Alpaca is an animal whose 4 types of wool are used to sew expensive but high-quality clothes.

Those who are interested in knitting probably know about alpaca wool yarn and are happy to use it to make their products. If you are new to this type of creativity and are just starting to delve into all the intricacies, then we recommend studying the whole variety of its types in order to know how it differs from threads made from other types of wool.

Alpaca wool - what kind of material is it, description

Alpaca is a naturally occurring wool that is widely used for fabric production. The fiber is warm, light, but durable. The products last a long time, and pellets rarely form on the surface. Read about the features of stripe satin fabric here.

Manufacturers practically do not use dyes due to the wide variety of natural shades of the material.

What does an alpaca look like - what kind of animal is it, where does it live?

This is an artiodactyl domestic animal that lives in the mountainous regions of South America. In appearance it resembles a sheep with a large long neck. The sides of the animal are covered with long, thin hair, from which the fabric of the same name is made. Feeds on mountain grass; In the wild, animals gather in small herds that periodically change pastures in search of new food sources.

Genetic and historical studies show that the animal was domesticated about 5-6 thousand years ago. After the discovery of America, Europeans tried to import alpacas to Europe, but they did not succeed - it turned out that the animal could grow and reproduce normally only in the mountains of South America. Scientists say that today the total number of animals is about 3 million individuals, and most of them live in Peru. Find out what the texture and density of satin jacquard fabric looks like here.

The average weight of one animal is 50-80 kilograms, and about 2-4 kg of wool can be cut from one adult individual.

Advantages and disadvantages

Wool has both pros and cons. The main advantage is its hypoallergenicity.

The mechanism for the formation of allergies to clothing is as follows: during their lives, European animals secrete organic fats that remain on the fur even after shearing. This link will tell you what denim fabric is.

Alpacas are unique in that the animal does not lubricate its wool with organic fats, which makes the fabric safe for all allergy sufferers.

The material has other advantages:

1. Retains heat well. Wool threads have curled ends, which creates small pockets that trap heat.
2. The average length of the threads is quite long - approximately 15-25 centimeters. Therefore, such fabric does not fall off, pills do not form on it, and it can be stored for a very long time without losing its properties.

When in contact with dust, debris particles “stick” to the fat on the fabric, which leads to the formation of allergies in humans.

However, the material also has several disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the rather high price compared to others.

Characteristics and properties

The fibers are very thin - from 19 to 32 micrometers in diameter, and the average length of one fiber is from 10 to 25 centimeters. This makes the fabric very soft and smooth, but at the same time very durable. Temperature range – from -30 to +50 degrees Celsius. Canvas fabric and alpaca wool allow water and various liquids to pass through very poorly, and also do not cause allergies. It is ideal for knitting, and if necessary, with the help of organic dyes it can be easily dyed to create any design or pattern. Find out about the description and properties of tiara fabric in this material.

Alpaca can be adapted to make various complex jewelry with inserts of wood, metal, and so on.

How to obtain and produce threads and yarn for knitting

Threads and yarn are made as follows:

1. The animal is shorn, and then the wool is manually sorted and cleaned of debris and organic matter.
2. To make threads, after sorting, the fibers are twisted manually or using special spinning machines.
3. The threads are placed in large bins for washing and final cleaning. If necessary, painting can be done after washing.

Material characteristics

High altitude, strong cold winds, solar radiation, sudden temperature changes are the harsh conditions in which alpacas live.
Unlike, for example, Tibetan cashmere goats, whose wool is obtained by combing, alpacas, like sheep, are sheared. Do this once or twice a year. At the same time, graceful alpacas are never completely shorn, otherwise they simply will not survive in such a harsh climate. After a haircut, the animals look very funny. Sufficiently long fibers are used for yarn, so the appearance of pills and creases on finished products is excluded. Also, clothes shrink slightly when washed. The extreme climate made the fur of South American llamas soft, fine and silky.

• The material is suitable for crocheting and knitting.
• The fibers are abrasion resistant.
• Products made from alpaca are not deformed.
• Knitted items retain heat well.

This is interesting. Alpacas have more red blood cells than other members of the family. This is what allows them to breathe rarefied mountain air.

