails through the loops created in the ribbed section and it looks like a flirty version of an ascot.... sorta.

this is the Blue Sky Alpaca Sportweight that i frogged last week. who knew it would find love so soon? me! because i like to give a nice holiday gift, and if i spent that money more than a year ago, it feels practically free. i need to pick this little project up again because time slows for no one.

can you believe i don't actually like knitting scarves? yeah. that's me. a hater. but i will soon have more exciting things on the horizon. pictured bellow we have the swatch/1st sleeve for my Gathered Pullover knit in Berroco Ultra Alpaca (the yummy color is pea soup mix. i love pea soup!) and two skeins of 50% off Mountaincolors Bearfoot in the Goldrush colorway that will one day be sportweight knee socks.


the goldrush color kills me. i love it. it reminds me of my grandparents' living room from my childhood. every single color was in that room. from the crazy couch and amber glass hanging lamp to the pea green carpet and the strange ripple stitch 70s afghan... all of them are represented, and i will get to wear those colors as sock. awesome!