Hi,
Okay, so there seems to be some misconception going about that Alpaca with a Twist Fino is a fingering weight yarn. I will warn you upfront this may turn into a bit of a rant, but I'll try to keep it as polite as possible.
The main cause of this problem is the CYCA yarn standard system. This was a wonderful idea. Giving each size yarn a number and then if it's on the ball band & on the pattern it would be super simple to substitute yarns. Unfortunately when they divided yarn sizes up they only made 6 distinctions. Therefore Lace weight & fingering are the same category. (In fact my favorite one is that all yarn from 4 to 5 stitches per inch is classified as worsted & that can really throw you a curve ball when attempting a sweater pattern)
So, while watching over a discussion about what to substitute for Fino when knitting dragon shawl I wasn't too surprised to see this issue since Alpaca with a Twist does use the CYCA sizes on their ball bands. I promise you, Fino isn't a Fingering weight.
To help prove my point I have a photo comparison.
(I put the photo in B&W to eliminate color distortion)
So, the top yarn is Jaggerspun Merino 5,040 yards per pound. Definitely a true lace weight
Next is Alpaca with a Twist Fino 4,000 yards per pound. Still a pretty true lace weight, especially since alpaca is heavier than wool, so the yards per pound is generally less for the same yarn weight. (I measured the WPI as 21-22)
I couldn't find any Trekking at the moment I was taking the picture, but it's one of the thinnest sock yarns and is still only 2,112 yards per pound. That's a huge jump from Fino!
Lorna's Laces Shephard Sock is next at 1,965 yards per pound.
And finally Socks that Rock light weight rings in at 1,355 yards per pound.
I hope that comparison speaks for itself and will help some of you who are looking to substitute. I used an old Grinasco yarn that was a bit too light (defiantly a cobweb lace weight), but it still showed the pattern nicely. I think that Zypher or Helens Lace would both be nice substitutes. I had about 1500 yards of my yarn and still had a good sized ball left after knitting the dragon shawl.