When Alpacas Were "New"

Last Friday when I was down at my studio at the Artisan Barn, I was passing the time by reading an old Spin-Off, specifically an article "A Closer Look at Alpacas" written by Elayne Zorn and Juan Cutipa Colque for the September 1985 issue. Although the first alpacas arrived in the United States in 1984, the first importation began in 1993 and five subsequent imports took place. So, this article was written when alpacas were quite new, especially to spinners.

The article includes provides the historical background of the alpacas (that dates to at least the first millenium B.C.), the current status of herds in southern Peru, and information about alpaca fiber and how the fiber quality is judged. It concludes with "problems and hopes"--problems defined as the contradictory needs of native weaving vs. an international fiber market and poor weather conditions over three years affecting the herds in Peru and Bolivia.

I now feel justified in my insistence in calling what is sheared from my alpacas "fiber" rather than wool after reading that "Alpaca and llama hair is classified as fiber"!

When asked how long alpacas live, US breeders most often answer, "We aren't sure"--that's because alpacas in the US are cared for differently. Zorn writes that a herd in southern Peru (at that time) "might consist of a mixture of 100 alpacas, 75 llamas, and 200 to 250 sheep." According to Zorn, herders keep their alpacas about eight years before slaughter, "using yields of meat, fat for food, skin for ropes, gut for lashing, etc."

Alpacas are rarely used for food in the U.S., but it is interesting to note that Australia actively promotes alpaca meat under the name of LaViande.

Herders (at the time) sheared their best alpacas every two years, using the fiber for family weaving. Fiber of "inferior quality" was sold for "factory spinning and distribution" in Peru and to other countries. One thing that frustrates US alpaca owners is talking to someone who has purchased a garment in South America marked 100% alpaca and who finds it to be itchy! We know that "cheap" alpaca sweaters sold to tourists usually has some wool or llama spun in with the alpaca, definitely affecting its quality.

In the US, most breeders shear yearly. Yearly shearing is best for the alpaca's health--that fiber is not only warm on us, it's warm on the animals! Some breeders seeking to sell herdsires keep more than a year's growth on their males, but that longer fiber can't be used--mills, or handspinners, don't want fiber longer than five inches.

I can now call myself a handspinner! As I promised myself at retirement, I purchased my first wheel--a Louet. And because I have suri alpacas, I was determined to start spinning with suri fiber rather than wool. The picture above shows my second skein of spun suri roving. My first skein, white, was dyed in indigo and subsequently knit by me into a scarf, which I will treasure always! The fiber for this skein came from "Leroy." I'll save the story of "Leroy" for some future post.