I was blessed with the chance to play with Ashford's new fibre that is coming out soon. It's a blend of 30% alpaca and 70% marino, and it's fantastic.
It is so soft that the first thing that came to mind is that this must be what baby angels use to knit their wing cozies. What?!? Didn't you know it gets cold in the clouds and that baby angels need something to keep their wings warm when they venture out from heaven?
I was curious to see how it would draft. Quite often when two different fibres are blended together, the different fibre lengths make things more challenging, but not here. Both the alpaca and the wool have very similar staple lengths and diameters, which make it a dream to spin.
This fibre makes a very eaven yarn, and I'm sorry, my photos aren't doing the colours justice. I would suggest this fibre for anyone from "I've played with a spindle once or twice" beginner level, to "I was born spinning" expert. The alpaca makes the fibre extra insulating, so expect it to be much warmer than Ashford's regular marino or their merino silk. I'm thinking it would make great winter socks.
My favourite colours are the grey, the light blue, and the red. But it's really difficult to choose. This is going to be a big hit when it gets to the stores. But shhh, don't tell anyone I mentioned it.
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