fabric

Alpaca

Alpaca is an animal in the camel family, native to South America, thriving well in the Andes Mountains of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Argentina. Alpacas are smaller than camels, standing about 3 feet tall, with abundant fur that reaches nearly to the ground. Their natural colors are white, black, brown, and gray. The fleece is soft, fine, and very strong, ranging from 8 - 12 inches in length; if left uncut for a long time, it can grow up to 30 inches. They are shorn once every 2 years, yielding about 4-7 pounds of fleece. The fine, high-quality fleece is separated from the coarser fleece before being sent on to textile mills.

Alpaca fleece resembles camel hair and has the advantage of providing warmth and resisting static electricity. The fiber is strong and lustrous; once woven into fabric, it resembles mohair. Fabric produced from alpaca fleece is used for tailoring suits and women's clothing.