Trying to decide on the right yarn or yarns for my cardigan.

Left to right: Rauma Inca Alpakka (100% alpaca), Rauma Finull (100% wool), Sandnes Tynn Silk Mohair (57% mohair, 15% wool, 28% silk).

I made a swatch with the wool and mohair together, with a few different needle sizes. Then another with the wool on its own. I wasn’t quite satisfied with any of them. The wool and mohair combo was a bit too thick. The wool on its own – too scratchy. (At first when knitting with the wool and mohair together, I started wondering if the mohair made any difference at all. It’s so thin, doesn’t it get lost among all the wool? Feeling the two side by side removed all doubt.)

Maybe I should have tried some merino wool after all… When I felt the merino yarns in the shop, they all felt too smooth and bland, so I didn’t buy any. But perhaps it would have worked out together with the mohair?

Today I went and bought a ball of alpaca yarn and knitted yet another swatch with alpaca + mohair, and then one more with some leftover alpaca yarn from the green cardigan, again together with the mohair.

The alpaca/mohair combination is a clear winner. Softer than lambswool, fluffier than merino – so lovely to touch!

And in the photo it all just looks black.