Adventures with Alpaca

Last week was all about experimenting with a new type of wool: alpaca. Specifically a chunky 100% non-superwash baby alpaca yarn. I knew it would be different from my usual merino-nylon blend, but the result completely surprised me.

It all started with the smell. My husband walked in and immediately noticed that it "smelled really different in here." And he was right: alpaca has its own subtle scent that's just a bit different from sheep's wool. We're still getting used to that, but it comes with the territory.

Beforehand I'd done some reading and expected the dye to take less well on alpaca. The theory is that alpaca has fewer scales than sheep's wool, which would make the colour appear softer and more matte. But in practice, the exact opposite happened! The colours are brighter than anything I've ever seen on wool before. Every skein came out of the dye bath with a deep, intense hue that almost seemed to glow.

That was a huge surprise and a lovely confirmation that this baby alpaca yarn is going to be a keeper in my shop. The softness, the structure, and now also the colour intensity make it a fantastic base to work with.

I can't wait to try more colours on this and introduce this new base to you all. More on this soon!