The alpaca is a long-haired, domesticated member of the camel family, native to South America, and highly-prized for its silky, long-fiber wool. In appearance, the alpaca resembles a llama.
Its fleece produces a lustrous, silken natural-fiber yarn. Usually, less than half of the annual alpaca shear, the undercoat, is of a quality suitable for weaving textiles. The remainder of the shear is guard hair, or overcoat - coarser, straighter hairs - which must be removed prior to spinning.
Alpaca is considered by many to be as soft and warm as cashmere, yet is lighter in weight, producing yarn with greater durability and strength. Its softness is derived from the fine diameter of its fibers; because the alpaca's hair fibers have a smoother surface than most other wool-producing animals, textiles made from alpaca yield a beautiful sheen and luster. And while it has similarities to sheep's wool, alpaca fibers are naturally hypoallergenic because they contain no lanolin.
Stop in
A Touch of Lace to pick a beautiful alpaca throw, offered in various colors!
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