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Alpaca fleece is the natural
fiber harvested from an alpaca. It
is light weight or heavy weight, depending on how it is spun. It is soft,
durable, luxurious [1] and silky natural
fiber.
While similar to sheep’s wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and has no lanolin
which makes it hypoallergenic.[1][2] Alpaca is naturally water-repellent. [3] Huacaya, an alpaca that grows soft spongy fiber has
natural crimp, thus making a naturally elastic yarn, perfect
for knits. Suri has far less crimp and thus is best suited for woven goods, but
is wonderfully luxurious as well. The designer Armani has used Suri alpaca to
fashion Men's and Women's suits. [4]. Alpaca fleece is made into various products, from very
simple and inexpensive garments made by the aboriginal communities to
sophisticated, industrially made and expensive products such as suits. In the
United States, groups of smaller alpaca breeders have banded together to create
"fiber co-ops,"
in order to make the manufacture of alpaca fiber products less expensive.
In physical structure, alpaca fiber is
somewhat akin to hair, being very glossy. Alpaca fibre is similar to that of
merino wool fibre, and alpaca yarns tend to be stronger than wool yarns. The
heel hole that appears in wool socks or in elbows of wool sweaters is
nonexistent in similar alpaca garments. In processing, slivers lack fibre cohesion
and single alpaca rovings lack strength. Blend these together and the
durability is increased several times over. More twisting is necessary,
especially in Suri, and this can reduce a yarn's softness.[5]
The alpaca has a very fine and light
fleece. It does not retain water, is thermal even when wet and can resist the
solar radiation effectively. These characteristics guarantee the animals a
permanent and appropriate coat to fight against the extreme changes of
temperature. [6]This fiber offers the same protection to humans. Alpaca
is sustainable as a fiber, and is naturally organic. Alpacas as animals are
soft on the environment, making alpaca a truly green textile.
The Alpaca fiber contains also
microscopic airbags that make possible the manufacture of light textiles as
well as different kinds of clothing. The cells of the central core may contract
or disappear, forming air pockets which assist insulation. Fleeces vary from
alpaca to alpaca and in some alpacas there may be a higher incidence of
medullated fibres, compared to wool and mohair. This can be an objectionable
trait. Medullated fibers can take less dye, standing out in the finished
garment, and are weaker. The proportion of medullated fibres is higher in the
coarser, unwanted guard hairs: there is less or no medullation in the finer,
lower micrometre fibres.[7].[8]. These undesirable fibers are easy to see and give a
garment a hairy appearance. Quality alpaca products should be free from these
medullated fibers.
Good quality alpaca fiber is
approximately 18 to 25 micrometres
in diameter[1]. Whilst breeders report fibre can sell for 2 to 4 dollars
per ounce,
the world wholesale price for processed pre-spun alpaca “tops” is only between
about $10 to $24 US/kg (according to quality), i.e. about $0.28 to $0.68 per
oz. [9]. Finer fleeces, ones with a smaller diameter, are
preferred, and thus are more expensive. As an alpaca gets older the width of
the fibers gets thicker, at between 1 µm and 5 µm per year. This is often
caused by over nutrition; if fed too much nutritious food the animal doesn't
get fat, instead the fiber gets thicker.[citation needed] Any alpaca
fiber exceeding 34µ is classified as llama.[1]
As with all fleece-producing animals,
quality varies from animal to animal, and some alpacas produce fiber which is
less than ideal. Fiber and conformation are the two most important factors in
determining an alpaca's value.
Alpacas come in many shades from a
true-blue black through browns-black, browns, fawns, white, silver-greys, and
rose-greys.[1] However, white is predominant, [1] because of selective breeding: the white fiber can be dyed
in the largest ranges of colors. In South America, the preference is for white
as they generally have better fleece than the darker-colored animals. This is
because the dark colors had been all but bred out of the animals. The demand
for darker fiber sprung up in the United States and elsewhere, however in order
to reintroduce the colors, the quality of the darker fiber has decreased
slightly. Breeders have been diligently working on breeding dark animals with
exceptional fiber, and much progress has been made in these areas over the last
5–7 years.[citation needed]
The preparing, carding,
spinning, weaving
and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process used for wool.
Types of alpacas
Suri
Alpaca
There are two types of alpaca: Huacaya
(which produce a dense, soft, crimpy sheep-like fiber), and the mop-like Suri
(with silky pencil-like locks, resembling dread-locks but not actually matted
fibers). Suris are prized for their longer and silkier fibers, and estimated to
make up between 19-20% of the Alpaca population.[10] Since its import into the United States, the number of
Suri alpacas has grown substantially and become more color diverse. The Suri is
thought to be rarer, possibly because it is less hardy in the harsh South
American mountain climates, as its fleece offers less insulation against the
cold.
History of alpacas
Alpaca have been bred in South America
for thousands of years. Vicuñas
were first domesticated and bred into alpacas by the ancient tribes of the
Andean highlands of Peru, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. In recent years alpacas
have also been exported to other countries. In countries such as the USA,
Australia and New Zealand breeders shear their animals annually, weigh the fleeces and
test them for fineness. With the resulting knowledge they are able to breed
heavier-fleeced animals with finer fiber. Fleece weights vary, with the top
stud males reaching annual shear weights up to 7 kg total fleece and 3 kg good
quality fleece. The discrepancy in weight is because an alpaca has guard
hair which is often removed before spinning.
