A special pair of Pussy Caps made from Baby Alpaca & Angora.
From the first shearing of a baby alpaca named Whidbey seen pictured below, comes a rare and beautiful black fleece that was handspun into yarn by Lisa Souza.
Adding to the softness and richness of this extraordinary baby alpaca yarn is another one of Lisa's rare treasures - a duo of handpainted, handspun angora rabbit yarns.
Together these two gems from Lisa's spinning wheel, baby alpaca & angora, make for a luxurious and indulgent pair of Pussy Caps that are offered here as a matched set.
In the first cap that you see pictured here, the angora has a color scheme called Mahogony which Lisa created by handpainting the fibers in a subtle pallet of browns, golds, rusts and whites accented with a hint of periwinkle. The colors of this Mahogony angora are made deeper and richer by their coupling with Whidbey's black fleece.
A native of the San Francisco Bay area, my friend Lisa Souza is a gifted artist whose magic is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the amazing yarns she paints and spins. Every once in awhile, in a whisper, Lisa let's me know that she has something special winding its way off her spinning wheel - and this time it was the yarn that you see pictured to your left - the gift of Whidbey's first exquisitely soft, coal-black fleece.
When the whispers first started about this yarn I jumped at the chance to have it and purchased everything Lisa spun - knowing that if I didn't act fast it would be gone as there are a lot of people around the country who buy up everything she spins as fast as she can spin it.
I already had Lisa's handpainted, handspun angora sitting here and when the Whidbey yarn arrived I realized the two were a match made in Pussy Cap heaven and got to work crocheting these beautiful caps.
You can see more of Lisa's yarns and sweaters by clicking here.
Whidbey's first fleece spun into yarn
In the second cap pictured to your right, I coupled the black baby alpaca with Lisa's Wild Things Angora - a stunning melange of purple, teal, plum, gold and rust. As with the Mahogony, the Wild Thing's colors get deeper and richer when pulled along side by side with the black.
Near the top of both caps worked purposefully into the pattern, is a band of black as a way of showing off Whidbey's beautiful fleece on its own.
Whidbey is owned by Steve & Lin Murray and lives on their Lassen View Ranch in Cottonwood, California.
Each of the Whidbey caps is trimmed with a crocheted band of its respective angora as seen in these pictures.
While the coloring of each cap is distinct, both work equally well on either a man or a woman, making them ideally suited for any coupling.
Possessed of a softness that is virtually without peers, these sensuous Pussy Caps are crocheted with a traditional beanie cap fit in mind and will easily accomodate any size head and fit low to the eyebrows and below the ears.
The superb insulating properties of alpaca and angora along with the doubling of the two yarns has made for a pair of thick and substantial caps that will keep heads toasty warm even in the coldest weather.
Alpaca has been known to last for generations and its extraordinary durability is one of its greatest hallmarks. Both alpaca and angora are 8 to 10 times warmer than wool and will easily outlast it, making these two Pussy Caps an heirloom quality gift.
The Whidbey Duo come with their own custom, handcrafted cedar box that was made especially for them by my twin brother Steve and his son David. This is natural aromatic cedar that will lend a gentle scent to the caps and keep the moths at bay.
This beautifully finished, untreated box is hinged at the back and has a chain to keep the lid upright when open. It's deep and roomy with plenty of space for several more Pussy Caps or even a special sweater or two.
Whatever room this box gets placed in will be filled with the gentle and calming scent of cedar while keeping the moths away from your fine woolens.
Neither alpaca or angora have lanolin in them which in addition to their downy softness make them perfect for wearing next to the skin.
It's my pleasure to offer this beautifully matched set of Pussy Caps for you and the one you love or as a gift for a special couple in your life. I crocheted them with a couple in mind, whoever that couple might be. But hey, buy them both for yourself and alternate between them depending on the mood you're in or what you're wearing. Both your yin and your yang will thank you for it.
