Inky as a raven’s wing and warm as glowing embers, Simply Alpaca is our 100% pure black alpaca yarn, glowing with the singular natural beauty of undyed alpaca fiber from the high Peruvian Andes.

About This Yarn

• Making up less than 1% of the global alpaca population, black alpacas are truly magnificent, a beautiful, warm ebony color from their fleece and faces to their hooves and eyelashes. Global demand for white alpaca fiber has seen their numbers dwindle, and we hope in a small way, Simply Alpaca helps reverse this decline. We are so happy to share this rare and special fiber with you and to share the planet with such amazing animals!
• Simply Alpaca's deep undyed color is straight from nature, a rich, velvety onyx with warm, ruddy undertones. Appealing and mysterious, it drinks in the light almost completely to create bottomless depths with just the subtlest moonlit luster.
• This special black alpaca fiber is superfine grade, for a very soft hand that still retains some of the fiber's fascinating natural texture. All alpaca fiber is hypoallergenic, thanks to its near lack of lanolin, perfect for precious handknit treasures you'll wear right next to your skin. A straight rather than crimped fiber, alpaca has a more relaxed drape than wool, and its hollow core allows this fingering-weight yarn to hold more warmth than you'd expect.
• Made in Peru, Simply Alpaca is a supple, 4-ply yarn, knitting up into a fine, soft fabric with a lush halo and an elegant, flowing drape that you'll love for heirloom scarves, cowls, hats, and stunning sweaters. Our Simply Alpaca knitting patterns will give you a starting place to explore the possibilities of this very special yarn... We can't wait to see what beauties you bring to light!

Product Details

• Content: 100% undyed alpaca
• Weight: 50 grams (1.76 ounces)
• Length: 164 yards (150 meters)
• Gauge: 6.75-8 stitches per inch, fingering-weight yarn
• Suggested Knitting Needle: US 2-4 (3-3.5 mm)
• Suggested Crochet Hook: C-E (3-3.5 mm)
• Recommended Care: Hand wash cold, lay flat to dry
• Milled In: Peru

Sustainability + Environmental Impact

• Simply Alpaca is Oeko Tex Standard 100 Class, which means it's certified to be free from substances harmful to human health. Additionally, the mill that makes this yarn is OEKO-TEX–SteP Certified, guaranteeing processes that respect the natural environment and provide optimum working conditions.

Recommended Substitutions For Simply Alpaca

• Looking for more yarn like this? Our "Simply" collection of special undyed yarns includes fingering-weight Simply Camel and DK-weight Simply Yak. Both are spectacularly beautiful! For more alpaca, you'll love our sport-weight 100% super baby alpaca yarn, Season Alpaca, and fingering-weight Sweetgrass, an undyed cotton-alpaca mix. And for a plant-fiber option that knits up at a similar gauge, be sure to check out Oleander, a gorgeous 50-50 mix of cotton and linen.
• To explore more yarns that share some of Simply Alpaca's characteristics, shop our other alpaca yarn, fingering-weight yarn, and undyed yarn, all available only at Purl Soho.
• Learn more about how to substitute yarn with our confidence-boosting Yarn Substitution Made Easy article!

Learn More

• Have you ever wondered where the name "fingering weight" came from? Or pondered the difference between fingering-weight yarn and sock yarn? Check out our guide to fingering-weight yarn to get all your questions answered!