Alpaca wool for sweaters and cardigans with a soft drape: warmer than wool at the same weight and gentle on sensitive skin. Alpakka Ull for structure, Børstet Alpakka for halo, Puno Fine and Sunny Linen for light layers. Order a free sample first.
Both are soft against the skin. Alpaca is warmer at the same weight and drapes more heavily: the fabric flows instead of standing up. It is the right pick for long cardigans, shawls and relaxed sweaters. Merino is more elastic and holds its shape, so it suits structured pieces better. Alpakka Ull blends the two, 60% alpaca and 40% wool, precisely to balance them. See also the wool and merino yarns.
Alpaca fibre contains no lanolin and is finer than ordinary wool, which is why many people who say wool itches wear alpaca without any trouble. Baby alpaca, as in Puno Fine, is the finest grade. If you are knitting for someone sensitive, order a free sample and test it on the skin before buying for the whole project.
Both give halo, but differently. Børstet Alpakka, brushed alpaca, has a denser, more matte fuzz, drapes more heavily and is very warm. Mohair is shinier, lighter and airier. Børstet Alpakka can be knitted on its own, on 5 to 7 mm needles, a fluffy sweater finished in a weekend, while mohair is usually held together with another yarn. We wrote an article about merino, cashmere, mohair and alpaca, and here are the mohair yarns.
Alpakka Ull, 60% alpaca and 40% wool, 50 g = 100 m, needles 3.5 to 5 mm: everyday sweaters and cardigans with a natural drape. Børstet Alpakka, 96% brushed alpaca, 50 g = 110 m, needles 5 to 7 mm: the thickest and fluffiest yarn in the shop, on its own or held with Peer Gynt or Double Sunday. Puno Fine, baby alpaca, merino and cotton, needles 4 to 5.5 mm: a blown yarn, very light and lofty, for sweaters that never feel heavy. Sunny Linen, linen with baby alpaca and cotton, 50 g = 150 m, needles 3 to 3.5 mm: cool, for summer tops.
It depends on the pattern, the size and the yarn: Alpakka Ull has 100 m per 50 g, Børstet Alpakka 110 m, so the amount differs. Run it through the yarn calculator: you pick the pattern and the yarn, and it tells you how many balls you need in your size, also when holding two yarns together.
By hand or on a wool cycle, in lukewarm water, with wool detergent, no rubbing and no wringing. Alpaca holds a lot of water and stretches if hung wet, so dry it flat. It does not need frequent washing, airing it overnight brings it back. Shake Børstet Alpakka pieces gently once dry to bring the fuzz back. All our alpaca yarns come from Sandnes Garn and Majo Garn, and here you can see all our knitting yarns.
