What are Alpacas?

Background

Alpacas originate from the Andean altiplano, a dessert-like area high up in the mountains of Peru, Chile and Bolivia in South America. The alpaca is a member of the South American Camelid family which is comprised of vicuna, guanaco, llama and alpaca. There are two types of alpacas - the Suri and the Huacaya, with the Huacaya making up 95% of the alpaca population. Suris have straight fibre that is formed into locks. Huacayas have a woolly appearance and their fibre is fine and crimped.

The Incas were very successful in refining the alpaca fibre for better quality and the finest alpacas were bred to clothe the Inca Royal Family. The currency of the Incan Empire was based on these textiles.

Today, alpacas are bred in North America, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom; there are also new herds developing across mainland Europe. The alpaca's luxurious fibre is prized by spinners and weavers.

Alpacas are very social herd animals and communicate to each other with humming sounds and body and head movements.

More about Suris

SURI Alpacas are distinguished by their unique fibre. The fibre hangs in long distinctive locks. This enhances the graceful appearance of the animal compared to the soft, woolly look of Huacaya Alpacas.

The locks, made up of high lustre fibre, drape down the sides of the body in a twisted or flat form. All types are equally good for processing. Suri are known as “the rare alpaca”. They make up a very small percentage of the total British alpaca population and only 5% of the world alpaca population. It is known from archaelogical records that alpacas have been domesticated for 6,000 years. Early depictions of Suri alpacas date from beteween 5 and 20 thousand years ago. The Suri appears as a distinct breed in pre-Colonial South American textiles, pottery and jewellery.

Suris are intelligent, graceful and easy to care for. The Suri Alpaca is the ideal choice whether you are an animal lover looking for a hobby or interested in breeding.

More about the fleece

Alpacas have a larger variety of fleece colours than any other fibre animal. There are at least 22 natural colours, including black, (The only animal that produces a true black instead of very dark brown) through brown, various shades of grey, fawn, champagne and finally pure white.

Historicaly the alpaca has been bred predomoniantly white as it has been seen by the textile industry as the ideal base colour from which other colours can be dyed. However there is now a huge interest in ‘all things natural’ –especially in the luxury fibre market – and the natural colours of the alpaca fleece are being sought after.

Alpaca fleece is an extremely soft, lightweight, lustrous fibre second only to silk for strength and comparable to cashmere for luxury. But unlike cashmere it does not bobble.

It is thermally efficient (cool in the heat and warm in the cold). It has a very smooth fibre structure and does not contain lanoline – which makes it more acceptable for those that have an allergic reaction to wool.

The fleece is used for hand spinning, felting, luxury knitting as well as weaving into fine cloth.