The weather has sharply turned here in New England—at the Berroco offices, located in northern Rhode Island, we had an awful lot of chilly rain yesterday, and some of our co-workers just a smidgen north in Massachusetts had snow! Times like these call for projects that can be worked up quickly and will keep you warm—Berroco Ultra® Alpaca Chunky is the perfect yarn for those projects.
Made of the same great blend of 50% wool and 50% alpaca as our worsted-weight Berroco Ultra® Alpaca, the chunky version is spun into chunkier, loftier singles before being plied. You can read what my post about Berroco Ultra Alpaca for comparison, if you’d like.
I knit my swatch on a US size 10.5 (6.5 mm), which is a little bigger than the suggested size of a US 10 (6 mm). Normally I go down a needle size, but I wanted to see how fluid the fabric would be on a slightly larger needle. As you can see, the stitches are still tucked neatly together. I didn’t have a chance to steam or wash my swatch, but I think the stitches would puff up just a bit and fill in the tiny spaces nicely. The fabric in this swatch would be great for a quick, trans-seasonal piece that doesn’t have to be too warm.
For garments to wear on days like today, when it’s 50ºF and really windy, I’d go down a needle size or two to get a nice, solid fabric that still hangs well. The key as always, is to swatch and make sure you like the fabric that you’re getting.
If you need some quick project inspiration to whip up, we’ve got some great, quick knitting patterns in this yarn. Here are just a few of my favorites.
Simultane from Booklet #349 Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky
Banner by Ellen Mason, from Portfolio Volume 1
Casa Sonia, a free scarf knitting pattern
Diné cardigan by Michele Wang, from Berroco Portfolio Volume
Our Shop LYS promotion starts next Tuesday, November 1, and runs through November 30, 2016. This is a great time to stock up on Berroco Ultra Alpaca Chunky, or any other Berroco yarn, and get rewarded with a free PDF pattern. See our flyer for more details!