alpacare® wool is a yarn that has been treated so that it can be washed in the washing machine without shrinking or felting.
Natural wool yarn does not tolerate high temperatures well and as a result the yarn will shrink and felt when put in the washing machine.
A scenario that every knitting and crochet enthusiast would certainly like to avoid. It is more than annoying to hold a wool sweater in your hands that has shrunk by two sizes during washing!
However, if you decide to make your knitting or crochet projects from alpacare® yarn, you can avoid this horror scenario.
Let us first look at the process by which normal wool is transformed into alpacare® wool.
The key is in the name: alpacare® is a treatment method for alpaca yarns that allows them to be washed in the washing machine without shrinking or felting.
Alpaca wool is a natural protein fiber made up of many tiny, overlapping scales. These scales do not tolerate heat or sudden changes in temperature very well. When alpaca wool is washed at high temperatures, the scales open up and become entangled, causing the wool to mat.
During the alpacare® treatment, the scales are removed and the fibers are coated with a thin layer that protects the wool at higher temperatures.
How do you care for alpacare® yarns?
As mentioned above, alpacare® is machine washable, making alpacare® wool the perfect choice for knitted or crocheted clothes for babies and children – or for yourself if you don’t have the patience to wash your clothes by hand.
However, you should still be careful when using your washing machine.
You should wash clothes made of alpacare® wool on the wool cycle or on the gentle cycle at a maximum of 30 °C (86 °F).
It is also advisable to use a wool detergent. However, you should avoid fabric softener as it can affect the fit of the garment. We recommend our alpacare® organic alpaca wool detergent specifically for alpaca clothing, which makes your knitting projects beautifully soft.
Do not tumble dry alpacare® yarns.
Test our alpacare® yarn
I can especially recommend alpacare® Baby DK 100 and alpacare® Baby 420 Socks. Both yarns are soft and beautiful and come in many great colors. They are perfect for knitting and crocheting all kinds of products such as socks, sweaters, hats and scarves for children and adults.