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Alpaca - Fiber of the Gods
History
Alpacas were the cherished treasure of ancient Incan royalty and played a central role in the Incan culture in the mountains of South America. They have been domesticated for 7000 years, twice as long as any other livestock. It is said that alpaca fiber is stronger than mohair, finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, warmer than goose down, and breathes better than thermal knits. Alpaca is extremely durable proven by the fine garments discovered in Peruvian ruins dating back more than 2500 years and still in good condition. Unique among luxury fibers for its drape, sheen, and wonderfully smooth hand, designers of apparel and textiles in Europe and Asia have been capitalizing on its properties for decades.
An Ancient Incan legend states: Ausangate is a magnificent snow-covered peak south of Cuzco, Peru, and the legendary source of llamas and alpacas. According to legend, Pachamama (Mother Earth) loaned alpacas and llamas so people of the Puna could survive. Since the animals belong to Pachamama, they must be well-fed and never treated cruelly. If they are not properly cared for, Pachamama will call them back to Ausangate and people will disappear.
Alpaca is known for its diversity of colors ranging from white to black, with shades of brown and gray in between - 22 shades in all. Alpaca clothing has very little prickle factor making it comfortable to wear next to the skin. Often a person who professes to be allergic to wool, is either affected by the lanolin in sheeps wool, or the cleansing process used to remove it. Alpaca being very low in lanolin (about 3%) makes it hypoallergenic and luxurious.
Alpaca is great for outdoor apparel. It is resistant to water, naturally wicks water away from the skin, and is extremely warm. It packs well without much wrinkling, does not stain easily, and resists pilling.
There are 2 types of alpacas ~ the elegant suri with its long pencil-thin ringlets; and the huacaya with a teddy bear-like appearance. Suri fiber is very fine and best suited for lacy shawls, and garments with drape. Suri fiber typically has more sheen or luster than the huacaya fiber. Huacaya fiber is loftier and perfect for sweaters and outdoor apparel, socks and accessories.
Fiber character
A histogram is a precise way to measure the microns of a single fiber using equipment specifically designed for the wool industry. We run histograms on our alpacas every few years to give us an idea whether they are healthy, and to determine who which animals have continuing fineness to their fleeces. Drastic changes to a histogram may point to environmental, nutritional and/or health issues. A better understanding of histograms can be found at Yokum McColl or Alpaca Consulting Services, Inc.
The diameter of alpaca fiber falls mostly in the range of 17 to 34 microns. One micron equals one millionth of a meter or 1/24,400th of an inch. In the United States, alpaca fiber is graded as follows:
There are many factors that influence your alpacas fleece, including
- Genetics
- Environmental conditions
- Stress
- Hormones
- Pasture management
- Nutrition
Terms used in the alpaca industry are crimp, guard hair, lock structure, architecture, luster, handle, uniformity, and staple length. (Please refer to the Fiber Encyclopedia for definitions.)
Feel free to contact us with further questions or information.
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Turkey Creek's fiber history
We've been hooked on Alpaca fiber since our first shearing in 2001! We decided to learn how to process our fleece that summer so started by purchasing a Louet carder. While we waited for delivery Lee built a few portable skirting tables and, by the time the carder arrived, I had skirted through the few fleeces we had. Carding fiber proved to be a relatively easy task (although somewhat boring) and is an easy demonstration to provide at festivals and open houses. It's also a favorite with the kids because we would allow them to turn the wheel or feed the fiber in.
 That fall I decided to learn to spin and a friend gave me a bag of seconds to practice with. The instructor required that I first learn to spin on a drop spindle. Had I known that going in, I may not be a spinner today! Now I'm happy that I learned the drop spindle and often take that to demonstrate rather than my wheel. Once I mastered the drop spindle and could make some very chunky uneven yarn, my instructor taught me to spin on the wheel. It was several days before I had that ah-ha! moment where my yarn actually started to resemble yarn!
 My first wheel was an Ashford Traditional (shown here) which I purchased because it would look beautiful sitting in our living room. I have since sold that wheel and purchased an Ashford Joy, a foldable traveling wheel that fits my needs much better. I learned to spin using sheep's wool and have heard over and over again that Alpaca is much more difficult to spin. That is simply not true! I went home after my class and started spinning with Alpaca and have not spun wool since that first day. I have tried some other fibers and have done some blending of fibers, but I never blend with wool (I cannot wear wool and have met so many others who tell me the same). While I do offer some hand-cranked rovings and hand-spun yarn in our shop, most of our fiber is processed by a mini-mill.
 Since those early days I have brushed up on my crochet, and have taken some knitting classes to learn more than just knit & purl! Now I am an avid knitter and do my share of crochet as well. I love them equally and cannot find enough time to spend on either.
 2006 brought a 30 year-old Knit King knitting machine into my life which I use to make scarves, hats, gloves and ponchos. I rarely knit an entire piece on the knitting machine but rather use it for long, straight areas of knitting that can take quite some time by hand. The ponchos have been our top sellers and I have done several special request pieces as well.
 In the winter of 2008 I found a Harrisville 45 inch loom complete with a weaving bench and several accessories. I spent a long day on the road to Peoria, Illinois to pick the loom up, and brought it home in several large pieces in the back of the truck. For a few days I just stared at the parts with glazed-over eyes wondering what I had gotten myself into! Once I came to my senses, I did figure out how to reassemble the loom which now takes up a good chunk of our living room. I was fortunate to have a one-on-one day-long class with seasoned weaver, John Salamone of Giandino Fiber Art Studio and came home with a l-o-n-g woven scarf (or table runner?) for my efforts.
 My most recent endeavor has been to learn to knit socks on an antique Legare sock knitting machine. Having mastered knitting on my knitting machine an understanding of its inner workings *I thought* would cut my learning curve to a minimum, but it took me several pairs of socks to learn the particular glitches of my *new* antique sock machine. I have now started a line of hand-cranked socks and am working on developing some other products as well.
 In the spring of 2010, we purchased a fiber tumbler which removes quite a bit of debris from the fiber, and I now have an old washing machine with the agitator removed for washing fleeces. These 2 additions will give us much cleaner rovings! 2011 has started with a new room allocated to our "micro-mill", a space where all of our fiber can be washed, skirted, dyed, and processed into rovings. We will be catering a little bit more toward the spinners with beautiful natural shades as well as vibrant colors and fiber blends. Over the years, we have vastly improved our herd quality with our focus on fine fleeces. Today, our fiber quality and clip is more important than ever to keep in step with our growing customer base that look to us for high-quality products. The bulk of our herd now maintains the fleece qualities and fineness used in our Preferred Herd line of yarn and much of our finished product. We hope you have enjoyed learning about us and our fiber journey, and will give us a chance to become YOUR link to luxury! |
