Alpaca wool fabric comes from the alpaca animal, a relative of the llama.
It is well quoted by farmers for alpaca, 'love is in the fleece'. This
fabric boasts tremendous warmth with soft drape and texture. It is a
luxurious fabric with a good insulation quality and weighs next to nothing.
Alpaca blanket gives cozy warmth on a chill evening. Garments made of alpaca
wool fabric are fine and silky with a very good strength and durability.Alpacas are from the camelid or camel family (including llamas) with long necks, large eyes, short tail and outward ears. They are the oldest domesticated breeds of livestock which are environmentally friendly and relatively easy to care. Alpaca farming is ideally suited to small acreage of land. Alpacas are native to South America and are being domesticated in Peru for over 5000 years. In Incan civilization, alpaca made robes were reserved for the nobility and royalty. Alpaca was first imported to United States in 1984. Today, there are more than 3 million alpacas in the world. 99% of them live in Chile, Peru, and Bolivia.
Alpaca wool is the real hair of the animal and not the fleece as in sheep or llamas. It is pure white to rich brown in color. They are sheered like sheep. Its fiber is combed, carded, and is spun after a basic cleaning process. The fleece of alpaca is lanolin (wool grease) free, hence it is also hand spun. Alpacas are of two types, huacaya and suri. Huacaya have a dense, crimped and wooly fibers whereas the suri, which is rare, have long and straight wool, separate locks with a high luster. Huacaya make up approximately 90% of the alpaca populous.
Characteristics of Alpaca Wool Fabric
- It is fine, silky, soft and lightweight.
- It has a good luster.
- It is strong and durable.
- It is resistant to rain and snow.
- It is a good absorbent.
- It is a good insulator (keeps warm in winter and cool in summer).
- It is less coarse.
- It has fewer propensity to pill.
- It blends well with other natural and synthetic fibers.
- It does not contain lanolin (wool grease).
- Alpaca wool fabric is used for Men's and Women's suits, coats, sportswear, linings, sweaters. It is also used as elegant evening gowns, draperies, bedspread, throw and cushion covers, and upholstery.
- Due to the extra softness and luxurious to touch, the alpaca wool is widely used as baby blankets. They are lightweight and very warm.
