What's alpaca wool like? Soft or itchy?

[DollyMixtureLulus]

Looking at the cardigans with cute buttons from & Other Stories.

Lovely. I have the dinosaur card I from &OS in black and in grey from last year, and also several alpaca cardis from Arket.

It's so soft

Awfully itchy

I find that it sheds terribly.

For me, both! Very soft, very warm, but irritating because it's so soft somehow. And yes, not very robust.

This might change depending on the percentage alpaca in the mix though.

Alpaca doesn't cone from a sheep but it's very silky. I'm not allergic but this is my assessment of yarns on feeling alone (I knit so I have a lot of wool type clothes)
-mohair- likely itchy due to fluff
Alpaca (goat) fine and silky
Cashmere- very soft
Merino wool - very fine and silky
Lambswool - fairly soft
Shetland wool - moderately soft
Alpaca (rabbit) soft but tickly
Then you have thick/heavy/cheap knitted garments that may be coarse wool.

For me it's more about garments that are fluffy or have long tickly strands than any roughness in the wool. Also the quality varies even in the same type of fibre.

Solution is probably to buy and try.

Sorry the rabbit is Angora not Alpaca. The autocorrect is fighting.

The bee button cardigan is 30% alpaca with nylon and wool, but they have made it into a fleece/felted type yarn, it looks pretty soft to be honest.

Honestly last comment, alpaca of course comes from an Alpaca, it's cashmere from goats. Before someone jumps on me. .

I find alpaca very itchy!

I nearly died reading rabbit!

Hmmm. I keep going back and forward on whether I like it or not. Thank you ☺️

I find it itchy and unpleasant, even when soft. Personally, I avoid. It pills a lot though not as badly as that acrylic/angora mix.

I want to buy alpaca ponchos for my 4 and 7-year old I've found them here: www.cococumbi.com/alpaca-ponchos-babies-kids but first I thought I'd check with you gals. I read alpaca wool is 100% hypoallergenic. Does anyone on here with allergies use it?

I had an expensive alpaca cardigan a few years ago. It is very soft and not hard wearing. The cat now uses it as a blanket.

@christina1984 alpaca is usually good for people with allergies to lanolin (the stuff on wool that can cause allergies) but people can also be allergic to cameloids, so technically its not hypoallergenic, but worth a try