Fiber of the Gods
Alpacas and their fleeces have, for centuries, been a cherished treasure of the Andean Indians of South America. They played a central part in the Incan culture where the fleece was used to clothe imperial Incas. Death was often the price paid by non-royal persons who dared to wear garments made from this precious fiber. Today, alpaca fiber continues to be prized for its special and unique characteristics.
Naturally
found in 16 distinct colors, alpaca fiber can be blended to produce an infinite
array of natural color. It is easily dyed any color while retaining its natural
luster. Alpaca fiber is unusually strong and resilient with microscopic air
pockets which create lightweight garments with high insulation values. The cellular
structure of the fiber produces a soft handle; in fact, alpaca is soft, supple,
and smooth to the touch to a degree unmatched by most specialty fibers.
A number of factors can affect the value of alpaca fiber, including fineness, color, fleece character, crimp, and staple length. These characteristics can be the result of both heredity and environment. Fleece weight and quality are believed to be 50% breeding and 50% feeding.
Fiber fineness is what specialty fibers are all about. The alpaca is essentially a one-coated animal, having been genetically selected over time for the absence of the coarse guard hair, or outer coat. To avoid prickle, coarse hair of 30 microns (a measure of fiber diameter) or more must be maintained at 5% or less. Alpaca, properly sorted and graded, easily meets this test.In addition to the more subjective appraisal of fineness and softness which is called "hand", fiber diameter can also be measured through recognized laboratory testing. These tests can also provide measures of standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) providing an assessment of fiber consistency.
The alpaca fiber business in North America today is primarily a cottage industry. Fleece is sold to handspinners, weavers, and fiber artists. It is not unusual for fiber right off the animal to sell for $2 or more per ounce, depending on quality, color, cleanliness, and availability.
Annual fiber yield is approximately five pounds from a single female and eight or more pounds from the larger male. Cria, or baby, fiber is the first clip from a young alpaca and typically commands a premium for its extra-fineness and lustrous feel.
There are two types of alpacas based primarily on differing fleece type. The
Suri has a lustrous, fine fiber with no crimp. This fiber is arranged
in locks which hang from the backline of the Suri. In contrast, the Huacaya
has a fleece which has a crimp, or wavy quality, that gives it greater elasticity
and enhances its use in spinning. It is the dense, crimpy character of this
fleece which gives the huacaya alpaca a "huggable" appearance. These
fleece types each offer unique fiber qualities that make them especially suited
to different applications.
The Alpaca Fiber Commitee of AOBA, the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, was the primary force behind the creation of the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America (AFCNA), an organization which provides all members with a cost effective outlet for the processing of their alpaca fiber. This type of cooperative effort will lay the foundation for the future North American alpaca textile industry. It will, however, be decades before there are sufficient numbers of alpacas to reach this shared goal.
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