Fibre of the Month: Alpaca --- Camelids

Posted on 5 April 2022
By Traci B.
Posted in Hand Knitting, Knitting, Natural Fibres, Yarn
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Because the first fibre blog was so cool and fun to make we've decided to do one a month! Every month we will celebrate the beauty of a different fibre used for hand-knitting and other textile crafts.

Overview:

Approximately 2 1/2 million years ago, during the annual migrations, two wild species of the camelid family were brought from the North American plains to South America. The wild species, the vicuna and the guanaco, were selectively bred, eventually leading to the development of a new species now known as the alpaca. Through DNA testing, it was determined that the alpaca is almost entirely a modern hybrid of the vicuna, an animal which dates back 10 million years to the North American plains, and that they retain very little of the guanaco, which is a much larger animal with a wiry, coarser fleece and more closely related to the llama.

This selective breeding was done with the hopes of developing an animal that retained the best fleece qualities of both of the wild breeds. With the softness of cashmere, the warmth of down and the sheen, strength and resilience of silk, it is easy to see how this fibre came to be known as the “poor man’s cashmere”. As well, due to the fact that items made from alpaca fibre were discovered in the excavations of the temple ruins and grave sites predating even the Incas, it is also understandable as to how it came to be known as “the fleece of the gods” or “the golden fleece”.

The Pre-Columbian South Americas' have been breeding the alpaca for over 5,000 years. The ancient tribes of the Andean highlands of Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Northwestern Argentina all have a history with "The Fibre of the Gods". According to archaeological studies, alpaca fibre was similar in quality to the wild vicuna prior to the Spanish Conquests in the 1500s.

Alpaca Skeleton

The Amerindigenous peoples had been spinning this fibre for thousands of years before it was taken back to Europe via Spain and from there to Germany and France in the first importations of alpaca. It was spun in England for the first time in 1808, but was, apparently considered to be an unworkable fibre due to the style of the weaving warp that was attempted. Not until the mid 1800s, when Sir Titus Salt, a manufacturer of textiles and a politician/philanthropist, mastered the weft of the alpaca fibre did alpaca become a respected and in demand fibre and, eventually, referred to as the in demand "dress fibre". Salt hailed from West Yorkshire, England, where, to this day, many types of fleeces and fibres, including alpaca, are milled and spun into some of the world' s finest yarns. The world famous Sirdar Yarns and West Yorkshire Spinners are both located in this part of England famous for its milling processes begun by Sir Titus Salt.

Diamonds of the Andes

Fibre:

The Alpaca has come to be bred for its high quality fleece which can be found in approximately 22 different natural shades. Alpaca fleece fibre has gained a great deal of recognition and grown in popularity in the past few decades, but despite this it is still among the rarest of fibres used in the world.

Another distinction of the alpaca fibre is that it comes in two variances between the two different alpaca breeds---Huacaya alpacas that have a very thick, fluffy, tightly compressed fleece and a plushy, teddy bear look, and the much sought after Suri alpaca that have a long, silky, ringlet fleece that swings as they walk.

It is interesting to note that a number of fashion designers, Armani among them, have used suri alpaca in the manufacturing of both women's and men's suits.

Combed Suri Alpaca

Alpaca wool is also hypo-allergenic and is often used to make garments for babies and those who have fibre sensitivities. It is much warmer and softer than lambs’ wool, and the finest of alpaca, royal alpaca and baby alpaca, have micron counts of 18-23, closer to cashmere's 15-19, and it has a longer durability than cashmere. Alpacas are naturally skinny animals, and in the past, farmers in northern climates had a tendency to overfeed their animals until it was discovered that this overeating and excess nutrients lead to a coarser fibre with a higher micron count rather than a weight gain in the animal. Once this was discovered, a more sensible diet was resumed and the micron count returned to normal. Housing the animals in well built, insulated barns a little earlier in the cold season was a found to be a sounder option.

In order to answer the question of why alpaca fibre is so warm compared to sheep's wool, one has to understand the structure that allows these fibres to insulate in the first place. All fibres create warmth by trapping air in pockets of space in their individual fibres. Wool fleece fibres have little air pockets, with merino and Icelandic sheep having the highest amount of air pockets which explains why they are so warm. But the luscious alpaca fibres are completely hollow, thereby trapping heat and creating a super warm thermal garment every time! Alpaca fleece is also naturally water repellent, therefore it retains its heat even when wet!

Raw Suri Fleece

Raw Huacaya Fleece

Processing:

The preparing, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process used for sheep's wool. Alpaca's are shorn yearly in the spring, the fleece is cleaned and separated according to colour. This process can be done manually or by machine.

The separation process that removes the coarse guard-hairs from the very finest fibres is the means by which the product known as Baby Alpaca is developed. There is a misconception that leads many people to think that baby alpaca is derived from very young animals, when, in fact, it is the finest fibres taken from the soft undercoat fleece after the guard-hairs have been completely removed. It is so-called due to the belief that it is the only animal fibre truly safe enough to make garments for infants. Unlike sheep's wool, it contains almost no lanolin, making it virtually hypoallergenic.

Fleece weights can vary, a large male's fleece can reach weights of upwards of 7 kg in their annual shear with 3 kg of premium quality fleece. The discrepancy in weight is because of the removal of the guard hairs before spinning. Alpaca fleece, once sorted and carded, is considered to be easier for new hand spinners to learn with than sheep's fleece is, mostly due to the lack of lanolin and the fact that it has far less crimp than sheep's wool.

