Alpacas are bred for their fibre, which is very soft and luxurious and has good insulating properties. It has no lanolin in it like sheep’s wool so it can often be worn next to the skin.

Alpaca fibre is a hollow fibre which is due the hairs having a cellular composition. It is measured in microns (a micron equals 1/25,000 inch) 19 – 22 microns are the finest, and 25 – 30 are the average. Apart from the conformation all the emphasis is on breeding alpacas with fine, dense fleece with crimp and lustre.

Alpaca fibre has a good range of 22 natural colours ranging from white, light fawn, brown, black and grey.

Alpaca’s require shearing once a year from about June onwards, and with pregnant females it is best done between her giving birth and re mating.

Here at Woodhall Alpacas we process are own fibre. It is carded with a strauch ficke finest carder from USA, which makes beautiful batts ready for hand spinning

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