Those who are interested in knitting probably know about alpaca wool yarn and are happy to use it to make their products. If you are new to this type of creativity and are just starting to delve into all the intricacies, then we recommend studying the whole variety of its types in order to know how it differs from threads made from other types of wool.

What is alpaca in yarn

Alpaca is an animal that belongs to the camel family. Their natural habitat is the highlands of the Andes, where temperature changes are so great that animals need to withstand extreme heat during the day and piercing cold at night. Although alpaca wool is similar to sheep wool, it has higher quality and excellent thermoregulation, for which it is valued all over the world.

The process and technology of its production are similar to those carried out with sheep wool. But since alpaca itself is quite tough, yarn from it is often made with a mixture of merino or acrylic. This thread composition is most popular due to affordable price and quality. “Alpaca baby” and “alpaca silk” are considered more expensive.

In the first case, the yarn is made from the wool of baby alpacas, which distinguished by its softness and silkiness. In the second case, silk threads are also added to the “alpaca baby” wool, which improves the quality of the products significantly. And the coarser wool of old animals is used to make carpets.

Properties of alpaca yarn

The unique properties of this animal’s wool are highly valued all over the world, and wearing clothes made from it are considered special chic and a sign of status. What is the alpaca's secret?

Due to these properties, many women prefer to knit warm clothes specifically alpaca wool yarn. However, when knitting, we recommend taking into account that alpaca doesn't hold its elastic shape well. To correct this drawback, it is enough to take thinner knitting needles and knit the elastic band more tightly, and it is best to add another thread, preferably synthetic.

So that alpaca items last a long time you, wash them only by hand in warm water and use special means for washing woolen products. Do not twist them with your hands or dry them in washing machine, and it is better to iron at the lowest temperatures.

Reviews

On sale you can find large number various types alpaca wool knitting thread from different manufacturers. Reviews from those women who use it for knitting will help you understand this diversity.

Review of YarnArt Alpina Alpaca yarn (YarnArt Alpina Alpaca)

Anastasia, 25 years old

I'm not a professional at knitting, but I can do something. Due to the high price of large-knit hats and snoods, I decided to knit them myself and, listening to the seller’s advice, purchased three skeins of 150 g each of white Turkish-made Alpina Alpaca thread. It contains 10% wool, 30% alpaca and 60% acrylic. Despite this not quite natural composition the things turned out to be very warm and good quality. For knitting, I used needles No. 10, since the thread is quite voluminous, and I want to note that during the knitting process it did not fluff or tangle.

Expert comment: Alpaca is often combined with other types of wool and synthetic fibers in order to increase the strength and wear resistance of the product.

Review of Alpaca baby lux yarn

Oksana, 52 years old

I have long been in love with this Italian yarn, made from the down of baby alpacas obtained from the first shearing. Products made from it are so light and delicate, but at the same time very warm. It also makes magnificent shawls and stoles, and sweatshirts and jumpers are pleasant to the body and do not cause allergic reactions. For knitting, I usually use needles No. 2, 5, but if I want a looser knitting, then I take No. 3.

Comment:

Expert comment: This type of knitting thread is perfect for making children's clothing. It is hypoallergenic and does not cause skin irritation.

Review of ALIZE Alpaca Royal yarn (Alize Alpaca Royal)

Marina, 35 years old

I started my acquaintance with alpaca threads with Alize Alpaca Royal, choosing it to knit a winter bodysuit for my baby. The main criterion for choosing was the ability to retain heat and not irritate the baby’s delicate skin. I can also say in favor of this particular Turkish yarn that it is pleasant and easy to work with, and after washing it does not lose its shape and color. I plan to knit myself a warm sweater for the winter.

Expert comment: This type of knitting thread is quite popular due to high quality and practicality. Products made from them are warm, light, pleasant and last a long time.

