Sugar Cane

OMG.  Sugar cane yarn is the softest, smoothest, shiniest yarn in the whole wide world!  I can't find any manufacturing information on the interwebs, which only strengthens my initial feeling that it must be made with rainbows and fairies and unicorns and happiness.

My Sugar Cane Yarn:
My silver Araucania Ruca looks metallic.  But it's not.  It's 100% sugar cane. 

*This is the Periwinkle, not the Silver, but it's a good illustrator of the Shiny.

•  Texture: It's the softer, splittier cousin of cotton/seaweed/corn yarn baby.  5 Yarngasms.
• Durability: It's holding up after several wears.  I am a little worried about the snagging; catch it on anything and it shreds like cotton candy.  3.5 Yarngasms.
• Frogability: It's so pretty and delicate and lacking a lot of twist - it's not going to hold up to repeated froggings.  1.5 Yarngasms. 
• Drape: It shows off openwork like seaweed, but just a little lighter to wear.  It would be a really nice summer project yarn.  4.5 Yarngasms.

My Project:
The Ruca is a perfect yarn for a dressier project because of the Shiny.  I decided I needed a snazzy little cardi and found The Betty Minisweater.  I had never done a Roman Stripe stitch.  It was fun and the tiniest bit challenging. The stitch looks very similar to a crochet stitch, which means I get a lot of people asking about how I crocheted my sweater.  They are amazed when I explain that I did it with two pointy sticks.

Alpaca

Remember that little post about the difference (or lack thereof) between alpacas & llamas?  It was all in preparation for this moment.  This one, right here.  And another one, later on.  Quick recap: alpacas are roughly the size of an adult human and have soft, floofy, fleecy goodness.

Ask not what you can do for Alpaca, but what Alpaca can do for you:
Alpaca fleece is hypoallergenic, water repellent and difficult to ignite.  Cool, no?

My Alpaca Yarn:
I was at the Shepard's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival last spring when I eye-spied this lovely yarn from EnchantedMeadows Alpacas and Goats.  They are super nice people who sell an amazing amount of yarn for a v. reasonable price.  I highly recommend picking up a hank or two (or three or ten) if you see them out and about.

 

Texture: It's soft and fuzzy and cozy.  3.5 Yarngasms.

Durability: The fuzzy becomes frizzy when frogged too much, worn a lot or mishandled in the washing process.  Alpaca is a fragile fiber, I tell ya.  2.5 Yarngasms.

Frogability: I wouldn't frog it if you paid me.  See above.  2 Yarngasms.

Drape: Alpaca is in that weird in-between place where it's not like making something with chain mail, but it's also not quite heavy enough to really show off openwork.  3 Yarngasms.

My Alpaca Project:
I made the Double V Cardigan by Melissa Wehrle from Interweave Knits, Spring 2010 (Ravelry link).  I love all of Melissa's designs.  You should too.  She rocks.

So.  Alpaca.  I've knit a few things with the fiber.  And I've loved all of them.  I've loved them so much that they more closely resemble a big piece of lint.  Like the Double V Cardi, I'm constantly picking fuzzballs the size of TX off my clothes after I wear it.  What is a girl to do then?  I want to keep knitting with alpaca because it's soft and warm and pretty inexpensive, but I need something that can withstand my not-so-delicate lifestyle.  I guess the best I can say is knit at your own risk and know yourself or the person for whom you are knitting the piece.

Speaking of TX, I'll be in Austin this weekend.  I think a trip to the Knitting Nest is in order!