Baby alpaca yarn The words “baby alpaca” might bring to your mind cute, long-legged, gangly, creatures with fuzzy faces, gambling through the mountains. So the question is:
Does Baby Alpaca Come From An Alpaca Baby? No, baby alpaca wool does NOT come from a new-born alpaca baby. Many people have the idea their baby alpaca wool sweater, scarf, … is from an alpaca baby, but in reality, the term refers to where the wool comes from on the alpaca, and not how old the alpaca is. Baby alpaca is a type of wool that can come from alpacas of any age. However, fiber diameter increases as alpacas age. That said, more baby alpaca wool can be harvested from younger alpacas, as wool fibers tend to become coarser as the animal gets older, which is why most baby alpaca wool comes from alpacas that are not more than 2 years old. Baby alpaca wool is sheared from the neck and chest area of an alpaca and can also be found on the back, which is also referred to as the ‘blanket’. The fleece in this area is one of the finest and softest. The fiber diameter on the back is lower than on other parts of the body, as well as the overall friction on the back is minimum, which maintains the wool nearly untouched.
Classifying Alpaca Fibers Once the alpaca fleece is sheared, the fibers are separated and classified based on three features: 1. Fineness 2. Length 3. Color Trained alpaca fiber sorters (in Peru they are often women) can do this by hand and sight: they know where the different qualities of fiber are found on the animal and feel the fibers’ fineness (rather than measuring the diameter of each fiber with an optical microscope), with surprising accuracy!
Types of Alpaca Fiber: baby alpaca There are actually six to seven categories of alpaca wool (depending on the system used), but only some fiber types are generally used for alpaca clothing, as the other categories are either too coarse or too short to work into garments. Baby alpaca is the finest, softest yarn, and it is highly appreciated in the industry. It is the wool obtained from the first shearing of an adult alpaca – just as virgin olive oil is from the very first pressing – the best and the most expensive!
Baby alpaca hair is 21-23 microns wide – it is even finer than superfine alpaca (with suri being the coarsest alpaca fiber). The fibers of baby alpaca fleece are hollow and provide excellent insulating characteristics. It is lightweight and strong. Therefore, baby alpaca products are valued so much.
therefore be your favourite garment for a very long time!
Qualities of Alpaca Fiber Did you know that the ancient Incas used alpaca fiber to build bridges over dizzying heights in the Andean mountains? They for sure knew the quality of alpaca and cherished their animals with good reason. Alpaca wool has a hollow fiber and a scale-like structure, making for a far more exclusive type of wool with special features. Here is a list of qualities attributed to alpaca wool:
When you wash alpaca wool, it is important to dry it laying on a flat surface. When you hang wet items, the weight actually will change the shape of a sweater or scarf.
3. Alpaca Wool Is Flame Resistant Alpaca fiber is more flame resistant than other fibers. This means that it is very unlikely for alpaca wool to catch fire. In comparison, plant based or synthetic fibers are very highly flammable. BEWARE: Eventually any type of fiber will catch fire, but if you accidentally pass too close to a candle, the piece will not immediately be eaten by flames.
1. Alpaca Wool Is Durable
Additionally, alpaca fiber will not melt onto your skin like synthetics do.
Alpaca wool is known to be the strongest mammal fiber in the world. An item made with this type of wool will last a very, very long time. That is, of course, if taken care of accordingly. Alpaca woolen items will not lose its shine, its strength, nor its shape, over time if they are treated well.
4. Alpaca Wool Is Hypoallergenic (Allergy Free)
Most types of wool will start showing some pesky pills after a while. This is caused by friction and you will often see it in the areas around the armpits and other moving parts of the body. Alpaca wool will not do this, which is another reason why alpaca wool will still look beautiful after years. Speaking of slow fashion…
2. Alpaca Wool Is Elastic Alpaca wool isn’t just strong, it’s also elastic. This means that it will maintain its shape, even after years of wearing. Wool in general, and alpaca wool in particular, is known for maintaining its shape. Even if you were to steam an alpaca woolen product and form it in a different shape, it will be back to its original form in only a matter of minutes. Your favourite sweater or scarf can
Alpaca wool contains such minimal amounts of lanolin, that it is perfect for people with wool allergies. Lanolin is the wax or natural oil that wool fibers normally contain. Given the oily texture of lanolin, it is easy for dust and other tiny allergens to get stuck in or on the fiber. So because alpaca wool doesn’t have much this, it will make for a perfect item for those with a lanolin allergy (or a wool allergy). So, yes: pure, 100% alpaca wool is hypoallergenic and suitable for people with wool allergies. Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor. This information does not replace medical advice.
