Our feature fibre today celebrates the excellence that is Alpaca fleece! It’s the natural fibre that’ll leave you saying, “I want that for me!”
Alpaca- The Natural Fibre That Holds Up
Alpaca fleece is a natural fibre.
What does that mean?
A natural fibre is any hairlike material derivative of an animal, vegetable or mineral source used for fabrics woven and non-woven.
The commercial usefulness of a fibre is determined by certain properties, such as:
- Length
- Strength
- Pliability
- Elasticity
- Abrasion resistance, and
- Absorbency
Thankfully, alpaca fleece holds up extremely well in all 6 of these categories.
Alpaca Fleece: A Natural Resource That’s Sustainable
The shearing of alpaca fleece is a very natural process that occurs only once a year. And yet, the high yield of alpaca fleece from this single annual event produces enough for market share.
Thus, alpaca fibre is a sustainable natural resource.
One alpaca can yield up to 9-14 lbs of fleece per shearing, compared to the 4-6 oz. a goat produces annually for cashmere.
Alpaca farming is also animal-friendly. Shearing an alpaca’s fleece is harmless for the docile creature, and actually beneficial for their health. By removing the fleece, farmers rid their alpacas of the chance to become susceptible to unhealthy heat stress during warm summer months.
But it’s alpaca fleece’s soft,warm and lightweight features that’ll leave you saying,“I want that for me!”
Here are 3 Reasons Why You’ll Be Happy Natural Alpaca Fibres are Used in Your Clothing:
1. Alpaca Fibre is Cashmere, Without the Cruelty!
Alpaca fibre is as soft as cashmere, but the manufacturing process isn’t harmful to the animal.
Alpacas are shorn only once a year, whereas goats are shorn frequently, despite not having much fat on their bodies.
This is particularly concerning during the winter months when cashmere is at its highest demand. Goats shorn during these cold months can freeze to death.
2. Alpaca Fibre has the Luster of Silk
Coveted for its natural sheen, alpaca fleece is similar to that of silk. It is a characteristically soft, durable, and silky natural fibre.
Its various flexible properties also allow alpaca to adhere to natural plant-based dyes- like Pokoloko’s system of using onion, corn and cochineal to add natural shades of yellow, green and purple to our collections!
Natural Alpaca does come in 22 herd colours and over 300 shades!
Ranging from black to silver, rose grey to white, and mahogany brown to light champagne- there is a shade for everyone’s taste.
Alpaca capitalizes on the superior style of nature to elevate your look!
3. Alpaca Fibre- Warm as Wool, But 1/3 of the Weight!
Alpaca fleece is similar to sheep’s wool, but far exceeds its benefits! Alpaca is warmer, not prickly, and has no lanolin- making it hypoallergenic!
So unlike with sheep’s fleece, you’ll be left without an itch!
Alpaca’s extravagant lightweight fabric is also naturally water-repellent, fire-resistant, and the kind of soft you reserve for the most special of occasions!
7 Pokoloko Alpaca Products to Get Your Hands
- Alpaca Dryer Balls (Our Best-Seller!)
- Alpaca Scarf
- Alpaca Wraps + Ruanas
- Alpaca Socks
- Alpaca Sweaters
- Alpaca Throws + Blankets
- Needle Felted Alpaca
Pokoloko Alpaca Wool: Your Coveted Fibre
As you can see, Alpaca stacks up against the most coveted of fibres. But its natural characteristics and environmentally friendly production put natural alpaca fleece way ahead of the pack.
Check out Poko’s collection of Alpaca Wool products here, and join the alpaca movement today- one eco-friendly sweater and dryer ball at a time!
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