RE-ALPACA: THE ECO-FRIENDLY RECYCLED ALPACA YARN
Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important aspect to consider even in the world of knitting and crochet. With RE-Alpaca, the new yarn made of recycled alpaca, wool, and polyamide, Bettaknit has prioritized sustainability and respect for the environment!
RE-Alpaca: features
Composition
RE-Alpaca is a unique yarn made of 68% recycled alpaca fibers, 10% recycled wool, and 22% recycled polyamide. This combination makes the perfect yarn that blends softness, warmth, and durability while respecting nature.
Alpaca fiber is renowned for its exceptional softness and warmth. The recycling process preserves these qualities, ensuring a high-quality yarn. The recycled polyamide provides resistance and stability while maintaining surprising lightness.
Structure
In addition to alpaca and wool, RE-Alpaca contains a percentage of recycled polyamide that plays a key role in its structure.
RE-Alpaca is a “blown” yarn, a special type of yarn produced with a unique spinning machine that aggregates the fibers without using traditional twisting. Tiny needles weave a very fine tubular structure of recycled polyamide, while the recycled wool and alpaca fibers are blown inside, getting trapped in the mesh of this extremely fine network.
But there’s more: RE-Alpaca yarn is enriched with tiny colored “confetti” of wool and alpaca fibers, which create a captivating effect, similar to tweed yarns. These colored fibers are randomly distributed along the yarn, adding a touch of liveliness and originality to your projects.
The result is an incredibly lightweight yarn: since the fibers are not subjected to any twisting process, they remain fluffy, and the garments made from this type of yarn are incomparably lighter than those made with traditional yarns.
Technical info: weight, length, needle sizes
- Needles: 5 – 6 mm / US 8 – 10
- Crochet Hook: 4 – 5 mm / US G6 – H8
- Ball Weight: 50 gr
- Ball Length: 110 m / 120 yd
- Composition: 68% recycled alpaca, 10% recycled wool, 22% recycled polyamide
It comes in 3 color options, combining a neutral base with vibrant color accents.
YOU MIGHT NEED
RE-Alpaca: an ethical choice for the environment
Choosing recycled yarns like RE-Alpaca (but also our beloved RE-Cashmere and Love My Jeans yarns!) means making a conscious and sustainable choice that helps reduce waste and supports a circular economy. In a world where resources are becoming increasingly precious, small gestures like this can make a big difference.
RE-Alpaca: how it’s made
In the case of RE-Alpaca, the fiber recycling process involves selecting so-called “scraps“, which are leftover fibers from other textile production processes (in other words, all the “excess fibers” from yarn or fabric production). These materials are collected over a 9-month production period, then cleaned and sorted by color to facilitate the color matching of the new yarn.
The fibers are now ready to be spun again!
This process not only reduces textile waste but also requires fewer resources than producing new fibers.
The environmental benefits of recycled yarns
- Water savings: Recycling alpaca fibers uses significantly less water than producing new fibers. This is because the starting materials have already been treated and require fewer intensive washes.
- Energy consumption: Producing recycled yarns requires less energy since many of the heavy processes, such as intensive cleaning and carding, have already been performed during the material’s previous life. This results in significant energy savings.
- Waste reduction: Recycling alpaca fiber helps reduce the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills. This contributes to a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
RE-Alpaca: a versatile yarn for every project
RE-Alpaca yarn has excellent yield and good stitch definition, but it is especially recommended for simple patterns like Stocking Stitch, ribbing, and all basic crochet stitches. The final result will always meet your expectations, enhanced by the colorful accents of the tiny confetti!
It is particularly ideal for sweaters, cardigans, scarves, hats, and accessories perfect for the cold season, providing warmth without weight.
Are you a beginner? Check out the Videotutorials section on Bettaknit’s website to start your knitting and crochet journey!
RE-Alpaca is the perfect combination of sustainability and quality. By choosing it for your knitting and crochet projects, you not only create beautiful and durable garments but also contribute to reducing environmental impact and respecting our planet! 🌱
Don’t forget to share your creations on Instagram using the #bettaknit hashtag!
