Baby Alpaca is a 100% alpaca yarn prized for its softness, light weight, and beautiful drape. Comfortable against the skin, it creates supple, enveloping fabrics for both weaving and knitting.

Made in Peru and OEKO-TEX® certified, this fine yarn comes in 50 g balls with 212 m (232 yd) of yarn. Its softness and fluid drape make it an excellent choice for scarves, shawls, garments, and accessories where comfort and movement are especially important.

At a Glance

✔ 100% Baby Alpaca
✔ Yarn count 4/9
✔ Exceptionally soft and lightweight
✔ Beautiful, fluid drape
✔ For weaving and knitting
✔ 50 g – 212 m (232 yd)
✔ Made in Peru
✔ OEKO-TEX® certified

Why Choose Baby Alpaca?

Baby Alpaca is valued for the fineness of its fibres and the wonderfully soft textiles it can produce. It provides warmth without creating an unnecessarily heavy fabric and naturally offers beautiful drape.

Despite what its name might suggest, Baby Alpaca does not necessarily mean that the fibre comes from young animals. The term refers to a particularly fine grade of alpaca fibre.

• Very soft and comfortable against the skin
• Natural warmth without excessive weight
• Beautiful drape
• Rich colour appearance
• Well suited to soft, comfortable garments and accessories

Understanding the 4/9 Yarn Count

This Baby Alpaca is identified by the manufacturer with a 4/9 yarn count.

Because yarn-count systems and their notation can vary between manufacturers and yarn families, the length-to-weight ratio is particularly useful when evaluating this yarn: each 50 g ball contains approximately 212 m (232 yd).

When comparing this yarn with another yarn or determining whether it is suitable for a particular project, we recommend considering its yardage, fibre content, chosen weave structure, and the finished result you want to achieve.

An Excellent Choice for Weaving

Baby Alpaca creates soft, wearable fabrics with beautiful movement. Its natural drape makes it especially appealing for projects where a stiff fabric would be undesirable.

It can be used in both warp and weft. Maintaining an even tension without excessive strain helps preserve the yarn's natural softness during weaving.

It is particularly well suited to:

• scarves;
• shawls and wraps;
• garment fabrics;
• accessories;
• lightweight blankets.

Suggested Sett

• Plain weave: approximately 8 to 10 ends per inch
• Twill: approximately 10 to 12 ends per inch

These setts are starting points. The weave structure, beat, loom, and desired drape can all influence the ideal sett for a particular project.

As always, sampling is the best way to adjust the sett for your loom, beat, chosen structure, and desired finished fabric.

Also Ideal for Knitting

The softness and drape of Baby Alpaca also make it a beautiful knitting yarn, particularly for pieces designed to be worn close to the skin.

It is especially suitable for:

• scarves and shawls;
• lightweight sweaters and garments;
• hats;
• mittens;
• accessories.

Because needle size depends on the stitch pattern and the fabric you want to create, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch before beginning your project.

Technical Specifications

• Fibre content: 100% Baby Alpaca
• Yarn count: 4/9
• Put-up: ball
• Weight: 50 g
• Length: 212 m (232 yd)
• Origin: Peru
• Certification: OEKO-TEX®
• Recommended uses: weaving and knitting
• Suggested sett – plain weave: 8–10 ends per inch
• Suggested sett – twill: 10–12 ends per inch

Care

To preserve the softness and natural drape of Baby Alpaca, we recommend gentle hand washing in room-temperature or slightly lukewarm water with a soap suitable for delicate fibres.

Avoid agitation and sudden changes in water temperature. Do not wring the fabric. Gently remove excess water with a towel, then lay flat to dry away from direct heat.

Why We Love It

We chose this Baby Alpaca for its softness, but especially for the quality of the fabric it creates. In weaving, it produces a supple, fluid textile that beautifully reveals the depth of the colours after finishing.

These are precisely the qualities that led us to choose it for Brume, our three-colour twill scarf. The project highlights the yarn's beautiful drape while allowing the different shades to interact within the woven structure.

Weave Brume with This Yarn

Brume is a twill scarf designed specifically for this Baby Alpaca yarn. Three colours come together in the weaving to create a soft, lightweight, and enveloping fabric.

Choose the Brume kit, which includes the yarn in a coordinated colourway along with the PDF pattern, or purchase the pattern separately and create your own combination from the available Baby Alpaca colours.

Discover More

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FAQ

Is Baby Alpaca itchy?
Its fine fibres make Baby Alpaca particularly soft and comfortable to wear against the skin. Sensitivity to animal fibres, however, varies from person to person.

Can it be used as warp?
Yes. This yarn can be used in both warp and weft. We recommend maintaining an even tension without excessive strain and, as with any unfamiliar yarn, sampling before beginning a large project.

Is it suitable for a rigid heddle loom?
Yes. It can be used on a rigid heddle loom for scarves, shawls, and other soft fabrics. Choose the heddle and sett according to the weave structure and finished fabric you want to achieve.

Can I combine it with other fibres?
Yes. Baby Alpaca can be combined with other fibres to explore differences in texture, drape, colour, and fabric properties. Be sure to consider how the different fibres may behave during washing and finishing.

What sett should I use?
As a starting point, we suggest approximately 8 to 10 ends per inch for plain weave and 10 to 12 ends per inch for twill. These values are guidelines; sampling remains the best way to determine the appropriate sett for your project.