Posted on

Cleaning Alpaca Sweaters

You’ve just invested in a luxurious alpaca sweater. How do you care for it properly? Here are a few tips on cleaning alpaca sweaters for you.

Many times the label on an alpaca sweater will tell you “dry clean only.” Well, if you are independently wealthy, that is certainly an option. In many cases, however, it is equally O.K. to hand wash the sweater – just take care to use cool water & a mild detergent, & gently squeeze the sweater in the water rather than wringing it out. Gently rinse the sweater in similarly cool clean water & then roll the sweater in a large towel to blot out the excess moisture. Lay it flat to dry. Your sweater will be beautiful for years to come!

What about storage of your alpaca sweater? Next time we’ll give you some tips about storing alpaca sweaters that you may not have been aware of.

Posted on

Alpaca Yarn Stripes on a Pin Loom

Stripe Alpaca WeavieWhat if you’re more of a “stripe” than a “check” sort of person? Using alpaca yarn to create a basic stripe pattern on a pin loom turns out to be super easy. Here’s how: Do the first wrap with one color (Color A). Cut off that yarn, & tie on the second color yarn (Color B) with a single loose knot, moving the knot as close as possible to the loom. Use this second yarn color for the second & third wraps. Cut it then, & tie on the first color yarn (A) – use that color for the weaving stage. Check out my first alpaca striped weavie at the left.

How much yarn does it take for a stripe weavie of this kind? If you’re using a 2-ply sport weight alpaca yarn, as I did, the weavie takes about 4.5 yds. of Color A (used for the first wrap & weaving) & 3.67 yds. of Color B (used for second & third wraps).

Once you’ve gotten the idea of how to create these square weavies, what next? There are tons of options, but basic to many of them is the need to attach multiple squares together.   Next time we’ll talk about some simple ways to accomplish that.

 

Posted on

Alpaca Glittens

Alpaca Glittens
Alpaca Glittens

 

Alpaca glittens are one name that’s been coined for alpaca handwear that’s a combination of gloves and mittens. They are alpaca mittens that have a removable flap over the finger area. The flap can be folded back when the fingers are needed for some task, and at other times the fingers are kept warm inside the flap covering. What a great invention! Alpaca glittens come in a wide variety of colors and prints, all designed to give you practical functionality as well as keeping you wonderfully warm and toasty.

Posted on

Alpaca Chullos

788_DefAlpaca chullos are a popular style of alpaca hat that have ear coverings or ear flaps. They come in a wide range of colorful prints as well as in solid colors. With colors & designs to suit every taste, you can be as conservative or as adventurous as you like. As an additional feature, an alpaca chullo typically features long braids hanging from the ear flaps as well as a tassel or pom pom at the top of the hat. Since it’s made from alpaca, you’ll find the alpaca chullo not only a fun style but very cozy & warm for winter wear.

Posted on

Alpaca Yarn – Checkerboard Patterning on a Pin Loom

How about using alpaca yarn on a pin loom? Just for fun I then tried some of my stash of alpaca yarn (sport weight) on another practice square. What a difference! The weaving needle moved easily in & out through the warp threads with no problem. I even worked with 2 different colors of alpaca yarn (of the same weight) to see if I could get a checkered pattern. Easy as pie, as it turns out: After winding on the warp threads with one color of yarn, simply switch to a second color for the step using the weaving needle. The second color shows up as the checks against the background first color. The pic below shows the square I made in this fashion, using fawn alpaca yarn as the background color (the warp), & black alpaca yarn as the checkered foreground color.

Check Alpaca WeavieSo how much yarn does it take to make a pin loom square? Not much, so you can feel free to experiment without fear of wasting a lot of expensive yarn. For the 4 inch checkered alpaca yarn square, I used about 5.5 yards of the first color (for the 3 wrap layers) and about 2.5 yards of the second color (for the weaving step).

O.K., once you’ve gotten the idea of how to create these square “weavies”, what next?  There are tons of options but basic to many of them is attaching multiple squares together.  Next time we’ll talk about some simple ways to accomplish that.

Posted on 8 Comments

My Pin Loom Saga with Alpaca Yarn Begins

As a weaving adventure, I was interested in seeing how my wonderfully soft alpaca yarn would fare when woven on a pin loom.   This thought occurred to me when I was recently introduced to the pin loom for the first time (pin looms actually have a long history).

Pin Loom

Exactly what is a pin loom anyway? The pin loom is a miniature size weaving loom that’s typically square in shape with series of pins around the 4 sides (pic shows a 4 inch square pin loom). Yarn is wrapped back & forth across the pins in specific ways to form the “warp” threads, & then a long weaving needle is used to draw yarn crosswise through the warp threads to lock the threads in place. A square piece of cloth can be woven in just a few minutes in this fashion. At least, that is the theory!

Cotton Weavie

How to start? Excited to try out my pin loom, I gave the instruction sheets only a quick glance. Not wanting to use my beautiful alpaca yarn for a first practice run, I decided to use some yarn from my stash of multicolor cotton yarn for this purpose. What a struggle that was – it turns out that cotton yarn is a very poor choice for a beginner as it has no stretch or “give.” I can certainly validate that, as I had a terrible time getting the weaving needle to move in & out of the tightly strung cotton warp threads. Doggedly persisting, I eventually did finish the fabric square (pic at the right).

Later going back to more carefully read the instruction sheets, I only then found out that the recommendation was to begin by using a yarn which has more stretch to it, like alpaca or wool. Also important was the advice to wrap the warp threads loosely so that the weaving needle is able to pass through them readily, ESPECIALLY if using cotton yarn! Nice to know these things.

Check back next week to hear about my pin loom experience with alpaca yarn, & what type of alpaca yarn I used.

Posted on

Tips for Alpaca Mittens and Gloves

Hi, Alpaca Mittens & Gloves Fans!  There are so many different alpaca mittens & gloves options for fans or would-be fans of alpaca handwear that it can be overwhelming choosing among them.   How do you choose?  It’s hard to go wrong, as alpaca gloves & alpaca mittens of whatever style will be wonderfully warm, and unlike wool, they’re not itchy or scratchy on the skin.  Why not?  Unlike sheep’s wool, alpaca fiber does not contain lanolin, the common reason for itchiness.  Moreover, alpaca fiber has a hollow core which makes it ideal for retaining warmth.

As for choosing among the many different styles, the primary consideration should be the uses to which you’d like to put the alpaca gloves/mittens.  Lighter-weight styles are perfect for milder weather or as a liner underneath other gloves or mittens, while heavier-weight styles are great even for very cold, extended-time winter wear.

Have you heard about alpaca glittens?  They’re another style of alpaca handwear that we’ll talk about next week, so check back then if you’re curious about those.

If you have any other questions about alpaca gloves or alpaca mittens that you’d like us to answer for you, feel free to ask & we’ll be happy to answer.

Posted on

Introduction to Alpaca Hats

Welcome to the world of alpaca hats!  They’re super popular as a choice for winter headwear & come in a wonderful array of different styles to suit different individual preferences & needs.  One of the most popular alpaca hat styles is the chullo or earflap style.  This is a traditional Peruvian design that’s great fun as well as providing wonderful warmth on those chilly winter days.  We’ll describe some examples for you next time, & point out features to look for in choosing your own alpaca chullo.