Alpaca fleece is the natural fiber harvested from an Alpaca. It is a
light-weight, soft, durable, luxurious and silky natural fiber. While
similar to sheep's wool in that it is a natural fiber, it is warmer, not
prickly, and has no lanolin which makes it hypoallergenic. However,
this lack of lanolin also prevents Alpaca fiber from being naturally
water-repellent. It also has less crimp, thus making it much less
elastic. Alpaca fleece is made into various exports, from very simple
and inexpensive garments made by the aboriginal communities to
sophisticated, industrially made and expensive products such as suits.
History of Alpacas
History of Alpacas
- Alpaca have been bred in South America for thousands of years. Vicuñas were first domesticated and bred into alpacas by the ancient Andean tribes of Peru, but also appeared in Chile and Bolivia. In recent years alpacas have also been exported to other countries. In countries such as the USA, Australia and New Zealand breeders shear their animals annually, weigh the fleeces and test them for fineness. With the resulting knowledge they are able to breed heavier-fleeced animals with finer fiber. Fleece weights vary, with the top stud males reaching annual shear weights up to 7 kg total fleece and 3 kg good quality fleece. The discrepancy in weight is because an alpaca has guard hair which is often removed before spinning.
- Types of Alpacas
There are two types of Alpaca: Huacaya (which produce a dense, soft, crimpy sheep-like fiber), Mop-like Suri (with silky pencil-like locks, resembling dread-locks but not actually matted fibers). Suris are prized for their longer and silkier fibers, and estimated to make up between 19-20% of the Alpaca population. Since its import into the United States, the number of Suri alpacas has grown substantially and become more color diverse. The Suri is thought to be rarer, possibly because it is less hardy in the harsh South American mountain climates, as its fleece offers less insulation against the cold.