In Defence of Our Friend, the Alpaca
{this blog post has been migrated from my old website LB Handknits, where it was initially published on 23 October 2017}
Lately it seems that I keep coming across discussions about the 'problematic nature' of working with Alpaca yarn - to the point that some knitters downright advise avoiding knitting garments out of 100% Alpaca. The idea is, that while Alpaca fibre is lovely and soft, it needs to be blended with some linen, cotton, or silk content to give it structure and stop it from overheating the wearer.
While I get where this reasoning is coming from, I also feel it is based on some degree of misunderstanding of the material. And because I happen to love Alpaca, I wanted to chime in with my perspective. Alpaca yarn indeed has some very particular characteristics. It is not suitable for every type of garment. But it is exceptionally suitable for some types of garments, in a way that no other yarn is. I will try to go through some points here and explain why the two main ‘problems’ attributed to knitting with pure-alpaca yarn, are in fact features which can be used to your advantage.
DO ALPACA GARMENTS LOSE THEIR SHAPE?
The idea that Alpaca looses its shape is repeated as if it were fact. But the more useful and accurate way to look at it, I feel, is that Alpaca garments never have ‘shape’ to begin with - and so we mustn’t expect them to. Alpaca yarn has exceptional drape. A swathe of knitted Alpaca does not so much sit on the body as skims it caressingly. Accepting this as an inherent characteristic of the material, and choosing what we knit out of it accordingly, can result in some beautiful, flattering clothing.
The types of garments Alpaca is most suited for, are flowing, body-skimming pieces that are knitted seamlessly and designed with a slouchy, relaxed effect in mind. The types of garments Alpaca is not suited for, are structured pieces that are seamed, and designed for a crisp, tailored look.
Because of its drapey nature, you also want to make sure your Alpaca yarn isn’t too heavy. When knitting a garment with pure Alpaca, it is best to work at a looser gauge, going up .25-.50mm in needle size from what you would normally use with wool yarn of the same weight. In order to take advantage of this fibre’s amazing drape, it’s best to ensure the yarn is buoyant.
When knitting a garment out of 100% Alpaca yarn, I suggest the following:
. choose a seamless design,
. go for at least 15cm of ease, and
. work at a looser gauge than you would with sheepswool.
{the fingering-weight Alpaca yarn on the right is equivalent in warmth to the DK sheepswool yarn on the left…}
ARE ALPACA GARMENTS UNBEARABLY WARM?
It is true that, holding everything else constant, Alpaca fibre is warmer than wool fibre. Therefore, a garment knitted with Alpaca yarn will be warmer than a garment knitted with sheepswool yarn of the same weight. Being aware of this, and selecting your yarn accordingly, will eliminate the possibility of overheating.
As I see it, the main benefit of Alpaca here, is that it keeps you as warm as wool, with less bulk. This means that, for the colder season, you can knit an alpaca sweater out of fingering-weight or sport-weight yarn, and get the same warmth as you would out of an aran-weight wool sweater. The advantage of choosing Alpaca in this scenario, is that the sport weight garment will be more versatile. The thinner yarn lends itself to dressier/ more elegant designs, suitable for work and parties and not just casual wear. You can fit the sport-weight Alpaca sweater under a tailored overcoat or blazer. You can pack it easier into a suitcase for travel. It will even take up less space in your closet. And finally, the meterage makes it more cost-effective to knit with.
If you want a rough translation chart of what level of warmth to expect from Alpaca compared to wool, in my experience it is something like this:
fingering weight Alpaca => as warm as DK weight sheepswool
sport weight Alpaca => as warm as Aran weight sheepswool
aran weight Alpaca => as warm as chunky weight sheepswool
chunky Alpaca => as warm as super bulky weight sheepswool
With this in mind, make sure to choose the Alpaca yarn appropriate for your season and climate, and overheating should not be an issue.
ARE SOME ALPACA YARNS ITCHY?
An additional thing I have heard recently - and this was a new one for me - is that 'cheap' Alpaca yarn can be itchy. Now, I cannot attest to all existing brands of alpaca yarn. But I routinely use Drops Alpaca in various weights, which I believe is as budget as it gets. Even this very inexpensive Alpaca is certainly softer and less itchy than typical lambswool.
In theory, it is not impossible that there could exist 'itchy' Alpaca yarns. Just as there could in theory exist itchy cashmere yarns. The way this could happen, is if fibres from the animal's rougher outer coat (i.e. the guard hairs, not normally used for yarn production) get mixed in with the soft undercoat fibre. I suppose this could happen if a yarn manufacturer is inexperienced. But happily, I have not personally encountered this problem with any of the Alpaca yarns I have tried.
It is no doubt because I have always lived in cold climates, that I appreciate Alpaca the way I do. I started out knitting hats out of it, having discovered that a hat made of Alpaca kept my ears warmer than a woollen hat. But it was knitting my first Alpaca pullover that made me truly fall in love with the fibre.
Over the years that pullover has seen me, unflinchingly, through kilos of weight fluctuation. It has fitted effortlessly under every jacket and coat I’ve owned. It has been my low maintenance travel companion. And on days when I’ve felt yucky, it has comforted with its gentle silky caress. It has kept me warm without insisting upon itself. And lucky for me, now that I live in Ireland I can even wear it in summer!
As for blending Alpaca with other fibres, there is of course nothing wrong with that either. Just be aware that blending Alpaca with plant-based fibres will reduce its moisture-wicking and temperature-regulairng properties - which for me personally is not a good thing, since I spend a lot of time being active in the cold. If I’m going to go for a blend, I would go for Alpaca-wool (ideally Blue Faced Leicester, for an optimal blend of softness and stability) or Alpaca-silk. But of course, to each their own. The main thing is to be informed; then we can make choices based on our individual use case scenarios.
In its pure form, Alpaca yarn is exceptionally soft, warm, drapey, and pleasant to knit with. I hope I have given you some food for thought, as to its potential for garments.
{comments via screen capture from original blog post}
