Alpacas are also known as the 'sheep of the Andes' and are a source of livelihood for Andean communities.
The alpaca , like the llama, has always been a domesticated animal, but unlike the llama, it is usually raised for its luxurious fine fiber. It is more profitable than the llama due to its better wool and tastier meat.
Alpaca has been the premier fiber of the Peruvian. Inca royalty wore robes made from alpaca fleece for good reason; alpaca is luxurious, strong, warm, and beautiful.
In adapting to the extreme temperatures of the high mountains, the alpaca developed fleece with unique thermal properties. In addition, yarns made from alpaca fleece are stronger than ordinary yarn and resist soiling, staining and pilling. Beacause an alpaca's coat does not have natural oils, its fleece is less likely to have the characteristic "itchiness" of ordinary wool and is more likely to be hypo-allergenic.
The wool can be found in 22 distinct, natural colors from white, to brown, to black. An alpaca can produce enough wool to make 6 or 8 warm sweaters. When compared to sheep wool, which only has a clean fiber yield of 43-76% after processing, the alpaca gives 87-95% usuable fiber. Another advantage of alpaca wool over sheep is that it does not require chemicals to be scoured and cleaned due to a much lower grease (lanolin) content. This makes it better for Pachamama, and also less expensive to process. Alpacas can be raised at very high altitudes, and so have developed more thermal capacity than almost any other animal. Thats the reason why the ALPACA is the camelid that serves as the main subsistence for Andean people. Alpacas live in the Andes at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 4,500 metres above sea level and withstand extreme temperatures.
Nowadays, in the fashion industry, Alpaca fur is renowned to be one of the most luxurious, softest, resistant and beautiful fibres. It comes in an array of natural colours and it is used to produce beautiful apparel as well as home accessories.
People who touch an alpaca marvel at how soft its fleece is. This softness is the reason the feel of alpaca is often compared to the feel of cashmere.
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