5. Alpaca Wool Is Isolating and Insulating Alpaca wool is both isolating and insulating. Isolating means that it keeps things out, like rain and sunbeams. Insulating means that it keeps things in: like heat and warmth. Alpaca wool has a hollow fiber. This hollow fiber contains very small pockets of air. These little airbags trap the heat, keeping everything underneath it warm. This is how the body of an alpaca stays warm in cold weather. At the same time the hollow fiber provides a shelter that keeps rain and wind out. Alpaca yarn has approx. three times the insulating capacity of sheep’s wool, so garments are very light and very warm. The alpaca is protected in two ways: its thick coat of fur keeps it warm, while it also provides shelter for wind, rain, and the burning sun. Just like for an alpaca, wearing products made with alpaca wool will have a similar effect: it is both isolating and insulating. It will adapt to your body temperature and keep you warm when it’s cold. At the same time it keeps the sun out while it’s hot, and the wind out when it’s cool. It’s perfect!
6. Alpaca Wool Is Itch-free oft, soft, oh-so-soft! Touching alpaca wool is like caressing hugs. It is super soft and feels great! Alpaca wool doesn’t doesn’t leave an itch. For most people, alpaca wool will feel as if it doesn’t have any itch at all. Whether you will feel an itch from alpaca wool depends on how fine it is. The fineness is measured in microns. Alpaca hair ranges from 15 to 40 microns. Baby alpaca hair is 21-23 microns wide. Anything above 30 microns will have an itch, so it is often regarded as lesser quality and not used in high quality products. Baby alpaca is the first cut of an animal’s fleece and is, as you can imagine, the softest alpaca wool available.
Alpaca Yarn has a non-abrasiveness (softness) and is appropriate for articles of clothing that will contact skin. Because of its soft texture, alpaca fiber is sometimes compared to cashmere. The fiber also has the luster of silk, making it even more coveted.
Most people who are sensitive to wool find that they can wear alpaca without the itching or irritation they feel from wool. Incidence of allergic reactions is significantly lower than other fibers.
7. Alpaca Wool Is Lightweight Blankets, scarves, sweaters… you’ll be surprised to see that anything made out of alpaca wool will be incredibly light, yet bulky… comfortable, yet easily transportable… small, yet super warm!
Alpaca is just as warm as wool, yet it is a mere 1/3 the weight. The hollow fiber of alpaca wool carries no weight because it is filled with air! This means that even
though a piece might seem large or big, it will carry nothing but a lot of weightless air inside! An alpaca item is therefore perfect to take with you wherever you go. Do you recognize those summer nights that tend to cool down unexpectedly? If you have an alpaca woolen scarf in your bag, you will be prepared for any change in weather you can think of! I definitely carry mine with me wherever I go!
9. Alpaca Wool Resists Odors Alpaca products (including socks) will not absorb any smells at all. The wool has a natural system of regulating the air, so no smells can stay trapped inside the fiber. For example, wearing an alpaca woolen item next to a barbeque will not leave a bad smell on it. Even if a slight whiff of something might get caught into your scarf or weater, it will be gone in a short period of time. A little trick is to hang alpaca products in a foggy environment to get rid of smells.
12. Alpaca Wool Is Strong The alpaca fiber is known to be one of the strongest mammal fiber on Earth. The strength of alpaca yarn is fortified by twisting the strings of hair together. Thanks to the length of the alpaca fibers, the individual hairs interlock very well, producing thus a strong yarn. This is called torsion (or twisting) and is part of the process of making yarn out of alpaca fleece. Torsion (or twisting) is a delicate process, as too much of it will make the yarn lose its softness and become stiff.
13. Alpacas Environmentally Friendly Animals Alpaca wool is sustainable in two ways: to start with, the alpaca itself is a very environmentally friendly animal.
