FO: Urchin

Yeah, excuse my sexy sweatshirt from the early high school years; I was excited to get a picture, and in the nice afternoon light, no less. Had to take my own pictures though, at arm's length, no one around to help at present!

I used Classic Elite Inca Alpaca Print, 100% alpaca, and size 10.5 needles. The pattern is Urchin from the fall Knitty. I adjusted it for gauge, casting on more stitches than called for for the middle size as I had no bulky yarn on hand and I wanted to cast on right away. It has been quite awhile since I've done something that was so quick and satisfying. Of course it was cold as the whole week before the new Knitty emerged at last, so I was ready to knit a warm accessory. Now, naturally, we're back in the 70's every day so I have not broken out any hats yet. Scarves in the morning when it's still 50 before the sun really gets the fog out of the way, yes, but no hats. Fingerless gloves (hello, fetching!) definitely.

I did find right at the end that it was growing a little large in circumference (it's knit in garter stitch side to side, with short row shaping for the beret shaping) so I omitted a couple of the longer rows in the 8th wedge in order to make it fit. Used just about all of my two skeins of yarn, as it was held doubled to make it kind of bulky, which is what the yarn actually called for in the pattern would qualify as.


I really love these colors, all fall-like and warm and cosy. This yarn was super soft and lovely to work with. I used almost all of it. I would have used all of it had I knit the full 8 wedges but then it would have been too big to wear. And we can't have that, can we?