Liesl-ing along

Almost done with the body on my first Liesl cardigan:
Jody's version inspired me to cast on using the long-stashed Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk. I had purchased it many moons ago for Ysolda's old Cloud bolero pattern -- when would I knit with it otherwise? I plan to make another Liesl with longer sleeves and perhaps no garter ridges using my lovely new Briar Rose yarn, too.

So, a few thoughts on DB Alpaca Silk -- it's so soft and super slippery to knit. Using metal needles with it would be grounds for knitter's suicide watch. The yarn is a loosely spun 2-ply, so it is a bit fragile, and doubtless it will pill like mad. The balls are annoyingly skimpy on the yardage -- something like 72 yds/ball. It also makes me sneeze. :-( But it's very pretty, and oh-so-soft! So my overall opinion is mixed. For a project requiring soft, heavy worsted-weight yarn, I'd probably turn to Malabrigo instead.

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Here's a quick hat I knit up while watching football. Can you believe it's the first time I used regular Manos? I like the rustic texture and saturated color, but it's no Mmmmmmalabrigo.

Pattern: My Hat of Choice, by Amanda Soule
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay, #44, less than 1 skein
Needles: 16" US 7 Clover bamboo circs + DPNs

Notes: Since I'm such a loose knitter, I went down to size 7 needles. My row gauge was a bit off, so I knit 6 total repeats of the main pattern rather than 5. Next time I'd do 7 repeats. It's kind of a funky vintage look, almost crochet-like for the main pattern. I'll try to get a modeled shot, since it's a cute, unusual shape.

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Reading:
Baghdad without a Map, by Tony Horwitz -- a laugh-out-loud collection of essays about his travels in the Middle East, both humorous and thoughtful. Highly recommended, especially in the current political environment

And Only to Deceive, by Tasha Alexander -- a light "historical" read, kind of a dud. Not recommended.

Watching:
Stardust -- based on the Neil Gaiman book. Nothing groundbreaking, but charming and sweet, in the same vein as The Princess Bride.

Speaking of The Princess Bride, I'm disappointed to have missed out on The Plucky Knitter's latest Princess Bride-inspired shop update. Oh well, I probably have enough yarn already.