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Alpaca Fiber 101

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For 5,000 years South American people bred alpaca to be finer and finer. The softness and warmth of alpaca comes from the fact that it is the finest of all natural fiber at around 18-26 microns. Only cashmere down around 14-16 microns thick is finer. In comparison, human hair is about 100 microns thick. Spinners say that alpaca spins like butter. Mountain climbers are wearing alpaca socks on their feet...testimony to the fact that alpaca is four times warmer than sheep's wool.

Shearing Alpacas  >
Throughout the United States, alpacas are generally shorn once a year. Because of the high summer heat and humidity common in the Great Lakes region, most Great Lakes breeders shear in April, May, and June...

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Alpaca Fiber from the Textile Point of View  >
Once alpaca fleece is in the bag, what is it worth? The textile manufacturer could not care less whether the fleece available for sale came from a prize winning stud or the herd's ugly duckling. Understanding what qualities the buyer desires most is the key to getting maximum value from alpaca fiber production...

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Alpaca Fiber: Color Contamination  >
Alpacas come in many colors; on occasion, too many colors. Dark-colored fleeces with the occasional light-colored fiber spread throughout the blanket have one color too many...

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How Important is Fiber Quality in Alpacas?  >
This past summer, I had the opportunity to attend a fiber preparation seminar conducted by Cameron Holt, an Australian fiber consultant and registered woolclasser. The seminar had three principal objectives...

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How to Manage Feed for High Quality

Barbie Tilton

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