Alpaca …fiber of the Gods

Alpacas were the cherished treasure of ancient Incan royalty and played a central role in the Incan culture in the mountains of South America. They have been domesticated for 7000 years, twice as long as any other livestock. Alpaca fiber is stronger than mohair, finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, warmer than goose down, and breathes better than thermal knits.  Alpaca is extremely durable proven by the fine garments discovered in Peruvian ruins dating back 2500 years still in good condition. Unique among "luxury" fibers for its drape, sheen, and wonderfully smooth hand, designers of apparel and textiles in Europe and Asia have been capitalizing on its properties for decades.

An Ancient Incan legend states: Ausangate is a magnificent snow-covered peak south of Cuzco, Peru, and the legendary source of llamas and alpacas. According to legend, Pachamama (Mother Earth) loaned alpacas and llamas so people of the puna could survive. Since the animals belong to Pachamama, they must be well-fed and never treated cruelly. If they are not properly cared for, Pachamama will call them back to Ausangate and people will disappear.

Alpaca is known for its diversity of colors ranging from white to black, with shades of brown and gray in between – 22 shades in all. Alpaca clothing has very little “prickle factor” making it comfortable to wear next to the skin. Often a person who profess to be allergic to wool, are either affected by the lanolin in sheep’s wool, or the cleansing process used to remove it. Alpaca has no lanolin making it hypoallergenic and luxurious.

Alpaca is great for outdoor apparel. It is resistant to water, naturally wicks water away from the skin, and is 7 times warmer than wool. It packs well without much wrinkling, does not stain easily, and resists pilling.

There are 2 types of alpacas ~ the elegant suri with its long pencil-thin ringlets; and the huacaya with a teddy bear-like appearance. Suri fiber is very fine and best suited for lacy shawls, and garments with drape. Suri fiber typically has more sheen or luster than the huacaya fiber. Huacaya fiber is loftier and perfect for sweaters and outdoor apparel, socks and accessories.

Fiber character

A histogram is a precise way to measure the microns of a single fiber using equipment specifically designed for the wool industry. We run histograms on our alpacas every few years to give us an idea whether they are healthy. Drastic changes to a histogram may point to environmental, nutritional and/or health issues. A better understanding of histograms can be found at http://www.ymccoll.com

The diameter of alpaca fiber falls mostly in the range of 17 to 34 microns. One micron equals one millionth of a meter or 1/24,400^th of an inch.  In the United States, alpaca fiber is graded as follows:

•  Royal baby     < 20 microns

•  Baby              20 to 22.9 microns

•  Super fine      23 to 26.9 microns

• Adult/strong    27 or greater microns

There are many factors that influence your alpacas fleece, including

• Genetics

• Environmental conditions

• Stress

• Hormones

• Pasture management

• Nutrition

Terms used in the alpaca industry are crimp, guard hair, lock structure, architecture, luster, handle, uniformity, and staple length. (Please refer to the ‘Fiber Encyclopedia’ tab for definitions.)

Shearing

First and foremost, shear your alpacas every spring! Allowing your alpacas to remain in full fleece during hot summer weather is neglect, pure and simple. Before you even consider purchasing your first alpacas, find a shearer in your location and get your name on their list!

Prior to shearing, pick hay and debris from each fleece. We find that by using a blower (or shop vac in reverse) you can shoot much of the debris and sand out. This not only provides you with a nice, clean fleece but the shearer’s blades will last longer. If you keep your pastures clean throughout the year, your fleece prep should go quickly.

Designate a space where there is ample room to move around, and a dry area out of the wind. Most shearer’s prefer to have the alpaca lying on its side for shearing. Some will bring their own shearing table (much easier on the back!) but many shear on the ground. If this is the plan, make sure to provide a tarp to work on. Clean the area after each shearing so that your fleeces are not polluted by debris or multiple fiber colors.

Prepare for your shearing day prior to the shearer arriving. Have available enough bags (plastic, paper or cloth) for the prime fleece, the secondary fleece (neck & upper legs), and the scrap (lower legs & belly). Make tags for each animal which includes their name, registry number, date of shearing, the cut, and a place to write the clip weight. If you plan to run a histogram on the fiber, provide hair-bands to gather up a sample prior to the shearer starting. (The sample can be pulled from the bag while skirting.) Have several rags on hand to drape over the spitters in the crowd, or clean up after a very nervous animal.

