Feb 12
11
Alpaca Fiber From The Pasture To The Marketplace
For at least three thousand years, this camelid species has been bred for the quality of alpaca fiber. In ancient times, the Incas referred to it as ‘Fiber of the Gods’. Alpaca cloth was even used as a currency by the Incas. In Peru, where alpaca farms contribute significantly towards the gross national product, over 40,000 tons of fiber is exported annually, some of this to the manufacturing houses of top fashion designers. Armani uses alpaca, as does Ralph Lauren.
According to one owner of an alpaca farm, the best quality fiber can be found on the blanket area of the alpaca. It features the smallest micron and lowest hair contamination, making it ideal for crimping and felting. The leg and belly hairs contains a higher degree of the coarser guard hairs, but this can still be employed for other uses such as duvet fillers or carpet grade yarn.
alpaca fiber is measured in microns. By using a histogram, the number of microns per single fiber is measured. A finer fleece can command a higher market price. The fiber microns vary from about 16 to 20 in young animals. Baby alpaca is sought after for high end products and it is said that the quality of some Peruvian alpaca farms matches that for baby alpacas, in the output of older animals. In older alpacas, you can expect 30 to 32 microns. You can also expect a longer staple in younger alpacas, which could be up to 5.9 inches (150mm). As they age, this progressively shortens to about 2.3 inches (60mm).
After the shearing, you can decide on a number of processes. The fiber can be spun by hand, at a small mill or a large commercial textile mill. The latter option may not be available to everyone. In Australia, a textile mill dedicated to alpaca fiber was acquired fairly soon after alpacas were first introduced to that country. Unfortunately, it was later liquidated. In Peru, on the other hand, where alpaca farms have existed for thousands of years, the first textile mill was only set up in the 1940s. Before that time, the raw fiber was exported or hand processed in traditional ways.
In preparing the fiber for commercial application, one of the first steps is to card it. The fibers are separated and equalized to form a web. Some of the impurities and short and broken strands are removed. The process is completed with the combing stage. After this, the fiber is spun to create stretchable and consistent yarn.
Although tedious and precise, the work of transforming raw alpaca fiber into usable yarn is a necessary part of the creation of alpaca products.
