The fibre has different grades, and the finer the
alpaca fibre used, the softer the yarn. The most
expensive, known as baby alpaca, has a wonderful
drape and takes colour beautifully. It’s not actually
shorn from baby alpacas though! The name baby
refers only to the incredible high quality of the yarn.
The coarser grades of fibre are used for everything
from carpet yarn to insulation and mattress stuffing,
so nothing gets wasted.
Coloured alpaca yarn is made by dyeing on top of
pure white fleece, but alpaca also comes in more
than 20 natural colours, and many breeders keep
animals in different shades to allow them to blend
different variations without using any dye at all.
It’s just one of the things that make alpaca such an
environmentally friendly fibre. The animals’ soft,
padded feet are gentle on their natural mountainous
habitat, and when they are kept in fields they
graze lightly, without destroying the root systems
of the pasture they feed on. You can make about
five sweaters from the fleece of a single alpaca too,
compared to smaller fleece animals, which might
only provide enough fibre to knit a sweater or two.
Rowan knitters have plenty of choice when it
comes to fantastic alpaca yarns. Our award-winning
Alpaca Soft DK combines alpaca with virgin wool,
to create a classic yarn, with a super soft feel, while
still offering excellent stitch definition. Alpaca Soft
DK comes in 20 gentle colours, including some
that echo the stunning beauty of natural alpaca
fleece, and is a perfect choice for cables.
New this autumn/winter is Alpaca Classic, a
mixture of alpaca and cotton, with an ethereal halo.
Knitters can pick from 26 vibrant and muted shades.
Some of Rowan’s most popular yarns also contain
alpaca, including Felted Tweed and Fine Lace, both
featherlight yarns with stunning colour palettes and
a wide range of patterns to choose from.
more recent, in part triggered by the growth of
several wholesalers, who now take alpaca fleece from
smallholders in the UK and larger herds abroad, and
spin it here. Much of the non-UK alpaca fibre is
from the Peruvian Andes, where alpacas have been
kept for fleece and for meat for centuries, and about
80 per cent of the world’s alpaca population resides.
Alpacas are clever animals too. If they sense danger
they will walk towards it, rather than running
away, using the power of the group and their
overwhelming height to deter predators. You
can see this in action on alpaca farms; if a collie
approaches the herd they will crowd towards it,
usually causing the stunned dog to run away! This
confrontational way of dealing with a threat is the
reason why alpacas are sometimes kept by farmers
to deter foxes too.
Each alpaca pregnancy takes about 11 months, and
breeders claim that alpacas can control when they
give birth, and usually deliver their young in the
morning. The mothers-in-waiting will hold on
for a fine day to have their baby, called a cria. This
sounds like a great idea, unless you’re an alpaca
farmer, and all your alpacas decide to give birth
within the same few days!
Alpaca is now a staple for British knitters, and
Rowan recognises the enduring appeal of this
wonderful fibre, so stay tuned for some exciting
news early next year...
Alpaca Classic
Available in 26 shades Alpaca Soft DK
Available in 20 shades
MORE INFO MORE INFO
Alpacas have been kept as pets in the UK for some
time, but their popularity as a herd animal has been
22
ROWAN