So it’s 20 degrees outside, and I’ve just finished knitting a scarf. Let’s just call it planning ahead for autumn, shall we?

This was supposed to be finished last autumn but it languished in my UFO pile for a while until I mustered the will to finish it off. Last spring, I was out and about after a walk in Carding Mill Valley, Shropshire, when I stumbled across the Coco Alpacas shop in Church Stretton. Never one to walk past a yarn shop, I wandered in and was taken with the sheer softness and rich chocolatey colour of this double knit.

At £14.99 a skein, I just bought one and then spent some time pondering what to make with it. I opted for a simple pattern designed specifically for this yarn – a straightforward 3×3 rib knit scarf. That unfortunately needed two skeins! Never mind. I called the shop and ordered a second one.

The alpaca wool is very soft and feels lovely under your fingers. It’s quite thin (is that the right terminology, knitters?) compared to other double knit yarns I’ve tried, so progress is a little slower, especially in rib, but it all came together in the end. It feels super-snuggly against my neck and it’s as soft as merino, so it’s perfect for a scarf. I’ve also heard that alpaca is less likely to pill than cashmere because the fibres are longer – I’ll be putting this to the test next winter!

I’ve had a go at wet blocking it to the target measurements, but it’s quite springy, so I may have to try again with some proper mats and pins – rather than just out on our lawn with some pattern weights and an old towel…

It’s great to finish a knitting project again. And I suspect I fell in love with this yarn because it reminds me of my dog, Wispa – the colour is uncannily similar to her fur!

Have you knitted with alpaca wool before? How did you find it?