Alpaca Yarn

In the bon bon world E & I tend to divide our tasks to where our interests lie. She does the accounting, I get to merchandise the store..that kind of thing. And with regards to craftiness, I'm the sewer and she's the knitter. Of course, now she's a sewer too as she's been immersed in fabric and patterns for the last few years. I decided it was my turn to learn about the world of knitting so I'm going to start with a little lesson in alpaca yarn.

Alpacas are a (incredibly cute) South American animal. They are found in the Andean highland areas of Peru, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. There are actually two different types of alpacas, Suris and the more common Huacayas.

Hi! I'm a Huacaya alpaca. I have a shorter, denser, crimp-ier fiber. I like long walks in the mountains and eating grass clumps.

Hi! I'm a Suri alpaca. I have long, silky pencil-like locks that look like dreads, but are much softer. I like the feeling of the wind in my fleece as I graze in my patch.

The alpaca's fleece is great for apparel uses as it's lightweight but durable and incredibly soft. It's actually warmer than sheep's wool and it is lanolin free which makes it hypoallergenic. Fun Fact: Alpaca is naturally water repellent and difficult to ignite, so if you plan on being in the rain near a bonfire make sure you are wearing your alpaca sweater.

Alpaca yarn tends to be a little pricier than wool, but if you feel it you will know why. It's super soft and doesn't have that itchy quality that wool has.

So, what will you make from our new alpaca yarn??