Varieties

Depending on the breed of animal and the thickness of the hair, several types of wool are distinguished. They differ slightly from each other in the following parameters - strength, fiber thickness, color, cost.

Cost – from 190 rub.

Royal

This type of material has the smallest diameter of each fiber - about 19-20 micrometers. This makes the fabric very soft, smooth and lightweight. It is used to make expensive outerwear, as well as various decorative items (rugs, rugs, etc.).

Baby

This material is thicker, and the diameter of each fiber is about 22-24 micrometers. This fabric is coarser, but it holds heat better and has an increased service life.

The main area of ​​application is the manufacture of various clothes (scarves, socks, coats, etc.).

Huacaya

Huacaya is the main breed that is most popular in the world. The diameter of the threads varies from individual to individual ranging from 15 to 50 micrometers. This type holds heat well and is ideal for making clothes. This type of material is quite cheap.

Suri

Suri is a rare breed, and there are only about one hundred thousand individuals of this breed in the world. It belongs to the high-class category - it has very thin threads (15-20 micrometers), it withstands heat well, it has a very smooth, uniform surface, and so on. The main disadvantage is the very high price (due to the rarity of the material).

Alpaca varieties

While in a classification such as mohair, the quality of the yarn is determined by the age of the animal from which the wool was cut, in the case of alpaca, the quality is related to the thickness of the hair. The finer it is, the more expensive the wool. In addition, there are two subspecies of these animals - Suri (Suri) and Huacaya (Huacaya). There are much fewer of the former, and their wool is more delicate, and therefore more expensive. All alpaca yarn is divided into king (19 micron), baby (22.5 micron), super soft (25.5 micron) and adult (32 micron).

Natural phenomenon. When communicating with each other, alpacas widely use body language that is unfamiliar to us (stance, position of ears, neck).

Scope of application: what kind of things are sewn

Coats, scarves, hats, socks, knee pads, ponchos and so on are made from wool. It retains heat well, so it is widely used for sewing winter clothes that can be worn throughout the cold period.

Such socks are usually made with various patterns, but plain products are also available.

Socks

Socks retain heat well, so they are made from alpaca and dog wool and are ideal for cold northern regions, where the air temperature in winter often drops below -15 degrees.

Coat

They also make expensive, but high-quality and warm coats that perfectly withstand the winter cold, as well as the effects of aggressive environmental conditions - precipitation, strong winds, and so on. When stored for a long time, the coat retains a pleasant appearance, so the purchase can be justified in the long term.

Knee pads

They also make compact knee pads. Most often they are bought by “winter athletes” (biathlon, curling, bobsleigh, skiing, and so on). They protect quite well from light mechanical impacts.

Fabric scarves

Another area of ​​application of materials is the manufacture of scarves. Such products are not too expensive, so such scarves are ideal as a gift. Felt is also used to make designer scarves.

Hats

Hats with various designs are also very often sewn. Such hats provide good protection from the cold, as well as snow and unpleasant winter winds. When exposed to frosty air for a long time, the threads do not break or tighten, so these hats can be worn for a long time. Also, hand-made hats at home as a hobby have gained little popularity.

What to knit from Pechorka Peruvian alpaca yarn

Pekhorka Peruvian alpaca is suitable for knitting any warm, but not thick product: mittens, gloves, caps for the off-season, sweaters and cardigans, openwork vests, shawls and bacti. By the way, the consumption when crocheting openwork products will not be as large as with knitting needles. 3 skeins should be enough for a sweater for a 2-3 year old child, if knitted with simple patterns, without braids.

Peruvian alpaca pattern

A simple diagram that looks interesting. I think it would look cool on a hat.

The sample is knitted from “Peruvian Alpaca” from the Pehorka factory on 3 mm knitting needles. 40 loops for 30 rows, pattern part 30 loops for 28 rows. In centimeters, the pattern in a calm state is 11 * 7.5, it stretches well in all directions, the width stretches up to 20 cm, the height is up to 15 cm.

Knitted jacquard sweater

The finished product is felted; the yarn is perfect for this purpose. Jacquard, gray and yellow.

Feedback from other buyers:

“I knitted a sweater with braids for my 7-year-old daughter using 3 mm knitting needles. It took 5 skeins. My daughter has been wearing it for two weeks now and doesn’t want to take it off. The yarn is soft and pleasant.”

