I've dug out two skeins of Drops Alpaca in order to make a third Ishbel shawl. I have given the other two versions away and thought a third one would a) be an easy knit which is perfect for knitting group and b) I'd like one to keep my neck warm this autumn. I'm still not sold on the pattern - there is something about the lace repeats that doesn't give me that lace-knitting buzz - but it is a quick knit and it looks pretty. Most of my knitting pleasure is derived from the yarn and its gorgeous heathered orange colour. Drops Alpaca is, of course, one of my desert island yarns. It comes in an amazing range of colours, has excellent yardage, knits up beautifully whether you choose to treat it as a fingering weight or as a light DK (!), is eminently affordable, and is deliciously warm and snuggly. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about it.

It's funny. I am very, very fond of so-called "rustic" yarns: yarns that feel like they've just leapt off the sheep and into your hands with very little work gone into them. I love that connection to nature - and yet if I were to select three yarns to bring with me on a long, lonely journey (or desert island), none of them would be particularly rustic. I'd select Drops Alpaca, Noro Cashmere Island and Malabrigo - all soft, commercial yarns with a high degree of processing gone into them. Go figure.

Also on the needles:

• My Pine cardigan is still with me and I have one sleeve, the yoke and the buttonbands to go. I can't consider it an unfinished object because I still want to finish it and wear it. I'm just dreading the yoke bit because the instructions leave a lot to be desired. Also still worried about my yarn amount.
• I have one fair-isle glove finished and should really get around to knitting the other. I was ready to give up on the gloves but was persuaded otherwise by my knitting group who thought they were lovely and Other Half who thought they looked "quite 1940s". I'm a sucker. I'm going to knit the second one. Soon.

I also tried casting on for Rosamund's Cardigan out of the recent IK, but the designated yarn did not work. I suppose that tells me that I should just get back to working on Pine..