About Alpaca Fiber

Characteristics and Uses of Alpaca Fiber

Alpaca fiber is stronger and more resilient than even the finest sheep’s wool. Unlike sheep’s wool, however, alpaca contains no lanolin and is therefore ready to spin right off the animal. Prized for its unique, silky feel and superb “handle”, it is highly sought after by both cottage-industry artists (hand spinners, knitters, weavers, etc.) as well as the commercial fashion industry.

Once facet of alpaca fiber that makes it so in vogue is its great variety of natural colors: pure white, several shades of fawn and brown, several shades of gray, and true black – some 22 distinguishable colors in all. White, light fawn, and light gray can be readily dyed, thus offering a rainbow of colors from which the fiber artist can select. Alpaca can also be readily combined with other fibers like fine sheep’s wool, cashmere, mohair, silk, and angora to attain incredibly interesting blends. Because of the unique manner in which the scales of alpaca fiber lie down against the shaft of each hair follicle, alpaca fiber (especially designated “baby alpaca”) is considered to be hypoallergenic.

So where is the North American alpaca fiber market headed? Well, for the short term, there are a couple of options. First, there are mills in both the United States and Canada that can process alpaca fiber in both small and medium lots. The advantage with sending one’s fiber to these mills is that you can specifically identify the return yarn as coming from a particular animal, which can be a strong selling point to the cottage industry. A second option is to join a regional cooperative. These regional co-ops pool fleeces and collectively manufacture yarn, socks, and other items for wholesale and retail distribution.

Alpaca Fiber in North America

First and foremost, alpacas are fiber producers. Since 1984, alpacas have established themselves on farms and ranches throughout North America. Breeders are developing and improving their herds by genetically selecting for the most productive animals.

With the publication of the Alpaca Clip Care Manual published by AFCNA, in consultation with Cameron Hold of Australia, sorting and grading of North America’s domestic fiber is under way. This publication offers its readers tips on fleece preparation for shearing, cleaning the fleeces, and how to prepare them for personal or commercial processing. The international standard for alpaca color has been identified and adopted by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association to facilitate a common understanding of alpaca colors.

The above is reprinted with permission from The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. Feb. 2002