The Alpaca Animal

The Alpaca is one of two domesticated breeds of South American camel-like ungulates: Alpaca and Llama. The other camelids are the Vicuña and the Guanaco. There are studies that shows that there is some relationship between the Llama and the Guanaco and, in the other side, between the Alpaca and the Vicuña.. There is a cross between the alpaca and the llama -- a true hybrid in every sense -- under the name "Huarizo". And the cross between the Alpaca and the Vicuña is known as "Paco-Vicuña". The Vicuña and the Paco-Vicuña, and any otherhybrid until fourth generation (F4) are under protection of the CITES convention recognizedworldwide. Only the original countries were these animals were native are allowed to develop commercial activities based on Vicuñas, PacoVicuñas or any Vicuña hibrid until fourth generation. All products that comes from vicuña and itshybrids must come with a legal certification from the government authorities of the original countries.

Alpacas are kept in large flocks which graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile at an elevation of from 3500 to 5000 meters above the sea-level, throughout the year. They are not used as beasts of burden like llamas, but are valued for their wool, of which the Indian blankets and ponchos are made. In the high Andes they use the alpaca meat as a normal source of protein, it is a normal food that is sold on the markets. There is studies that shows that the very poor Andean Alpaca farmer (with average 100 alpacas) get 60% of their annual income from the sale of the meat and just 40% of the annual income comes from the fleece or fiber that this small herd produce. Annual income for this poor families, that do their best work at 4,000meters of altitude, is less than US$400 (four hundred). The color of the alpaca fiber is usually white, but there is around 30 different colors or tonalities. The coat is of great length, reaching nearly to the ground. In stature the alpaca is considerably inferior to the llama.
In the textile industries "Alpaca" is a term applied to the wool, or rather hair, obtained from the Peruvian alpaca. There is many different qualities of Alpaca fiber: Baby Royal Alpaca, Baby Alpaca, Alpaca Super Fine (SF), Alpaca Fine Spinning (FS), Alpaca Fleece, Alpaca Huarizo, Alpaca AG (adult fiber). The young animals (1 year old) are called "Tui" and produce the finest fiber.

The four species of indigenous South American wool-bearing animals are the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco and the vicuna. The llama and the alpaca are domesticated; the guanaco and the vicuna run wild. Of the four the alpaca and the vicuna are the most valuable wool-bearing animals: the alpaca on account of the quality and quantity, the vicuna on account of the softness, fineness and quality of its wool. In the early days of the 19th century, the usual length of alpaca staples appears to have been about 12 inches, this being a three years' growth; but today the length is little more than about half this, i.e. a one to two years' growth, although from time to time longer staples are to be found. The fleeces are sorted forcolor and quality by skilled native women. 
In physical structure alpaca is somewhat akin to hair, being very glossy, but its softness and fineness enable the spinner to produce marvelous yarns with comparative ease.

The history of the manufacture of this wool into cloth is one of the romances of commerce. Undoubtedly the Indians of Peru employed thisfiber in the manufacture of many styles of fabrics for centuries before its introduction into Europe as a commercial product. There is many testimonies of this on thechronics of the Spanish conquerors, and in the writings of the sons of the Spanishthat were born in Peru, been the most famous the Inca Garcilazo de la Vega. The mummies that are found on Peru has the richest fabrics made of alpaca and vicuna fiber, and thePeruvian museums are full with the marvelous blankets and throws of the Peruvian culture named "Paracas": textiles that even with modern technology today would be between the finest in the whole world. 

The first European importations were into Spain. Spain, however, transferred thefiber to Germany and France. Apparently alpaca yarn was spun in England for the first time about the year 1808. It does not appear to have made any headway, however, and alpaca wool was condemned as an unworkable material. In 1830 Benjamin Outram, of Greetland, near Halifax, appears to have again attempted the spinning of thisfiber, and for the second time alpaca was condemned. These two attempts to use alpaca were failures owing to the style of fabric into which the yarn was woven---a species of camlet. It was not until the introduction of cotton warps into the Bradford trade about 1836 that the true qualities of alpaca could be developed in the fabric. Where the cotton warp and mohair or alpaca weft plain-cloth came from is not known, but it was this simple yet ingenious structure which enabled Titus Salt, then a young Bradford manufacturer, to utilize alpaca successfully. Bradford is still the great spinning and manufacturingcenter for alpacas in England, large quantities of yarns and cloths being exported annually to the continent and to the United States, although the quantities naturally vary in accordance with the fashions in vogue. The british Sir Titus Salt experimented with alpaca fibre and in 1836 he discovered a way of manufacturing alpaca cloth. This discovery paved the way for exports of fibre to Europe. Owing to the success in the manufacture of the various styles of alpaca cloths attained by Sir Titus Salt and other Bradford manufacturers, a great demand for alpaca wool arose.

The preparing, combing, spinning, weaving and finishing of alpacas are similar to wool.