Review of Alpaca Gold yarn (Alpaca Gold)

Polina, 48 years old

The composition and quality of Alpaca Gold threads gave me the idea to knit a large blanket with a pigtail pattern. It contains 60% acrylic, 20% wool and 20% alpaca, which will make the product warm, durable, and will not deform during use. For knitting, I chose three rich colors and knitting needles No. 6. I think that hats, scarves and sweaters made from this type of yarn will look great and last a long time.

Six thousand years ago, people tamed the wild llama and gave it the name alpaca. Looking at a photo of an alpaca, it is impossible to imagine that this cute face could be a wild animal.

Science says alpacas are descended from. Both of these animals are distant relatives. The first mentions of alpacas appeared a thousand years before construction Egyptian pyramids in the city of Giza. Just imagine how ancient this animal is!

What does an alpaca look like?

This animal grows no more than 104 centimeters in height. The alpaca's weight is also not large - from 55 to 65 kilograms.

The main advantage of this domesticated llama is its fur. If you look at the photo of the animal, it is not difficult to guess why people value it. The alpaca resembles a curly sheep, so cute, with funny curls all over its body. Alpaca wool can be of different shades: from light, almost white, to brown.

Where does the descendant of the vicuña live?

The home territory of this mammal is considered to be South America. The alpaca gets along well in the forests and mountainous areas of Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. But the territory of the South American continent is only the original area; alpacas are currently bred all over the world.

What does an alpaca eat and how does it behave?

These animals lead a herd lifestyle. All active life occurs during daylight hours. When night falls, the animals go to rest. And they have reason for this: in the evening, alpacas need to chew all the food they have eaten during the day, because these animals are ruminants.

Listen to the alpaca's voice

As already mentioned, alpacas feel comfortable in mountainous area. Thick fur protects them from the cold, thanks to which the animals are not afraid of changes temperature conditions.

Alpacas feed exclusively plant foods. They eat bushes, weeds, grass, tree branches and leaves.

How do alpacas reproduce?

The social organization of these mammals is such that for a while mating season some kind of harems are formed. The leader male, who has designated himself as a leader, can mate with all the females from his “harem”. There are frequent cases of fights and fierce battles for leadership in such a marriage community. This process can be observed quite often, because the mating season lasts for alpacas all year round.

A fertilized female South American domestic llama carries her baby for about 11 months. After the allotted period, one baby is born, who is able to stand on his feet in just an hour.

When born, an alpaca baby weighs one kilogram, but after nine months, the babies reach a weight of 30 kilograms. Such rapid growth occurs, among other things, due to prolonged feeding with breast milk.

When a baby alpaca is born, its fur is a soft cream color. But sometimes, with age, the coat color becomes darker.

A female alpaca bears offspring only once every two years. In the wild, these cute curly-haired llamas live up to 25 years. When alpacas are kept for agricultural purposes, their life usually ends at the age of seven.

I want to tell you about an interesting and cute animal, the alpaca. Her wool makes wonderful things! They are light, durable and warm.

An animal that is bred in South America in the Andes. Mostly in Peru, as well as in Ecuador and Chile.

The alpaca was domesticated several thousand years ago. Now it is considered a rare animal. It is not found and does not take root anywhere except in the highlands of South America.

Alpacas are very cute creatures. They are overly curious by nature, so much so that they can even get hurt if they become interested in something, and they have a meek, peaceful disposition. By the way, they don’t spit at people, but only at each other, and mainly in disputes over food. They love young, juicy grass, but, in principle, they are unpretentious in food.

They look very good-natured. But the character is stubborn.

The animals themselves are small, no more than a meter tall, with a long neck and graceful head. They belong to the camelid family, the genus Vicuna, although at first they were classified as llamas.

Couldn't get to correct opinion because interspecific crossings are possible. Only DNA analysis helped to draw the right conclusions.

Alpaca wool

Alpacas are bred for their beautiful wool.

In the mountains, at an altitude of 3000-4000 meters above sea level, where they live, the daily temperature difference sometimes reaches 25-30 degrees.

But alpacas are well adapted for living in such conditions; their wool is very warm and soft, seven times warmer than sheep’s.

