How to Knit With Alpaca Wool

Alpacas are native to the Andes Mountains of South America. They have extremely soft coats of fur, which you can shave off and spin into yarn. It is hypoallergenic, warm, lightweight and water resistant, making it a great yarn to use for winter sweaters.

Instructions

1. Choose the weight of the yarn you'd like to use. You can find Alpaca wool spun into various sizes of yarn, from very thin to bulky. If you want to make baby clothes, then the fine yarn would work best; if you're making a thick adult sweater, however, go ahead and use a bulkier yarn.

2. Select the proper knitting needle. Regular needles will work fine, whether they're plastic or metal. The yarn skein should state which size needles would work best with the yarn you've selected.

3. Knit with a single strand to make an item that is thin yet very soft and warm. You can knit with a double strand to make something a bit thicker and even warmer; use larger needles for this.

4. Adjust your tension and stitch according to what you prefer. This also depends on what you're choosing to make.

5. Hand wash your garment when you're done. Alpaca wool should be laid flat to dry as well. Take these precautions to avoid stretching the material and misshaping it.

Tips & Warnings

• It's possible to change the needle gauge from what they recommend on the package. For example, if you want to make a very tightly knit handbag, using smaller needles with larger yarn works well. If you want to make a shawl with loose stitches, use larger needles with thin yarn.

Resources

• Buy natural, ethical alpaca yarn from Toft Alpaca.