A Treasure In Our Midst!
Oh boy, did we discover something wonderful this week! We realized that we have a treasure in the shop that we didn’t know enough about!
We have mohair from several different companies and people love adding it to the main yarn in their projects. It adds depth, softness, and a bit of a fuzzy halo.
We also have skeins of Suri alpaca/silk blends from two different companies that were mixed in with the mohair.
Our discovery this week was how soft and luscious the Suri alpaca is and how there is no ‘prickle factor’ like there can be with mohair! In fact, we found out that some knitters much prefer Suri!
We compared the two with the not exactly scientific but ever so pleasing ‘touch and squish’ method and discovered quite a difference! The Suri won hands down!
Julie is at this moment knitting with it and any day now there will be a sample in the shop!
There are two types of alpaca: Huacaya (wah-KI-ya) and Suri (surrey).
Huacaya alpaca © Columbia Mist Alpacas
Huacaya alpacas make up at least 90% of the worldwide alpaca population. They’re the ones people are most familiar with and tend to look like teddy bears. Their fiber is curly and has lots of crimp. When you see a label with the general term ‘alpaca’ on it, it will be Huacaya.
Suri alpaca © AlpacaCollections.com
Suri alpaca fiber is what we’re interested in today. All alpaca is luxurious but Suri even more so. Suri alpacas look like they have dreadlocks! The main reason the prickle factor is non-existent is that the scales on the fiber are flat, thin, and sit against the surface. They don’t protrude and stick to your skin.
Suri is almost always blended with another fiber due to the fact that there is no crimp, no memory, and it tends to sag and loose shape on its own. However, it is much like silk and, when blended, those two fibers shine like no other. Huacaya, on the other hand, is much like wool.
Suri alpacas are only shorn every two years which makes the fiber even more precious. In fact, in ancient Inca civilization, it was considered the property of royals. Any commoner caught wearing Suri fabric was put to death!
Alpaca is heavy compared to wool which is why we usually see it blended with another fiber. We have quite a few alpaca blends (with Huacaya!) in the shop. It makes sense that the Suri we carry is a lace weight blended with silk. The exquisite lustrous fiber goes further when spun to such a light weight and can be added to anything!
We can’t wait for you to try it out! It looks a bit messy in the skein compared to mohair but don’t let that put you off. Pick it up and squish it and you’ll want to cast on right away! We’re eager to hear how you like it!
Happy Knitting!