History of fiber industry
The Amerindians
of Peru used this fiber in the manufacture of many styles of fabrics for
thousands of years before its introduction into Europe as a commercial product.
The alpaca was a crucial component of ancient life in the Andes, as it provided
not only warm clothing but also meat. Many rituals revolved around the alpaca,
perhaps most notably the method of killing it: An alpaca was restrained by one
or more people, and a specially-trained person plunged his bare hand into the chest
cavity of the animal, ripping out its heart. Today, this ritual is viewed by
most as barbaric, but there are still some tribes in the Andes which practice
it.[citation needed]
The first European importations of
alpaca fiber were into Spain. Spain transferred that fiber to Germany
and France.
Apparently alpaca yarn was spun in England
for the first time about the year 1808 but the fiber was condemned as an
unworkable material. In 1830 Benjamin Outram, of Greetland,
near Halifax, appears to have reattempted spinning it, and again it was
condemned. These two attempts failed due to the style of fabric into which the
yarn was woven — a type of camlet. It
was not until the introduction of cotton
warps into Bradford trade about 1836 that the true qualities
of alpaca could be developed into fabric. It is not known where the cotton warp
and mohair
or alpaca weft
plain-cloth came from, but it was this simple and ingenious structure which
enabled Titus Salt, then a young Bradford manufacturer, to use
alpaca successfully. Bradford is still the great spinning and manufacturing
center for alpaca. Large quantities of yarns and cloths are exported annually
to the European continent and the US, although the quantities vary with the
fashions in vogue. The typical "alpaca-fabric" is a very
characteristic "dress-fabric."
[11]
A
pair of Huacaya alpacas near an Inca burial site in Peru
Due to the successful manufacture of
various alpaca cloths by Sir Titus Salt and other Bradford manufacturers, a
great demand for alpaca wool arose which could not be met by the native
product. Apparently, the number of alpacas available never increased
appreciably. Unsuccessful attempts were made to acclimatize alpaca in England,
on the European continent and in Australia, and even to cross English breeds of
sheep with alpaca. There is a cross between alpaca
and llama — a true hybrid in every sense — producing a material
placed upon the Liverpool market under the name "Huarizo".
Crosses between the alpaca and vicuña have not proved satisfactory.[11] Current attempts to cross these two breeds are underway
at farms in the US. According to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association,
alpacas are now being bred in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and
numerous other places.
In recent years, interest in alpaca
fiber clothing has surged, perhaps partly because alpaca ranching has a reasonably
low impact on the environment. Outdoor sports enthusiasts recognize that its
lighter weight and better warmth provides them more comfort in colder weather,
so outfitters such as R.E.I. and others are beginning to stock more alpaca products.
Using an alpaca and wool blend such as merino is
common to the alpaca fibre industry in order to improve processing and the
qualities of the final product.[5]
In December 2006 the General Assembly
of the United Nations proclaimed 2009 to be the International Year of Natural
Fibres, so as to raise the profile of alpaca and other natural
fibres.
Natural Dyed Alpaca Wool
Before dyeing the alpaca fiber must go
through other stages:
i. Selection of wool: according to
color, size and quality of fiber; ii. "Escarminado": Removal of
grass, dirt, thorns, and other impurities; iii. Spinning; iv. Washing: to
remove all the dirt and grease. Once the fiber is clean then it is possible to
begin with the process of dyeing.
Natural dyeing:
(recipe used by andean artisans): To dye 1 kg. of alpaca wool with cochinilla
(natural dye). Boil 5 liters of water in an aluminum can with 100 grs. of
cochinilla for an hour. Sift and put the wool in the water. Boil again for an
hour and ad 50 lemons cut in halfs. Then take out the wool and hang for drying.
Note: For dyeing with another natural dye (native plants) add 2 kgs, of the
products to the water and boil.
References
1. ? 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Quiggle, Charlotte. "Alpaca: An Ancient
Luxury." Interweave Knits Fall 2000: 74-76.
2. ? Stoller, Debbie, Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet, New York:
Workman, 2006, p. 18.
3. ? "Alpaca."
22 April 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/alpaca-info.htm>
19 July 2009.
4. ? http://www.properfashion.com/women-s-wear/giorgio-armani-women.html
5. ? 5.0 5.1 The Quality and Processing Performance of Alpaca Fibres
Australian Government RIRDC 2003
6. ? International Alpaca Association
<http://www.aia.org.pe/aia.html?32>
7. ? Davison/Holt
2004
8. ? Fiber Characteristics of U.S. Huacaya Alpacas by Angus
McColl, Yocom-McColl Testing Laboratories, Inc., Chris Lupton, Texas A&M
University System, and Bob Stobart, University of Wyoming 2004
9. ? Alpha Tops
10. ? "Alpaca Registry" (HTML). Alpaca
Registry. 7-05-01. http://alpacaregistry.net.
11. ? 11.0 11.1 "Alpaca." The New Encyclopædia Britannica.
11th ed. 1911.
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