Line up an ample staff for the day. Along with the shearer, there should be a person to hold the front legs, a person to hold the back legs, a person to hold the head, and one person to pick up and distribute fiber to the appropriate bags. It’s a good idea to have a first aid kit on hand as well, both for the alpacas and the humans. The kit should include things such as blood stop, scissors and bandages, antibiotic ointment, and a suture kit. Last of all, a cooler of nice cold drinks is always appreciated.

Once the shearing is complete, you will want to move your fleeces to an area where they will not become infested by bugs or pawed through by your barn cats! If you used plastic bags, make sure to keep the tops open so that any moisture can dissipate. Paper or cloth is the preferred method if you plan to store the fleeces for any length of time.

Lee with Hurricane Lili in full fleece	Prior to shearing, Lil confers with shearer	Shearing crew gets ready to lift Lil onto the table
The crew waits until she is secure before releasing her	Terry shears the first side while the crew keeps Lil calm	" ... and then just a little off the topknot ..."
Lil is finished - Terry & Anne release her ankles	The crew lifts her from the table on a count of 3	Lisa places a prime fleece in a storage bag
Lil sports her new overall "doo"	Liz skirts (cleans) debris from a fleece

Processing your fiber

There are many, many things you can do with your alpaca fleece but please don’t just stick it into storage. If you don’t plan to use it, sell it wholesale to someone who will. At least you will recoup some of your shearing expenses.

Processing your fleece is not difficult. First, determine what you want the end result to be – used for hand spinning, mill processed rovings or yarn, or for show. Regardless of method, you will want to skirt your fleeces.

• Skirting for show is the most time consuming. The fleece should be kept intact as much as possible. Construct a skirting screen using wire mesh or snow fence material with a 1” hole in between the mesh. Attach the mesh to a wood frame approximately 2.5x5’ in size. Turn the fleece so that the cut side is down on the screen. Gently shake remaining dust and carefully hand-pick remaining debris from the fleece. Remove any guard hair, or fiber that is not consistent with the rest of the fleece (character is not quite as nice and/or shorter pieces). Be careful not to remove too much of the fleece because part of the show score is determine by the weight of the fleece. Remove any “second cuts” created when the shearer cuts over one spot a second time. Once you are satisfied with the fleece, carefully fold the fleece cut-side in and place it back in the bag. If you feel that the neck or upper leg fiber warrants “prime” status, skirt that as well and place it in the bag with the prime fleece. You are now ready for the show!

• Skirting for hand processing is similar to that of the show fleece, however, it’s not necessary to keep the fleece intact. I usually pull large chunks out to work on, and stick them back into the bag when I’m satisfied with it. Once skirted, the fleece can be hand or drum carded at home. While it takes much longer to hand process your fleeces, you will feel a huge sense of accomplishment and thoroughly enjoy spinning yarn from your own herd!

• While alpacas have no grease in their fleece, and it can be carded directly from the animal, you may prefer to wash the fleeces before carding. Fill your washer or a large tub with hot water. Once full, add detergent – this can be anything from wool wash to shampoo. Place part of your fleece loosely in a mesh laundry bag and slowly submerse it in the hot water. Let the fiber soak for at least 30 minutes, longer if extremely dirty. Slowly remove the bag of fiber taking care not to let the water rush out too quickly which will create felting. Repeat the wash as many times as necessary. Once the fleece is clean, run cool water and submerse it for 30 minutes to soak. Slowly remove the fleece, gently remove it from the bag and lay it out to dry. I use my skirting table which allows airflow from all sides. Once the fiber is partially dry, pull it apart further to keep it from felting. This makes it easier to card once dry.

• Skirting for mill processing is the easiest process. You will still want to remove sand and any large debris, but the mill equipment will remove the majority of the debris and short cuts. Not all mills will process your individual fleeces and many are not accomplished with luxury fibers such as alpaca. Make sure to check references prior to trusting them with your precious fleeces!

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Feel free to contact us with further questions or information.

Liz & Lee Clark - northern Indiana - contact us at turkeycreek@maplenet.net