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What's so unique about alpaca yarn

Firstly, it's about the alpacas

Although all but one range of the yarn we sell comes from alpacas living in the UK, alpacas were originally bred by Incas in the mountains of Peru, where the temperatures regularly swing from -18C at night to +20C during the day. So the alpacas developed to survive. The fibre has a unique hollow quality, and the trapped air expands and contracts with the temperature.

What that means for us

This means it keeps you warm when it's cold, but keeps you cool when it's hot.

It's also naturally water-repellent. As evidence, we wear our hats in the rain and come in with totally dry hair ... so finally, knitwear that you can wear in wind, rain and sunshine!

The Sustainable Story
  1. Alpacas themselves: like deer, they are ruminants, which means they cut grass rather than tearing it out from the roots like sheep and goats. 
  2. The yarn: because it contains no lanolin it can be processed at low temperatures and without harsh chemicals. 
  3. All the DK and Chunky yarn is either from our own alpacas or other UK based alpacas which reduces mileage
  4. Alpaca products provide a lifetime of wear... click here for the full sustainable story

What else

Alpaca yarn is popular because it’s so soft, durable, luxurious and silky. In fact, it's stronger than mohair, finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, warmer than goosedown, and more breathable than thermal knits. While it's similar to sheep’s wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and has no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. 

Knitting for Mental Health

The power of crafts and creativity to improve our mental and physical well-being are well proven, and most knitters will, when asked, say they love it because it helps them relax or because they love what the make. Here's some of the research that supports them:

  • Knitting lowers the heart rate by an average of 11 beats per minute
Harvard Medical School, Mind & Body Institute 2011
  • Knitting reduces loneliness and increases our sense of usefulness and inclusion
The Mayo Clinic 2011
  • Knitting improves cognitive skills & reduces memory loss
The Mayo Clinic 2011
  • 83% knitters & crochetiers say that the biggest benefit of learning the skill is a sense of accomplishment
The Craft Council

Knitting with Quality

Alpaca yarn is popular because it’s so soft, durable, luxurious and silky. In fact, it's stronger than mohair, finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, warmer than goosedown, and more breathable than thermal knits. While it's similar to sheep’s wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and has no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. 

The fibre has a unique hollow quality that means it keeps you warm when it's cold, but keeps you cool when it's hot. It means it's also naturally water-repellent. As evidence, we wear our hats in the rain and come in with totally dry hair ... so finally, knitwear that you can wear in wind, rain and sunshine!

lt's even flame resistant and has been graded Class 1 in clothing & furnishing by US Consumer Product Safety Commission.