Fine and Luxurious Ethnic Fleece
The fiber from the Alpaca is one of the most luxurious soft fibers in the world. Alpaca fiber is prized for its unique softness and silky feel, equivalent to mohair in its uniform fineness and strength, it is three times stronger, warmer and more resilient than the finest sheep's wool; it is as light, soft and glamorous as cashmere. The value and durability of alpaca fiber has been appreciated by world textile experts for many years.
Today, the center of the alpaca textile industry is in Arequipa, Peru. It comes in more colors than any other fiber producing animal, approximately 24 natural shades with many variations and blends. This cashmere-like fleece, once reserved for Incan royalty in the Peruvian highlands thousands of years ago, is now enjoyed by spinners and weavers around the world.
Alpacas are a rare and interesting livestock species members of the camelid family. There are two distinct types of Alpacas, Huacaya has a curly fiber that grows very 'fro' -like and Suri which has longer cord-like fiber.
This amazing animal had the ability to live in extremely high elevations, cold climate and under harsh conditions where other domestic animals could not survive, where it developed a coat with microscopic air pockets, this yields a high insulation value for light weight but warm garments.
Today, the center of the alpaca textile industry is in Arequipa, Peru. It comes in more colors than any other fiber producing animal, approximately 24 natural shades with many variations and blends. This cashmere-like fleece, once reserved for Incan royalty in the Peruvian highlands thousands of years ago, is now enjoyed by spinners and weavers around the world.
Alpacas are a rare and interesting livestock species members of the camelid family. There are two distinct types of Alpacas, Huacaya has a curly fiber that grows very 'fro' -like and Suri which has longer cord-like fiber.
This amazing animal had the ability to live in extremely high elevations, cold climate and under harsh conditions where other domestic animals could not survive, where it developed a coat with microscopic air pockets, this yields a high insulation value for light weight but warm garments.
