Whenever Fleece Artist adds a new yarn to their already delicious line, we find a skein of it hiding in a box along with our regular shipments. The hand-written labels spell out the details, and we all pet and drool (we usually wear bibs) and exclaim our first impressions. Several weeks ago, we received a skein of O’paca among the pile of BFL 2/8. The halo is so fluffy, and the core yarn so fine, that the whole things looks like a twist of roving, not like yarn at all.
As we contemplated carrying the new yarn, the skein sat on the packaging table, calling out to my fingers. It’s amazingly soft, demanding to be held against your face. You cannot walk by it without touching it, even with your hands full of cashmere, mohair, and BFL. It’s really just that enticing.
Once we settled on carrying the yarn, we started thinking about pattern support. I had ideas from the first time I handled the skein. I wanted a light, open lace that would show just how fine the yarn is, while giving the bloom enough room to fluff up a bit. I also wanted to make something that would be worn against the neck or head; it feels too good! Quick fix – the Opal Scarf!
I began with a simple ribbing, knitting long enough to create a loop. Then I started the lace portion. The fagoting is a simple 4-stitch, 1-row repeat. The border is knit-on sideways, a quick garter stitch. Pull the tail through the loop, and drape around a lucky neck. The scarf can be made longer and wrapped around more times. It’s light as a feather, and warmer than you might expect. The alpaca is just so awesome. Seriously.
