Alpaca Fleece
Alpaca fleece is the natural fiber harvested from an alpaca. There are two different types of alpaca fleece. The most common fleece type comes from a Huacaya. Huacaya fiber grows and looks similar to sheep wool in that the animal looks "fluffy". It is a soft, durable, luxurious and silky natural fiber. Although similar to sheep's wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and has no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. Alpaca fiber is naturally water-repellent and fire resistant. Huacaya alpaca grows soft spongy fiber, and has natural crimp, thus making a naturally elastic yarn well-suited for knitting.
The second type of alpaca is Suri and makes up less than 10% of the South American alpaca population. Suri fiber is more similar to natural silk and hangs off the body in locks that have a dreadlock appearance. Suri has no crimp and thus is a better fit for woven goods unless spun with an additional fiber. The designer Armani has used Suri alpaca to fashion men's and women's suits.
We suggest you follow the care instructions specific to the yarn you are using and when in doubt hand wash in tepid water using a mild soap. Do not agitate or twist. Lay garment flat on a towel and roll it up like a sleeping bag. You can let that sit from 15 minutes to the following day to ensure the towel wicks out as much moisture as possible. Then unroll, place on a clean, dry towel, shape and dry flat.
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