GREAT KNITTING IDEAS FOR ALPACA FLEECE

Looking for great knitting ideas for alpaca fleece?  Alpaca fleece is a material that comes from the animal of an alpaca.  These are creatures that were first found in Ecuador as wild animals many centuries ago.  The Inka's domesticated them and breed them to produce various colored coats. They are very smart creatures and can be trained in a matter of a few days.  Alpaca's are typically docile, quiet and intelligent animals but can sometimes be aggressive as well. They certainly watch their surroundings closely and like to observe what is going on around them.  Their wool has an insulation value that is 3-5 times higher than that of sheep wool. And, it is the strongest natural fiber produced known to man.  

The wool of an alpaca

With these amazing properties, the fleece of an alpaca is something that has been desired for years in the textile industry.  From their beautiful fleece comes amazing yarn that can be made into all kinds of great garments and clothing as well as stuffed animals.  We offer stuffed animals here on our website. The alpaca wool yarn is super soft and super strong at the same time and has been woven into all kinds of things.  We like the Alpaca Beige Teddy Bear Stuffed Animal, that can be found here.

This wool yarn is certainly sustainable, as the alpacas are easily bred so herds are easy to maintain.  And, their wool continues to grow, which means they are always producing a new crop. Alpacas live to be 15-20 years old and "Potty train" themselves.  They pick a spot that they will use to relieve themselves. Just another fun alpaca fact.

Knitting alpaca fleece

Things that their wool can be knitted into would be things such as hats and scarves.  Their wool is very warm and makes the perfect pair of socks as well. Once the alpaca wool is made into a garment, keep in mind that it must be hand washed in cool water with appropriate wool soap.  Alpaca yarn can be knitted into anything you would use any type of yarn for, however, it is more expensive than just any type of yarn. So, making the yarn into smaller things is certainly something that should be considered.  Most alpaca yarn will come in the natural colors of the alpacas. This is because it is really hard to dye the yarn to various colors.  

Alpaca yarn

Alpaca yarn is both humane and necessary to the alpaca animal itself.  Not shearing the animal could lead to serious skin issues. This is done as it has been done for thousands of years, one animal at a time by the Quechewa herdsmen.  These are the people that look after and tend to the animals. Alpacas are the national animal of Peru and because of this, they are treated very well. We believe in only working with humane farms and love and care for the animals as much as you do.  So, we only work with certainly farms and groups that have free range farms full of alpacas that are happy and healthy. We take great pride in ensuring that both the animals and our partners are well cared for.