Alpaca Direct Blog

Many of us knit garments and accessories, but not home decor pieces. Kelley is working on her Cable Channel Knit-Along project, which is a pillow cover, and it got me thinking about all of the cool projects you can knit to bring your love of fiber into your home. Get your knit decor on with six of my favorite patterns from Alpaca Direct!

Kelley shows you how to knit the Left Twist.  This is a nice complementary stitch to regular cabling, plus you can add these twists without the extra work of using a cable needle. This stitch looks good as a border on the edge of regular cables.

Learn How to Knit the Right Twist Knitting Stitch Kelley shows you how to knit the Right Twist. This is a nice complementary stitch to regular cabling, plus you can add these twists without the extra work of using a cable needle. This stitch looks good as a border on the edge of regular cables.

I use circular needles pretty much exclusively, and all my knitting friends do, too. There are a few reasons for this, not the least of which is that circular needles are more readily available these days than straight needles. They're also easier to knit with than straight needles because they don't hit the table or your lap while you're knitting (does this happen to anyone else?) and you won't lose one of them!

There are many things to consider when choosing circular needles, and I'm going to compare materials and brands, as well as talk a little about the interchangeable sets we offer. Whether you prefer metal, wood, or bamboo, we've got circular needles for you.

In this video, Kelley shows you how to cast on using the Crochet Cast On Technique.  This Cast On allows you to seam your edges more easily.  This is an unstructured cast on that uses your actual working yarn vs. a regular provisional cast on that uses scrap yarn to complete the technique.

Kelley shows you how to insert a lifeline in your knitting. This is a great technique to use in case you make a mistake and need to go back to a previous row. You will have a secure line to rip back to where the stitches are correctly oriented and can be easily put back on your needles. It is also a great to use when lace knitting and complex cable knitting.

Did your needles fall off your work? No worries! Kelley Hobart from Alpaca Direct shows you how to get your stitches back onto the needles quickly and easily.

I knit the Entrechat shrug for our granddaughter, Evie, for Easter. If you're a beginning sweater knitter, a baby sweater is perfect to practice with, and this little shrug is so darling, with lots of fun features.

One our employees (Doug) was recently married and he and his wife will be having their first baby in May.  I wanted to make something special for them and their baby so I decided to create a vintage style baby blanket that looks nice on both sides and is machine washable. 

Kelley shows you how to knit the CDD stitch (Center Double Decrease). This knitting stitch is excellent for the bottom of a v-neck sweater.

This super fun shawl has an even larger canvas for color play! This pattern includes a recipe, to make it all your own, or row by row directions for those who want to play it safe! Using yarn we carry in our store and background yarn from my stash, I was able to make this beautiful shawl for around $30.

Kelley shares tips on how to complete a 3-needle bind-off. This bind-off can be used to seam two ends of a knitted flat piece together. Use it join shoulder stitches for a sturdy, long-lasting seam.