Alpacas
Many people are attracted to alpacas because they are relatively easy to look after, have beautiful fibre and there is no slaughter involved.
Alpacas are members of the South American camelid family. They have been domesticated for thousands of years and were bred by the Incans. They are found in Peru, Chile and Bolivia and are related to vicunas, guanacos and llamas as well as to both species of camel.
There are two type of alpacas : huacaya and suris. Huacayas are dominant in the UK. They are incredibly hardy, coping very well with the Scottish weather.
Fibre
Alpacas are bred for their soft, dense fibre. The challenge for all breeders is the development , by selective breeding, of a finer, denser fleece with a pronounced crimp and lustre. There are 22 natural shades of alpaca fibre.
Breeding programmes aim to use the best stud males available over quality females to enhance the fleece and eliminate the stronger fibres that can be found in poorer quality fleeces.
Products
There are a number of Mini-Mills in the UK that purchase fleece, or they can process fibre for the farmer to sell direct to the public.
Many breeders also sell their fleece to spinners and feltmakers or process it themselves.
As the UK herd grows it is anticipated that the volume of quality fleece available will encourage the creation of a fibre co-operative so that processing the full range of colours can become viable.
A range of alpaca products have been produced from this luxurious fibre. Popular items include socks, throws and knitting yarn.
Most owners have examples of these products at their farms for sale or viewing.
See the Farms page to find an alpaca farm near you.
If you think cashmere is soft, you should try alpaca. It has finer fibres than cashmere and a slippery sort of quality, but it is hard wearing and doesn’t pull around the elbows.
Samantha Holmes, designer of alpaca clothing and accessories
