November 13, 2020 Deanna Guttman

Calling Alpaca Lovers: Pascuali has got you covered!

Our mission is to always be searching for best quality, high value, ethically produced yarns to feature in our shop. We want you to feel like you are always getting the best products to make the most gorgeous projects you can feel good about.

We are excited to say that we are the first LYS in Canada to begin carrying Pascuali Filati Naturali in our shop.

Pascuali is a German label founded in 2008 in Cologne. They are known for their high-quality yarns, environmentally friendly procedures, and respect for the hard work involved at each stage of the manufacturing process. To meet the social and ecological criteria for natural wool, they work collaboratively with sustainable manufacturers worldwide.

We chose to begin our relationship with Pascuali by welcoming two new Alpaca yarns into our collection: Balayage and Alpaca Fino.

Balayage is made from 80% baby alpaca and 20% fine merino wool. It is a very special yarn because it has been designed in collaboration with well known knitwear designer Melanie Berg, also known as Mairlynd on Ravelry.

Balayage comes in a gorgeous array of colours. We couldn’t choose and decided to stock every one of them! Harmoniously subtle tone on tone or colourful and rich in contrast – the choice is yours. The colours are incredibly beautiful and vibrant, as the undyed base is a slightly mottled grey.

Balayage’s mixture of delicate shine and light fluffiness is wonderfully soft. You will want to hold it against your skin and never put it down! Despite its soft, fluffy appearance Balayage is a hard-wearing yarn. It knits very smoothly and gives stockinette stitch beautiful definition. The knitted fabric it creates is buttery soft and looks slightly rustic.

Stranded knitting such as Fair Isle is usually difficult to knit with soft yarn, but this is not the case with Balayage! Because the yarn is an alpaca mix, it won't slip on the needles, and the stunning range of colours would work equally well in any colourwork or single colour piece. It is also excellent for textured patterns and really makes cables, nups and lace shine.

Balayage perfect for knitting wonderful scarves and shawls, such as those designed by Melanie Berg specifically for this yarn! We have three project suggestions for you to dig into this luxurious yarn.

The Big Easy by Melanie Berg
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-big-easy-9

Everything about this shawl is meant to be easy, from the effortless garter stitch to the simple yet eye - catching nupp stripes.

Yardage
• 2 skeins in Chachani
• 1 skein in Umayo
• 2 skeins in Ishinca
• 1 skein in Tacna

Nixe by Melanie Berg
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nixe-2

Nixe is the German word for mermaid, the perfect name for a shawl where the simple, repetitive stitch pattern evokes the sun-dappled scales of mermaids playing just below the surface of the sea.

Yardage
• 3 balls main colour
• 2 balls Balayage Hand Dyed for contrast Colour

Rock my Shawl by Melanie Berg
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rock-my-shawl

Bold stripes and delicate lace turn this semi-circular shawl into a gorgeous showpiece you can rock with any outfit.

Yardage
• 2 skeins in Nazca
• 2 skeins in Cayesh
• 1 skein in Cusco
• 1 skein in Yerupaja

The second yarn we decided to bring in is Alpaca Fino. Alpaca Fino is an extremely fine and soft yarn made from 100% pure baby alpaca wool. Being a DK/worsted weight yarn, it lends itself to just about any cozy, soft knitting or crochet project.

Spun in Peru, Alpaca Fino is a 4 ply yarn with great stitch definition for all kinds of stitch patterns but knits up equally well in stockinette stitch.

Alpaca Fino is a soft yarn and like most alpaca yarns, it is extremely hard wearing. Garments will keep their shape with very little pilling. Because alpaca contains very little lanolin, it is perfect for people with the most sensitive skin and is ideal for scarves, shawls, and hats. Here are some Project ideas to get acquainted with Alpaca Fino!

Jaqaru Cowl and Hat
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaqaru

This free mystery KAL pattern involves simple colourwork and is a great introduction to alpaca fino! The Cowl clues have already been published, and the Hat comes out on November 20^th. Would make a super soft gift set for the holidays.

Yardage
3 skeins each in two colours. The sample uses Plate Grey and Fir Green.