Here’s my latest finished object–it’s a beret I knitted with a Coopworth and alpaca yarn I spun (a two ply yarn, one ply of each). The pattern is the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret by Natalie Larson (Ravelry link).

I was looking for something a little fun and different, and this fit the bill. The cables kept my attention while knitting, and the final product is a bit more stylish than a lot of knitted hats.

Overall, I’d say this was a success!

Yesterday my husband and I went to the Alpaca Extravaganza, which is a trade show put on by the Alpaca Breeder’s Alliance of Northern Colorado. If you’re in the area for next year’s event and you are interested either in seeing beautiful animals or in spinning, weaving, knitting or other fiber arts, I highly recommend that you stop by.

It’s a rather small event compared to some of the other fiber-related shows like the Estes Park Wool Market, but there’s still plenty to keep you entertained for a couple of hours. At yesterday’s event, we saw huacaya alpacas, suri alpacas, some paco-vicunas (a cross between an alpaca and a vicuna) and one llama, who looked positively statuesque surrounded by all of its smaller cousins.

There were also plenty of items available for purchase – alpaca yarn, roving, and raw fleeces; sweaters and other items made from alpaca fiber; and spinning and weaving tools. And, for those who were interested in owning alpacas, several lectures were offered on raising and breeding alpacas as well as what you need to consider if you want to get into the alpaca business.

If you’d like to take a look as some of the beautiful animals I saw yesterday, here’s a short video – enjoy!