2 Tone Suri Alpaca Beanie – 100% Handmade, From Cut To Crochet

This is hopefully only the first of many in a very special series of crochet work.  My partner Ramon travels the countryside each spring shearing alpacas, and a few weeks ago he returned with some of the fruits of his labor.

Mother Rasha & cria Morningstar, donors for the White fiber in this hat!

Amongst his clients is Vision Acres Ranch of Berkeley Country, West Virginia.  After the 2009 shearing season, Judy of Vision Acres began processing this high-quality alpaca fiber into exquisite hand-spun dual-toned yarn.  And it’s not just the dual coloring which makes this yarn unique – it is composed of 100% Suri Alpaca fiber.

Herdsire Scimitar (a.k.a. "Sam") contributed the brown yarn for this hat!

Suris, unlike their more popular fluffy Huacaya counterparts, feature fiber which forms natural locks, giving the final product an altogether different consistency and feel than your standard alpaca fiber.  Thank you to the Judy & everyone at Vision Ares Ranch for caring for these beautiful animals & creating the yarn, as well as to Ramon for shearing the alpacas and for bringing me spoils.

The hat is created using a modified version of a stylish beanie pattern I found in the Ravelry databases.  Unbelievably soft & warm, it’s also extremely breathable, making this hat a great year-round accessory.  Accented by a large natural-colored button I found in my mother’s vintage sewing supplies, this luxurious hat has certainly been given the personal touch from start to finish.

Speed Racer and Butterfly Bucket Hats

I’ve been working on some techniques, such as the front post double crochet, with the result being some truly awesome new hat designs!  Here we have my new favorite, a white newsboy style ribbed cap with a contrasting red stripe and built-in brim.  The brim is an addition I’m particularly excited about — many patterns  I’ve reviewed suggest using a plastic canvas insert to create a sturdy brim, until I found one with the suggestion of simply doubling the yarn (thank you to Hannah’s original pattern at Ravelry for such a great solution).  Between the color scheme and the overall architecture of the design, this hat is very reminiscent of Speed Racer’s pit crew, but the versatility of this design would make it look great with any color scheme.  There’s also a child’s size all white cap available.

I’ve also re-worked the inset butterfly concept into this lovely black cloche, with a roll-able brim and large floppy style that allows one to readjust the hat’s style.  Although it’s black, it’s made with a large diameter hook, which allows for a looser, more breathable weave.  This hat looks great on women of all ages, and of course, as with all my crochet items, can always be requested in a custom color scheme.