Alpaca Love

My current knitting love affair is with Alpaca.

For those of you who have either

 knitted with this sumptuous fiber

yourself or have been the recipient

 of a gift made in alpaca or baby alpaca,

you totally understand the allure.

Alpaca is softness personified.

As it floats through my fingers...

 I lose myself in a daydream.

I feel the tension rising up and leaving my

 body as my mind relaxes into the rhythm

of needles while this delicate fiber dances along,

 whispering in soothing motions to my soul.

Quite happily, my last couple of custom orders

called for either Alpaca or Baby Alpaca.

The hat on the left is made using Knit Picks

Simply Alpaca Aran

in Alma, which is a soft creamy almond color.

Though it comes in hank form and I have two yarn swifts,

sometimes I find the slow process of 

hand winding yarn into a ball very soothing,

which is why you see it that way as opposed  to a yarn cake.

What I really love about this fiber is that it is unbelievably soft.

Also it is undyed and unbleached meaning that all the colors are 

naturally occurring and there are no chemicals involved,

making it a wonderful choice for sensitive skin. 

This was the first time I had used this particular alpaca yarn

 and I ordered only the one hank to see how I would like it. 

I've already decided I will be using it from now on.

The smaller hat on the right is knit from

 Andean Treasure, one of my favorite

Baby Alpaca's that I've used many times from Knit Picks.

This yarn is a Sport Weight. 

The hat is made in the color Fog Heather and I used

Dogwood Heather to crochet the little rose

for the larger hat to girlie it up.

While we're on the subject of "girlie-ness"

you'll see I've sewn a glass pearl into the center of the rose

for that extra touch of sweet femininity.

There's a pair of booties to go along with the grey hat.

This smaller set is for a baby boy. 

I love the versatility of the cable knit ear flap baby hats and booties

because I can knit them for either a baby girl or boy.

Over the years I've used wool, wool blends, 

organic cotton and cotton blends

to make these hats and booties.

Sometimes I sell them in sets and other times individually.

They are oftentimes my go to baby gift for family and friends.

My grandkids came home from the hospital in them.

I have to say I love them best in the alpaca or baby alpaca.

What a perfect way to combine two of my favorite things;

knitting for babies and knitting with alpaca.

As heavenly as these luxury fibers are to work with,

the real moment of pure ecstasy happens when the

item is all finished and I run my hands over it

and even gently squish it around.

There are times I even make my family

 give a little squeeze to the hats

 because I just love that divine feeling so much!

I'm telling you,

 if you don't work with Alpaca, 

you are missing out!

It's a whole mind, body, spirit experience

 as far as I'm concerned.

Also, it is absolutely perfect for delicate

baby skin that has just arrived fresh from God

and needs to be kept warm and snuggly.

Alpaca isn't prickly like wool and contains no lanolin,

causing garments made from it to be comfortable and hypoallergenic.

It's also warmer than wool and naturally water - repellant.

So if you have a little one in your life

or feel the need to wrap yourself in the 

most incredible softness you've ever known,

 I recommend you try some of this fabulous fiber.

I promise,  your heart will be blessed either way.

"Babies are such a nice way to start people."

Don Herold