Herriot

Named for James Herriot — the veterinarian whose stories made generations of readers fall in love with the animals and countryside of Yorkshire — Herriot is one of Juniper Moon Farm's original yarns, and more than a decade later, it's still here. Some yarns don't need reinventing.

Juniper Moon makes Herriot from 100% baby alpaca. Despite the name, baby alpaca doesn't come from baby animals; the term refers to a grade of particularly fine, soft fiber selected from an adult alpaca's fleece. That fineness gives Herriot its soft hand and subtle halo, along with exceptional warmth without a lot of weight.

Alpaca has beautiful drape, but much less elasticity and memory than wool. The fiber doesn't readily spring back once gravity and wear begin pulling on the fabric. The larger and heavier the project — particularly at a more open gauge — the more opportunity it has to stretch and lose its original shape.

That's why we love Herriot for shawls, scarves, cowls, and accessories where its softness, warmth, and drape can do exactly what they do best. It's also why we don't generally recommend it for sweaters. There are sweater patterns written for Herriot, but we've seen significant growth even in professionally made samples. We'd rather steer you toward a project that makes the most of Herriot's strengths. We want you to love your project years from now, not just when it comes off the needles.

If you're considering Herriot for a larger project, make your swatch larger than usual, wet-block it, let it dry, and then hang it for a while. You'll get a much better idea of what gravity may do to the finished fabric before you've invested weeks of knitting or crocheting.

Herriot's slight halo softens the edges of your stitches, so lace and larger-scale texture work beautifully without looking overly sharp. Simple stockinette lets the fiber and color do the work. The palette spans naturals, heathers, and rich solids, with plenty of options for everything from an understated everyday cowl to a dramatic lace wrap.

Herriot is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, Fair Trade Peru, Alpaca Origin Mark certified, and mulesing-free.

Soft, warm, beautifully drapey — just use the drape on purpose.

You can see our samples of the Kings Hat and Mitts and the Nip cowl in the shop. 

Pattern Ideas

Alpaca Your Wrap (crochet)

Drachenfels

Petite Flower Cowl (free)

Royal Arches