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PART TWO

good for you!FIBRE IS

In the second part of our feature we look at the more luxurious fibres and blends available, from cosy wool and alpaca to soft mohair,

cashmere and silk, and find out what they’re good for…

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For many years alpaca has been hailed as the ‘new cashmere’ due to its incredibly soft, luxurious feel. Thanks to its hollow fibres, which act as mini insulating rods, it’s very warm, making it perfect for winter accessories. A pure alpaca jumper can actually be too hot for many people, so if you want to take advantage of the softness of alpaca for a garment, consider using a blend instead. Unlike wool, which has natural elasticity, alpaca has a tendency to ‘grow’ over time, so it’s better to make garments in pieces rather than seamlessly, as the structure added by

Wool is breathable yet highly absorbent, so if you get caught in a rain shower in a woollen jumper it will keep you dry. As long as it’s not a boiling hot day, it will also keep you cooler for the same reasons. Wool is long-lasting and softens with wear, so make sure you keep the moths away and a wool jumper could last decades. Thanks to its naturally anti-bacterial properties, wool also requires far less washing than other fibres. Use superwash yarn if you want to wash it in a machine though, as otherwise it can felt! Like other animal fibres, wool has a ‘memory’. If you wet

seams helps to prevent your top from stretching! While a huge amount of alpaca fibre comes from South America, brands like Toft Alpacas and UK Alpaca process alpaca fibre for owners of small herds in the UK, so it’s easy to buy British alpaca yarn.

it and stretch it out (known as blocking) it will keep the shape it dries into, making it perfect for lace, which needs ‘opening out’ after knitting. Choose wool for blankets, aran sweaters and close-fitting tops. If you’re worried about it being itchy, wear a short length tied around a necklace or watch and see if it irritates you.

Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine Chunky This is a

luxurious blend of 40% alpaca, 40% wool and 20% silk – ideal

for quick-knit accessories.

Woolyknit Blue Faced Leicester A DK weight yarn that’s super-soft to touch, with a subtle palette of colours to select from.

Stylecraft Alpaca Tweed A mix of 77% acrylic, 20%

alpaca and 3% viscose, this great value yarn also comes in solid coloured DK and chunky versions.

MillaMia Naturally Soft Aran Colour-lovers will fall head over heels for this gorgeous Merino,

which has a subtle sheen and comes in 36 shades. A sport-weight, it works

brilliantly in Fair Isle.

DROPS Nepal A great budget choice, Nepal has a subtle colour mix in each of its 16 Mix

shades plus 24 solid Uni Colour options.

Sublime Extra Fine Merino Worsted The DK version of this yarn has been a hit, and

now it comes in a slightly heavier weight too.

Pure alpaca creates an incredibly warm fabric, so go for a blend if you’re knitting a garment.

Soft, hardwearing and good to have around in a rainstorm, wool is great for practical knits!

WOOL

ALPACA

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& SILK

While many yarns claim to be as soft as cashmere and as luxurious as silk, there is something very special about the real deal. Incredibly light, yet very warm, cashmere is combed from the tummies of mountain goats (yes, really!), and is very expensive. It’s the top choice for a precious one-off knit. Many yarns include a touch of cashmere for softness, but few contain large quantities. On a budget? Choose yarn with a small amount of cashmere or save up for a pricier pure yarn.

Strong and striking, silk is a favourite with lace knitters who love super fine

While the ‘80s saw a brief spike in the presence of mohair on the high street, in the knitting world it has only ever grown in popularity. It’s usually blended with silk or nylon to create a fluffy, strong yarn that takes dye brilliantly and looks amazing in complex lace patterns. If you like the feel of mohair but you’re worried about whether it’ll be itchy, use the necklace trick again (see Wool) before you commit to knitting a whole garment. You’ll find it may feel quite itchy in warmer weather but not in cold, so give it a chance! Held double, laceweight

yarns in vibrant colours. As well as pure silk yarns, alpaca and wool/silk mixes are popular choices for shawls and scarves. Silk is also a lovely choice for light, drapey garments and, thanks to its sheen, gives noticeable stitch definition, even to plain stocking stitch.

mohair-mix yarns such as Debbie Bliss Angel and Rowan Kidsilk Haze create a warm, soft, eminently strokeable fabric that adds something special to plain stocking stitch garments.

Rowan Kidsilk Haze Still probably the best-known

mohair yarn, it’s a mix of mohair and silk and it remains one of our

favourites! There’s also a super-luxe version, Kidsilk Haze Shine, scattered with

Swarovski crystals.

Louisa Harding Grace Grace is a huge seller for Louisa Harding and it’s easy to see why. A single-ply DK blend of 50/50 wool and silk, it comes in an enormous

range of colours.

Bergère de France Cachemire A finer DK yarn

that knits up on 3½mm needles, this is a blend of cashmere and wool that

comes in under £10 a ball, which is relatively cheap

for this luxury fibre!

Schoppel Wolle Merino Lace If you’re looking for a mohair bargain, look no

further! With 400m per 50g, and a lower price

than 25g balls of mohair/silk blends, this is a great

budget option.

For knits with their own fluffy halo, hazy mohair yarns are an ever-popular choice with knitters.

Cashmere has incomparable softness, while silk is great for light, drapey knits with sheen.

MOHAIR

CASHMERE

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Debbie Bliss Angel Slightly fluffier than Kidsilk Haze, this is a really dreamy, romantic

yarn. It’s light and airy, with a shimmering sheen thanks to the silk, and it comes in

over 30 shades, from eye-popping hues like Flame and Acid to pale but pretty Rose and

Mint. The pattern support includes some super-sweet designs for little girls.

Fyberspates Scrumptious Super soft and squishy, this silk/wool blend is

available in a variety of weights, and is the yarn Fyberspates is best known for. It comes in a range of vibrant shades – you

might find it tricky to pick a favourite!