10. Alpaca Wool Is Soft Just looking at an alpaca and you will immediately see that this little animal is going to be fluffy as fluffy can be! Wool is measured in fiber diameter, which is measured in microns , which indicates the diameter of the fiber. With that it gives you more information about the softness, too (smaller is generally softer). Baby alpaca is 21 – 23 microns wide.
11. Alpaca Wool Is Stain Resistant Just like water and rain, any type of stain will be repelled by the alpaca fiber. Of course, if you leave it the stain too long, the fiber will eventually absorb it and leave an unerasable mark. For most stains, however, you should be able to wick away the liquid before it can cause a stain.
They spend their entire lives roaming freely in their native habitat, the Andes mountains, where they fit right into the ecology. They eat the grass and plants that they will find in their habitat. When they eat, they don’t pull out the roots of the grass, leaving the land they graze on in perfect condition behind them. Additionally, they don’t have hard hooves, but a soft footbed that leaves no trace. Alpaca wool is an eco-friendly material because it uses limited resources, like water and energy, for production . And they’re not killed for their wool, either. They’re caught by the farmers and gently sheared. It’s similar to when you bring your pet to the vet. They might be nervous and dig their heels in and have to be restrained, but they’re not harmed. Afterward, they are released back into the wild. Because they regrow their wool, which can come in 20 different colours, from white to coffee brown and even orange, it’s in a farmer’s best interest to let them live as long as possible. It’s also healthy for them to be sheared, because if their wool grows too much, it can impact their quality of life.
14. Alpaca Wool Is a Sustainable Material On top of that, all parts of the alpaca fiber are natural and biodegradable. Alpaca wool is also environmentally friendly because it lasts and needs very little maintenance. It lasts a lifetime, it doesn’t stain, it doesn’t absorb any smells… You understand by now that alpaca wool barely needs to be washed! And that is a great advantage for our world as washing machine are a great burden on the environment. Besides, you don’t really want to wash alpaca anyways… Because if there is any downside to alpaca yarn, it is that washing it is a delicate job. Good thing that you won’t need to do it anytime often, if at all. A simple “airing” of your item will often be enough to remove any smells. Cold, running water will suffice if you need to “wash out” a stain. It is basically a piece of clothing that will never need to be washed. Ever. Can it get any better?!
15. Alpaca Wool Is Water Repellent Let me be straightforward here and immediately confess that alpaca wool is not waterproof. If you leave the wool in a bucket of water, it will definitely be soaked. However, alpaca wool is known to be super water repellent. This means that rain and any type of moist will be “wicked” away before it gets a chance to soak up the garment. So, imagine you’re trapped in a downpour and all you have is your alpaca woolen blanket… It will definitely work to protect yourself from the rain on your way back inside. If you’re going out on a rainy day, you are definitely going to need something more waterproof than alpaca wool. On top of that, if alpaca wool does get wet, it will dry rapidly. The science behind it? The hollow fiber (again!) traps the warmth inside and any water or moist that will get caught on the yarn will be evaporated.
16. Alpaca Wool Is Wind Resistant The alpaca fiber is naturally windproof, making any scarf or sweater wind resistant (the structure of knitted and woven pieces will let some wind pass). And perfect for… Anything, really.
Alpaca is a versatile, warm, strong, water resistant fiber which is produced on a gentle, hardy animal. Alpacas are ‘green’ animals, easy keepers that are light on the land, making them ideal fiber animals to raise on small acreage. Baby alpaca yarn is super soft, delicate, and warm.
If an alpaca can use its hair to shut out the cold, sneering winds of the Andean highlands, we can rest assured that alpaca wool is a great natural windshield. Especially items that are knitted with a fine stitch will shut every breeze (and gust) out. You may find that a loosely knitted items will let more wind come through because of its wider stitches.
While being wind resistant, you don’t need to worry about alpaca wool being suffocating or stifling, as the hollow fiber makes for a perfectly breathable piece.
17. Alpaca Wool Is Wrinkle-free Speaking of the perfect item… Thanks to its natural silky texture, products made with alpaca yarn will not wrinkle. No matter how badly folded or crushed an item may be, by simply unfolding your item, it will unwrinkle without any further effort. If you
find any wrinkles, just hang out an alpaca woolen garment and let gravity take care of the it! www.solidinternational.be inge@solidinternational.be @solid.crafts