This yarn is soft and moist to the touch, and its rustic beige color gives a gentle warmth. This is the yarn to choose when you want to knit an elegant and warm knit for the cold season. Here is a detailed review of the charms of this natural alpaca yarn.
The fluffy, moist feel of a ball of yarn when you lightly wrap your hands around it is irresistible – this softness is the charm of natural alpaca. There are two yarn thicknesses, wosted and bulky, and I chose bulky this time because I wanted to knit a soft and rich-looking knit. There are six different colors available, and I chose beige, which is bright but not too bright, and gives a rustic feel.
What kind of yarn is Natural Alpaca?
The greatest appeal of natural alpaca is, of course, its softness. This softness seems to be due to the combination of fine, high-quality alpaca fur called “baby alpaca” in the composition of the yarn.
To learn more about this natural alpaca, let’s look at the basic specifications of this yarn from the label description. See the table below.
| Product name | Natural Alpaca |
| Color | 2 |
| Lot | A |
| Composition | Wool 60%, Baby Alpaca 40% |
| Weight | 100g |
| Length | 150m |
| Needles for reference | Needle No. 8-10, Crochet hook No. 8/0 |
| Standard gauge | 16S, 24R (10cmsquare) |
| Sales agency | Yuzawaya |
First of all, regarding the color number, this yarn is available in color numbers 1 through 6, and for this review, I chose color number 2, beige.
And most noteworthy is the composition section. According to the description, this yarn is 60% wool with 40% baby alpaca in the mix. Wool may also be selected for its fine fibers, but it is the high content of baby alpaca that produces the soft feel that is the greatest appeal of natural alpaca.
The standard gauge is 16S x 24R, and I measured the actual thickness of the yarn, which was about 4mm. It is labeled as “Bulky” but I think it is an easy thickness to use for various works.
Next, let’s look at the washing symbols.
The laundry label for natural alpaca states:●Hand wash with a mild detergent at max 40°C (104°F), ●Do not bleach, ●Do not tumble dry. ●Dry flat in the shade, ●Iron at max 110°C (230°F) using cloth pad, ●Dry cleaning with perchloroethylene and petroleum solvents is possible (add 2% water to the solvent). It is nice to know that this yarn can be hand washed at home.
Impression of actually knitting Natural Alpaca
While pulling the yarn out of the yarn ball, let’s take a deeper look at the charm of this Natural Alpaca. The first thing you will feel is the soft and moist texture, as I have already mentioned. And it could be said that this moist feeling, which can be felt through the fingertips rather than softness, is the most notable charm of Natural Alpaca. Where does this moist feeling really come from? Perhaps it is because of the large amount of baby alpaca in the product.
It is said that the characteristics of baby alpaca fur include: 1) fine fibers, 2) moderate oil content, and 3) smooth fiber surfaces (called scales, which are like cuticles). Unfortunately, this is hard to tell without actually touching it, but it is really moist.
The thickness of the yarn is uniform, and the twists are evenly spaced and neatly arranged, giving the impression of high quality. There are no neps (knots in the yarn) at all.
The tensile strength of the yarn is sufficient, as it does not break when pulled with both hands.
Next, let’s knit a swatch to see the look of the yarn’s knit texture.
The picture below shows the knitted fabric when knitting at 15.5 S x 22R.
It looks soft and has an elegant atmosphere that is unique to beige. The coloring is almost uniform, but when the yarn is magnified, it is clear that the fibers are not all beige, but include dark brown fibers evenly throughout the yarn. Very rarely, black hairs are also mixed in.
There is a slight fluff on the surface of the yarn overall, but it is not that noticeable. There are no stains or damages.
However, this wool is weak against friction, and the yarn fibers fluff up and peel off when rubbed hard. This yarn seems to pill easily.
When you bend the knitted fabric, it bends very flexibly. On the other hand, you can feel the thickness of the yarn, which is typical of Bulky yarns.
One thing that I noticed is that there are thin black furs sticking out from some parts of the yarn, which look like human hair. It is best to remove these furs by pinching them with your fingertips whenever you find them while knitting.
Projects using Natural Alpaca
I knitted a women’s cardigan using Natural Alpaca “Bulky” and “beige (color number 2)”. I chose a design that can be worn loosely, which is only possible with bulky yarn.
The Seed Stitches lines stand out casually in the beige knitted fabric, giving it an elegant yet cute look.
How do you like it? A cardigan knitted in Natural Alpaca with a really moist feel.
The knitting pattern is from the book “2023-24 手編み大好き！AUTUMN&WINTER” (Seibido Shuppan). It is a really great design.
How to purchase Natural Alpaca
If you are in Japan, please look for it at Yuzawaya stores nationwide or Yuzawaya’s online shop.
