Alpa Cotton: Alpaca and Cotton blown yarn
The search for the most precious materials, to be combined to obtain unique yarns, is one of the focuses of Bettaknit, which has always been attentive to the quality and sustainability of its products.
It is with this mission that and Alpaca and Cotton blow yarn, Alpa Cotton, was born. It is an all-natural blown yarn, made up of an undyed cotton chain, inside which alpaca fibers are blow.
Blown yarns: lightness in a ball
Blown yarns are a particular type of yarn, produced with a special spinning machine, which aggregates the fibers without using the traditional twist. While very small needles weave a very fine tubular, the fibers are blown inside, remaining stuck in the mesh of this very thin net.
The yarn obtained is therefore very light: the fibers, not undergoing any twisting process, remain fluffy and the garments made with this type of yarn are incomparably lighter than those made with traditional yarns.
Furthermore, thanks to their particular structure, the “blown yarns”, once worn, create a sort of “insulating chamber” between the body and the external environment, keeping the body temperature stable and promoting perspiration.
Generally, to increase the yarn’s lightness, the tubular base of the blown yarns is made of synthetic materials.
We at Bettaknit wanted to create an all-natural blown yarn, combining the wonderful alpaca fibers with a tubular net of mako cotton, a type of cotton of the highest quality, of Egyptian origin, to obtain a warm and light yarn, such as Alpa Cotton.
Alpaca: a luxury fiber
We already know that alpaca fiber is classified as a luxury fiber. We also used it for our Woolpaca yarn, in alpaca and wool. It is in fact much more resistant, warm, and soft than sheep’s wool, it also does not contain lanolin, and is therefore hypoallergenic. It can be compared to a high-end cashmere to the touch and it is appreciated for its thermal properties and lightness.
For Alpa Cotton, we have chosen the “Fine Alpaca” fibers, i.e. the finest and most delicate fibers, to obtain precious and very warm balls.
Mako cotton: the best cotton for Alpaca and Cotton blown yarn
Not all kinds of cotton are the same. Mako cotton is a top-quality cotton grown in Upper Egypt, along the course of the Nile River. It takes its name from the name of the ruler of the place where this extraordinary variety of cotton was first discovered.
Mako cotton has extra long fibers (about 33 mm and more) and it is resistant, yet soft and shiny, like silk.
It is for these peculiarities that Mako cotton was selected to create the chain at the center of our Alpa Cotton yarn. And to further enhance its qualities, the cotton is natural, without any dyeing.
Technical information: weight and length of Alpa Cotton, which needles to use
- Suggested knitting needles: 4 or 5 mm
We advise you to work this yarn with thicker needles, to let the structure of the yarn restore the right softness.
- Suggested crochet hook: 4mm
- Ball weight: 50 gr
It is so soft and voluminous that although the ball weighs only 50 g, it seems much bigger!
- Yarn length: 165 m / 180.45 yd
- Composition: 51% Fine Alpaca – 49% Makò Cotton
- Colors: 14 colors available, and more to come!
Alpa Cotton colors are lively, in perfect Bettaknit style. The decision to make a chain of undyed cotton, with colored alpaca fibers, gives the yarn very special colors.
The effect of the garment worked with Alpa Cotton is therefore of great impact!
How to work Alpa Cotton?
Although it is suitable for both knitting and crocheting, the blown alpaca and cotton yarn, Alpa Cotton, gives its best in knitting, making the garments ultra-light and very warm.
It works well with all the knit stitches, which are well defined, such as the Hearts Ribbing Stitch, of which we wrote the tutorial here; however, the openwork stitches enhance its characteristics even more. Perfect examples are the Clara Sweater and Bluebell Cardi knit kits.
If we have intrigued you and you want to buy Alpa Cotton, you can find it on our website, also in packs of 5 or 10 balls. We will be happy to see your creations shared on social networks (Facebook, Instagram) with the hashtag #bettaknit and #alpacotton.
