Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Softest Baby Alpaca Yarn

By Freida McCall


Anyone who loves knitting or indulging in some crochet at the weekend should think about adding baby alpaca yarn to their yarn stash. This is a high quality fibre that is mainly sourced from Peru. The fibres are collected from an alpaca when it is sheared for the first time.

If you want to knit with one of the most loved and softest fibres this is the yarn for you to choose. The finished piece you make will be very lightweight thanks to the fine properties. You can use it for all sorts of crafts and the fashion industry love it as much as knitters at home. One of the reasons for this is because it is like silk yet warm and the perfect insulator.

You can find the yarn in a variety of colours. There are spinners who will dye it for you or you can buy it from suppliers who manufacture large quantities. Natural colours are also available if you love to steer away from brighter, bolder colours as there are 22 natural shades.

Baby alpaca is a confusing term. Many people think that it is given the name baby as it is taken from very young animals but this is not the case. In face the term comes from the fine feel of the wool. There are three categories that classify how fine the fibre is and these are listed below.

The variety that is mostly used in the fashion industry is called Royal. You can only get the natural shade of white in the Royal category and this is mostly dyed. You can find these colours anywhere but you might want to think about the way it is dyed, especially if you are worried about chemicals that are being used. Look for those who dye using natural products for the more environmentally friendly wools.

Baby yarn is available in all of the natural colours that you would see in the fields in the country side. There are lots of different shades including different tones of grey, brown, white and beige. As white is the more popular colour you will see far more white alpacas. This is causing problems as they are being bred more than the other colours.

The final category is the super fine version but this is not to be confused with fine merino wool. Unlike the merino the super fine yarn is not the best quality you can buy as it is in fact the lowest grade possible.

Once you have decided which of the categories you want to use you can decide what you are going to make. Look online and in your local shops for patterns. You should check that the pattern is suited for the wool that you are using. You could make yourself a cardigan or some super soft gloves. Remember that you are making a luxurious product so keep your pets away from it else they make it their own bed.

Baby alpaca yarn is suitable for making babies clothes as it is so soft and gentle on their skin. It makes the most beautiful booties and hats, perfect for new-borns.




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