The Alpaca is one of two domesticated breeds of South American camel-like
ungulates, derived from the wild guanaco. It resembles a sheep in appearance,
but is larger in size, and has a long erect neck with a handsome head.
Alpacas are kept in large flocks which graze on the level heights of the Andes
of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile at an altitude of between
3500 and 5000 meters above sea-level, throughout the year. They are not used as
beasts of burden like llamas, but are valued only for their fiber, of which
Indian blankets and ponchos are made. The alpaca comes in more than 16 natural
colours section. In stature, the alpaca (Lama huanacos pacos) is considerably
inferior to the llama, but has the same unpleasant habit of spitting.
In the textile industry, "alpaca" is a name given to two distinct things. It is
primarily a term applied to the wool, or rather hair, obtained from the Peruvian
alpaca. It is, however, more broadly applied to a style of fabric originally
made from alpaca fiber but now frequently made from a similar type of fiber,
such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even some high-quality English wool. In
trade, distinctions are made between alpacas and the several styles of mohairs
and lustres. However, as far as the general purchaser is concerned, little or no
distinction is made.
The four species of indigenous South American fiber-bearing animals are the
llama, the alpaca, the guanaco and the vicuña. The llama and the alpaca are
domesticated; the guanaco and the vicuña run wild. Of the four, the alpaca and
the vicuña are the most valuable wool-bearing animals: the alpaca because of the
quality and quantity of its wool, and the vicuña because of the softness,
fineness and quality of its coat. At the beginning of the 19th century, the
usual length of alpaca staples appears to have been about 12 inches (305 mm) --
equivalent to three year's growth. However, nowadays the length is little more
than about half of this -- one to two year's growth -- although from time to
time, longer staples can be found. The fleeces are sorted by colour and quality
by skilled native women. The colour of the greater proportion of alpaca imported
into the United Kingdom is black and brown, but there is also a fair proportion
of white, grey and fawn. It is customary to mix these colours together, thus
producing a curious ginger-coloured yarn, which upon being dyed black in the
piece takes a fuller and deeper shade than can be obtained by piece-dyeing a
solid-coloured wool.
In physical structure, alpaca is somewhat akin to hair, being very glossy, but
its softness and fineness enable the spinner to produce satisfactory yarns with
comparative ease.
Alpaca
Alpaca fiber industry
The history of the manufacture of this fiber into cloth is one of the romances
of commerce. The Indians of Peru used this fibre in the manufacture of many
styles of fabrics for centuries before its introduction into Europe as a
commercial product. The first European importations were into Spain. Spain
transferred the fibre to Germany and France. Apparently alpaca yarn was spun in
England for the first time about the year 1808. It does not appear to have made
any headway, however, and alpaca fiber was condemned as an unworkable material.
In 1830 Benjamin Outram, of Greetland, near Halifax, appears to have reattempted
the spinning of this fibre, and, for the second time, alpaca was condemned.
These two attempts to use alpaca were failures owing to the style of fabric into
which the yarn was woven &mdash -- a species of camlet. It was not until the
introduction of cotton warps into the Bradford trade about 1836 that the true
qualities of alpaca could be developed in the fabric. Where the cotton warp and
mohair or alpaca weft plain-cloth came from is not known, but it was this simple
yet ingenious structure which enabled Titus Salt, then a young Bradford
manufacturer, to utilize alpaca successfully. Bradford is still the great
spinning and manufacturing centre for alpaca, large quantities of yarns and
cloths being exported annually to the continent and to the United States,
although the quantities naturally vary in accordance with the fashions in vogue,
the typical "alpaca-fabric" being a very characteristic "dress-fabric."
Owing to the success in the manufacture of the various styles of alpaca cloths
attained by Sir Titus Salt and other Bradford manufacturers, a great demand for
alpaca wool arose, and this demand could not be met by the native product, for
there seems to never have been any appreciable increase in the number of alpacas
available. Unsuccessful attempts were made to acclimatize the alpaca in England,
on the European continent and in Australia, and even to cross certain English
breeds of sheep with the alpaca. There is, however, a cross between the alpaca
and the llama -- a true hybrid in every sense -- producing a material placed
upon the Liverpool market under the name "Huarizo". Crosses between the alpaca
and vicuña have not proved satisfactory. Current attempts to cross these two
breeds are underway at farms in the United States.
The preparing, combing, spinning, weaving and finishing process of alpaca and
mohair are similar to that of wool.
Farmers commonly quote the alpaca with the phrase 'love is in the fleece', which
describes their love for this wonderful animal.
The price for alpacas can range from $200 to $360,000, depending on breeding
history, sex, and color. One can raise up to 10 alpacas on one acre (4,000 m²)
as they have a designated area for waste products and keep their eating area
away from their waste area to avoid diseases.
Reference
This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is
in the public domain.
The source of this article and the photo shown is
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this
article is licensed under the
GFDL
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