Combed Huacaya

Recently, interest in alpaca fleece has grown, perhaps because alpaca ranching has a relatively low impact on the environment and these animals are relatively cheap to feed. They tend to eat about 1.5% of their body weight or two pounds for every 125 pounds of body weight per day. They eat mostly native grasses of the western world or a small amount of hay in the cold season. Alpacas' are a very adaptable animal and can thrive in extreme temperatures, from vey hot to very cold.

While the alpaca can be raised as a pack animal, and still is to this day in herds in the Andes in Peru, as well as in neighbouring South American countries, it can also be raised as a pet if shown a gentle hand and calm setting, as they are a friendly if somewhat skittish animal.

There are now numerous alpaca breeders in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, but it is important to source humanely raised alpacas/fleece/fibres in order to eliminate unnecessary suffering on the part of the animals. There are many alpaca and other fibre farms now offering credentials that show that they are certified in humane practises and do not perform mulesing on their animals, a process that supposedly prevents dirt, faecal matter and other debris from attracting flies that cause flystrike and thereby contaminating the fleece.

Contemporary View:

Because of the recent interest in alpaca and the surge in the demand for alpaca clothing, many manufacturers are now producing a vast array of finished alpaca products such as hats, mitts, socks, leg-warmers, sweaters, dress-coats, scarves, ponchos, capes, shawls, slippers, and blankets.

Outdoors enthusiasts enjoy the versatility of this ultra warm and light-weight fibre that is now being offered up as an alternative to both wool, and even down as it is now used as a fibre fill for extra warm winter parkas.

On this same theme, one can even find alpaca comforters being offered as an alternative to down and eider duck comforters.

The popularity of this product can be attributed to several factors; one, because of the low carbon footprint of the alpaca fibre industry, and, two, because the animal is so very charming and enjoyable to be around. They are friendly, mild natured, not aggressive, adorable, good with children and can be reared in a modest rural-semi-rural settings where many people will happily pay a nominal fee just to get to pet them. And, as stated before, they are cheap to feed.

On top of all of this is a fibre industry that is now claiming alpaca to be neck and neck with merino and cashmere as the most lucrative of materials in the knit garment industry. Being so versatile by requiring no other fibres to be added to it for strength, stretch, sheen, warmth or softness, it is no wonder that alpaca is the fastest growing animal fibre around. Its single drawback is the expense of the 100% fibre to the consumer. This, however, can be remedied by the additions of various wools or even acrylic, as alpaca vastly improves the quality of many other inferior fibres. Thus, the creation of alpaca blends makes this gorgeous fibre accessible to most consumers.

It is common knowledge that alpacas come in 22 different colours, but most people are unaware that there are over 300 different shades found within those 22 colours! The spectrum traverses everything from a true black to a rose-grey. But it is the true white that is the most sought after as the fleece of the white breeds tend to produce more of the soft undercoat than any of the other shades. In recent years, however, darker shades are being asked for, so many breeders are working to produce naturally darker alpacas that have softer fibres. Now, it is not uncommon to find natural shades of dark grey, browns, and charcoals that rival even the softest of merinos.

It should be stated, however, that, once cleaned, carded and spun, white alpaca is capable of being dyed every possible colour and hue. And, unlike many other natural fibres, such as cashmere for example, the dying process does not alter the natural sheen or resilience of the alpaca fibre.

It is also uncommon knowledge that there is over 5000 tons of alpaca produced worldwide annually, 90% of which is a product of Peru. Most of Peru's herds graze on land that is 3500 - 5000 metres above sea level. As it is very cold at this altitude, products were spun and knit to produce warm garments for the herders to wear while working out in the hills with their animals. Super thick hats, mittens, socks, sweaters, ponchos, coats and blankets have all been made by hand for centuries in Peru for the sole purpose of providing protection from the harsh elements. Nowadays, alpaca is a luxury fibre that is exported all over the world and used at every level of industry from box store products to costly designer wear that sells for thousands of dollars!

Environmental costs:

The impact of the alpaca on the environment varies depending on who you are talking to or the source you are reading from. Generally speaking, however, alpacas do not release high amounts of carbons into the environment. Most herds are smaller than other farm animal herds which means they are not overwhelming their immediate environment with emissions. They have a three-part stomach with low food requirements and their faeces is pH neutral and low methane producing.

The animals themselves have very soft, padded feet, leaving very light footprints which does not trample their pasture as they graze. As well, they do not decimate the natural vegetation, eating only native grasses, and they consume only 1.5% of their bodyweight each day. Alpacas are also known to only nibble on the grasses that they are grazing on rather than tearing the plants out by the roots. This is beneficial as it allows for the natural renewal of the vegetation on its own without the constant reseeding of the pastureland, nor does it necessitate the regular rotation of the animals to a different location.

Alpaca fleece is also highly sustainable as it is long wearing and the animals can produce enough fleece in their yearly shearing to produce upwards of 5 sweaters. In comparison the Kasmira goat can only produce enough cashmere for a 1/4 of a sweater! As well, because the outer cuticle of the alpaca fibres have a scale far shorter than that of sheep's wool they do not require a great deal of chemicals to assist in the smoothing of the fibres. Also, as alpaca fleece does not contain lanolin, no caustic solvents are necessary in the cleaning of the fleece, yet again reducing its impact on the environment. The efficiency of the alpaca's fleece production, along with its many other virtues, is yet another example as to why this animal is considered by many to be the most eco-friendly animal in the world.

So, to conclude, if you are looking for a small scale farming addition look no further--- an alpaca produces 10 lbs of raw fleece a year which is valued at $480 raw weight, but is worth approximately $1,568 once spun and ready for resale! Thus making the alpaca, which eats very little, is sweet natured, utterly adorable and has low carbon footprint to boot, one of the very best animals to raise on a small fibre farm or for your own fibre/textile hobby business.

And here's a few more pictures to prove it!