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Chloe’s Journey to Spinning and Knitting a Hat

My love affair with knitting started years ago when I adopted my sheep, Maggie Belle and Yorick

Innkeeper Chloe Tuttle's handspun yarn will be knit into a hat | https://chloesblog.bigmill.com/spinning-and-knitting-alpaca-fleece

I was a graduate student at East Carolina University in  fiber arts, with a specialty in spinning and natural dyeing. I had lots of wonderful hand-spun yarn, but I never learned how to knit until friend Jody taught me a few months ago.

My first knit hat had lots of holes in it and another friend Mary suggested I sew on buttons to cover the holes. My mother saved everything – including buttons – so I have jars of buttons. Some of them still have pieces of fabric on them. The hat is adorable!

Lately I have been spinning wonderful Alpaca that was a gift from my friend Pepper. She has a herd of alpacas, along with many other critters. I know the alpacas who gave the fleeces, including one special guy named Oreo.

Hand-spun-knit-hat by Chloe | https://chloesblog.bigmill.com/spinning-and-knitting-alpaca-fleece

I made this hat on a 36-peg round loom using my hand-spun yarn. The hat is still “in the grease” or unwashed, making it water repellent. That would be good if I still lived on a sailboat. The dark red hat was knit with needles and those buttons are covering all the dropped stitches!

A big thank you to Pepper and her crew of Alpacas for the wonderful fleeces!

Alpacas getting ready for shearing, their fleece will be used by Innkeeper Chloe Tuttle | https://chloesblog.bigmill.com/spinning-and-knitting-alpaca-fleece

Pepper Etheridge with her alpacas

Alpaca is not sure he wants to participate in this shearing | https://chloesblog.bigmill.com/spinning-and-knitting-alpaca-fleece

“I am not sure I want to participate.”

Nervous alpaca ready to be sherared | Alpaca is not sure he wants to participate in this shearing | https://chloesblog.bigmill.com/spinning-and-knitting-alpaca-fleece

“This is making me very nervous.”

Innkeeper Chloe Tuttle's Hand Spun Yarn from alpacas | https://chloesblog.bigmill.com/spinning-and-knitting-alpaca-fleece

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Come see us at Big Mill B and B 252-792-8787

Note: Sadly we lost our sweet Pepper to Breast Cancer.
Chloe Tuttle Big Mill Bed and Breakfast near Greenville NC

Chloe Tuttle
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