ALPACA

Alpaca, one of the world’s great natural fibers, was once reserved for Inca royalty. Today, alpaca still enjoys luxury status, as it is prized for its velvety softness, cloud-weight lightness, as well as its extraordinary insulating ability and durability.

The docile alpacas, cousins of the llama, graze high in the snow-covered Andes Mountains of Peru, at altitudes between 10,000 and 14,000 feet. In response to the harsh weather conditions of their habitat and a diet of natural grasses, alpacas grow extremely fine, yet strong hair in some 40 different shades of natural colors, ranging from pure white to creamy beige, cinnamon, dark brown, pearly gray and black. Customarily, alpacas are sheared every other year, producing enough fleece to make 6-8 sweaters. It is the first cut of the shearling that produces the quality of yarn called baby alpaca, which is even softer and finer than alpaca, and so even more precious.

Alpaca yarn is warmer than wool, soft as cashmere, yet more durable. Garments made of alpaca, in particular baby alpaca yarn, do not present an “itch factor” to many people allergic to wool. This is because of the very fine diameter of the fiber.

Although many alpacas remain free in the wild, most live as part of domesticated herds, carefully tended by Andean herdsmen to assure each animal's survival in the extreme step-like environment.

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18" alpaca fur bear

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