“I ordered the color emerald melange. It took 7 skeins for a size 50 half-over. The color matches the photo. The product has stretched a little.”

“It’s injected, it won’t go on the body. It's fine on cotton bottoms. Very warm. Retains its appearance well when worn. I have three items knitted from this yarn 8 and 5 years ago. Practically cannot be ordered, you can even wear it under outerwear.”

It is recommended to wash the finished product at a temperature of 30 degrees. On the left is a hat knitted from two types of yarn, and on the right is a thin cap from Pekhorka Glamornaya.

Where to buy yarn Pechorka Peruvian alpaca

The choice of flowers in stores is small, but sometimes you can still buy it online, for example, there are a couple of colors in the store and in the store.

How to properly care for alpaca wool products at home

The material requires quite specific care:

1. To protect against moths, it is recommended to use cedar, lavender or tobacco, as well as various essential oils with a strong scent. Please note that to protect alpaca and camel wool from moths, you cannot use naphthalene and various chemical products, as they can cause serious harm to the fabric.
2. It is recommended to wash in cold water, and the temperature should not exceed 35-40 degrees. For washing, it is recommended to use special powders that contain chemically active substances to a minimum. The optimal washing frequency is every 5-6 wears.
3. After washing, it is recommended not to wring out the material, but to dry, you need to spread the fabric on a flat surface and place it in a dry place. Before ironing, it is recommended to place a soft, damp cloth on the clothing.

In summer it is not recommended to dry it in direct sunlight.

Video reviews of yarn Pekhorka Peruvian alpaca

In this video I talk about yarn from a Russian manufacturer, Peruvian Alpaca from Pekhorka. The bonus in this video is a children's sweater from Ekaterina Shapovalova. Real colors are shown in the video: 256 - light denim; 379 - light lingonberry, 431 - beige melange.

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Test of time - Peruvian alpaca from Pekhorka

The sweater was knitted a year ago, washed often, you can see how it has changed, how the yarn behaves over time.

Needles No. 4 knitting in one thread. The yarn doesn't hold the elastic well.

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Alternative

In terms of softness and strength, alpaca surpasses all basic fabrics - silk, sheep's wool, acrylic, and so on. In terms of insulation quality, the material is second only to clothing based on super-heat-intensive materials (Alpolux, Thinsulate and others). However, alpaca is noticeably more expensive than its main competitors, which does not allow it to become widespread. Read about the composition and properties of the biomatin material in this article.

This is insulation that was created by Austrian developers specifically for the Russian climate. It retains heat perfectly, but is also lightweight. Contains merino wool and microfiber.

Alpaca or merino: which is better and warmer

The main competitor is high-strength merino sheep wool. However, sheep and goat wool is inferior to alpaca in all respects - it retains heat worse, is less smooth, deteriorates faster, and so on. The only significant advantage of Merino sheep wool is its lower price.

Types of animals

Alpacas live in the Andes, most of them in Peru (90% of their entire population). The rest are in Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia. There are two types of animals:

• The Huacaya alpaca is the most common. The animal looks like a small bear. Its coat is naturally curled and looks like plush material. This contributes to the formation of elastic yarn, convenient for knitting.
• Alpaca suri is rare, only 5% exist. There are about 120 thousand of these animals in the world. Therefore, its wool is more expensive. It has fewer curls, so it makes wonderful woven products. They are woven using twill or plain weaving. The pattern is obtained due to the use of different colors of wool. It is softer, more aesthetically pleasing; previously only members of royal families were allowed to wear such clothes.

Both types are used in production. Alpaca suri is most often purchased by expensive Italian fashion brands.

conclusions

1. Alpaca is a durable, smooth fabric of natural origin that retains heat well and does not cause allergies. The only important drawback is the fairly high price.
2. The thickness of a single fiber varies from 15 to 50 micrometers.
3. They sew various clothes - hats, scarves, socks, coats and so on. They also make bags, carpets and various decorative items.
4. It should be washed only in cool or cold water with minimal addition of powder, and should not be dried in direct sunlight.
5. One of the best fabrics, in all its key characteristics it is superior to sheep wool, silk, acrylic and other materials.