Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Fall In Love With 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.

Most people consider it to be the softest fibre in the world. It is so lightweight it can be turned into the most luxurious clothing or accessories or used in the soft furnishings in the home. Although this is regarded as wool you should think of it more like silk. Unlike silk it is very warm and brilliant to wear in the colder months as it is the perfect insulator.

If you like colour in your wool you will be glad to hear that it is often dyed. You can find it in the natural shades and there are twenty two to choose from. If you like yours to have some colour find a spinner who will dye it to order or look for a bigger manufacturer who will make it in larger batches.

Many people think that the term baby is related to the fact that it is taken from very young alpacas. This is not true. The yarn is given the term baby simply because it is so fine and soft. You can find three different types of this wool and it is worth knowing what they are to help you buy the one that you will be happy with.

The fashion houses and high streets mainly use the Royal variety. The only natural colour you can buy in this category is white. The white is dyed into many different shades so you will find all sorts of colours that you can knit or crochet with. Dyes can be quite harsh on the environment so if you want to be considerate to the earth look for those who will dye using natural products.

Baby wool on its own can be purchased in all of the 22 natural colours. Some of the shades that can be used are white, greys, silvery grey, browns and beiges. White is the most popular colour as it is so easy to dye and this puts the rest of the natural shades in danger as white alpacas are being breed and reared in greater numbers.

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.

There are many patterns available that will teach you how to make items using this yarn. Some of the clothes you might wish to make are jumpers, shawls or very sift and fine gloves. For a luxurious home create a throw made from the softest yarn but you may want to avoid this if you have animals in the home as they may claim it as their own.

If you want to make clothes for babies the baby alpaca yarn is an ideal choice. You will want to make gorgeous soft hats and booties for new-born babies as it is perfect for sensitive skin. They will be warm and feel comfortable and enjoy the feel of the material on their skin.




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