Sweaters, hats, and beads :o)

I walked down to Arequipa Avenue yesterday afternoon. There is a little shopping area there, with a grocery store, a movie theater, and a few restaurants. There's not really that much, not like a mall, but it's cute and the McDonald's is there. I treated myself to a Big Mac and walked around a bit, looking around and thinking. Omar and I went there to see the Fantastic Four on Thursday. I can't remember if it was the English or the Spanish version...and that strikes me as odd. I love going to movies, but usually, when the movie is in Spanish, I spend most of the time just trying to figure out what they are saying, and don't get to enjoy it that much. This time, I got to enjoy the movie. So that's something that makes me go hmmm.

The artisan fair closed up yesterday and I only went the one time. I'm pretty proud of myself for resisting! Here's a photo of one of the sweaters I got when I went:



Although the hood is a tiny little useless thing, and only there for the sake of the current style, I really like the pattern work, and it's alpaca, so it will be a warm one, I hope. So I'm good for sweaters for the moment. Here's another shot of the pattern work. I wish I was that good with intarsia and fair isle patterns. I have brought back stuff like this in the past, but oddly, what sells the very best is our own handknits. Most of these are handmade, but apparently too closely resemble machine-knit pieces for the taste of most folks. I imagine that most of them are looking for a one of a kind piece, or something that is very different-looking, which is where my work falls and that happy thought is comforting to me. Almost all of my knitted and crocheted items are unique pieces. I have only a few things that I do over and over, and even those change as my techniques change and improve. I know that things go in cycles, though, and that things could change. I have some very nicely made Peruvian knits tucked away for just that kind of situation.





On another knitting note, I have almost finished Maggie's 3rd chullo, and it's very different than the other two. I hope she likes it. I only have half an ear flap left to finish, then weave in the ends, and put tassels on. I'll do that this evening. Here's a quick shot of it, in it's unfinished state. It's longer than the others - long enough to put your lunch in on a cold day - and based on a pattern she suggested to me earlier.



I've also started a set of fingerless gloves for myself. It's chilly in the classrooms, but writing with gloves on is difficult and clumsy, so I decided that fingerless gloves are the way to go. I have one finished and the other one partially done. I'm getting better with the DPNs, so my next project will hopefully be socks! Anyway, these fingerless things are probably due to be ripped out and redone - they are turning out a little too big, and I want to bead them on the edges. Good practice, though, and I hope to be able to use them before winter's end.