Knitting with Alpaca yarn and socks


Posted March 14, 2018 by markwahlbarg

The Alpacas are not harmed by the annual process of shearing, which is similar to getting a haircut and in fact, they enjoy being relieved of their heavy warm coats as the summer arrives.

 
Alpacas belong to the South American Camelid family. Besides the Vicuña, Alpacas possess the rarest and finest fiber of all the camelids. These passive animals have been domesticated for thousands of years and are highly prized all over the world for their luxurious and high quality fiber. They have to be shorn sometime around late May or at the latest by June, to avoid heatstroke, as they are very well insulated. Once shorn, the Alpacas are free to roam, play and graze throughout their lives, usually a little beyond fifteen years.

The Alpacas are not harmed by the annual process of shearing, which is similar to getting a haircut and in fact, they enjoy being relieved of their heavy warm coats as the summer arrives. Alpaca yarn is made from the fur of the Alpaca rabbit and is used for knitting and crocheting. The fur is plucked and collected from the Alpaca rabbit and spun into yarn. The Alpaca rabbit can be harvested every four months or three to four times a year. Alpaca yarn is measured to be a luxury Yarn sale because of its unbelievable softness and fluffiness.

It is used to create winter clothing such as sweaters, mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves. Alpaca yarn is more expensive than wool or cotton yarn. It is not as itchy or abrasive as wool and offers more softness and warmness. It can be bought in most craft stores and knitting stores. The yarn can come in any type of color from bold to pastel colors. Multicolored yarn is also available which can give a garment a beautiful unique look. Alpaca yarn is quite rare, which is why it is a highly prized luxury material all over the world. Its softness is often compared with the softness of cashmere.

Alpaca yarn is much stronger, more delicate and more resistant to piling than cashmere. The fiber's rich luster, supple handle and strength remain without comparison by most other specialty fibers. Garments of Alpaca socks are relatively lightweight, compared to wool. In addition to this, alpaca yarn is also very warm, almost up to eight times that of wool. Alpaca blend yarn can be blended with wool from a sheep or mohair from a goat. Alpaca alone has no elasticity so blended with wool yarn, nylon, and other fibers allow the yarn to stretch and have more durability. The texture of the Alpaca blend yarn depends on the percentage of Alpaca in the blend.
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Issued By alpacadirect
Website knitting patterns
Country United Kingdom
Categories Business
Last Updated March 14, 2018