:: Fall 2005 
Advice
Using Alpaca for a Fibre Project
Inspired by the projects in Marcia Lewandowski's book, Andean Folk Knits: Great Designs from Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador & Bolivia (see Review), think about using alpaca fibre in a project of your own. It is a soft, stable fiber that is easier on the skin than some wools. This is partly because alpaca fibre is technically hair, not wool; therefore, it does not have the scales of a wool fibre.
It does share the quality with wool of maintaining body heat. CyberFibres can attest to the fact that if you wear a sweater or vest made with alpaca fibre on a very cold day, you will not experience a chill.
A final reason for learning to enjoy working with alpaca fibre is the array of natural colors in which it comes. There are more than 20 colors, including browns, reds, whites, grays, and blacks. As with other fibres, alpaca can be dyed to produce a wide variety of other colors you may wish to incorporate into your fibre project.
CyberFibres leaves you with this warning. Once you have felt alpaca fibre in your hands and worn it in a finished garment, you will have a new idea of how soft a handmade garment can be!
(Photo courtesy of Lanart, Inc.).