If they'd invented feel-o-vision...

...then this post would be a lot more interesting.

I've gone to the weaver's cottage and picked up all manner of mysterious soft fuzzy balls:

* bamboo
* white lightning (80% cotton 20% linen, shockingly soft)
* blueface/alpaca
* merino/tussah (silk)
* corriedale
* mulberry silk
* silk/baby camel

They also had some amazingly soft baby alpaca that I did not get. That is for next time.

I am convinced that alpaca and high-grade merino are quite as nice as cashmere, and the only reason cashmere is so pricy is that it comes from literally the other side of the world. This is borne out by the fact that in Malaysia, cashmere is a fraction of the cost (still expensive, but not nearly as pricy as it is here - more like what alpaca costs here), while other fibers like cotton and silk are comparably priced when scaled to fit the general cost of living.