The texture is a little wavy and as if silky in appearance and to the touch.

It does not contain organic fats at all, so products made from it do not get dirty for a long time and even have the property of self-cleaning, and also do not cause allergies, since due to the lack of fat, dust mites do not grow in it.

Alpaca wool is three times stronger than sheep wool, even after for a long time products made from it look very good, they do not form pills and the fabric does not roll down.

Alpacas are sheared once every one or two years and do not cut off all the wool, but leave some for the animal to keep warm, because living conditions in the mountains are harsh.

Wool is expensive because it is obtained from one alpaca no more than a kilogram (this is only once a year!)

Views: 2053

13.11.2017

Alpaca(lat. Vicugna pacos, camelid family) is a herbivorous domestic animal domesticated by humans more than 6,000 years ago. Unlike , which served the ancient Indian tribes as pack animals, alpacas were used as a source of valuable fur and wool for making warm clothes and shoes.

The ancestors of alpacas are believed to be artiodactyl mammals.Vicuna(lat. Vicugna vicugna), common in the Andes, in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile. They are much smaller in size than guanacos (animals that became the ancestors of llamas), but have a greater external resemblance to them.

A characteristic feature of vicunas, unique to this species, is a pair of lower incisors, which tend to constantly grow (as in rodents) throughout the life of the animal. Wild herds of vicuñas live on high mountain plateaus located at altitudes of up to 4500 - 5500 m. Delicate and thick wool helps animals survive in high mountain conditions, where contrasting temperature changes occur.

If average weight While vicunas weigh about 50 kg, their descendants, alpacas, reach 70 kg. Alpacas rarely grow above one meter. The animals are not suitable for cargo transportation, but their wool is recognized as the best in the world for its quality. There are two subspecies of alpacas: Suri (lat. Suri) and Huacaya (lat. Huacaya), which differ from each other in the length and density of the coat. Suri is easily recognized by her long, silky locks of fur that hang almost to the ground. Huacaya wool is not so long, it resembles very soft and delicate plush. Over the course of a year, one animal produces from 3 to 6 kg of raw wool, from which 1 to 3 kg of valuable yarn can be obtained.

Alpacas are considered to be long-lived - average duration their life span is 20–25 years, the productive period lasts 14 years. The number of alpacas in their natural habitat today is about 3.5 million. Animals eat herbaceous plants, weeds, leaves and shoots of perennials, on farms they add vegetables, fruits and mineral supplements, which has a positive effect on the quality of the fleece. Alpacas have much less food requirements than other farm animals: grazing 25 animals requires a pasture area of ​​1 hectare. In addition, they constantly need fresh water. Physiological feature These animals lack upper incisors, which is why they tear off stems with their lips.

Alpacas are diurnal. In the evening they are busy chewing food. Since in wildlife animals are accustomed to a herd existence; they usually stay in small groups consisting of several females with cubs and one leader. Female alpacas carry their babies for just over 11 months. Typically, one baby is born (twins happen once in 1000 births), weighing no more than 1 kg.

Alpacas have a very sweet and gentle disposition. Outwardly, they look like long-legged and long-necked sheep. The special structure of their feet, like those of all representatives of the camelid family, has a beneficial effect on the preservation of the natural landscape: alpacas are not able to trample the grass due to the absence of hooves. Attempts to resettle alpacas from the Andes to other mountain regions (Europe, Africa) were unsuccessful. But in farms The USA, Canada, Europe and Australia, where the animals were exported for the purpose of domestication and breeding, are home to significant numbers of alpacas. So, today the alpaca population in the UK numbers about 10 thousand animals, in Germany and Switzerland there are about 4 thousand, and in Australia – up to 60 thousand. Keeping and caring for alpacas is not difficult: you need to provide them with food, water and build a pen with a canopy or provide other shelter (a clean, unheated room) in case of bad weather.

Greatest economic importance has alpaca wool. It is distinguished by its purity, fine fiber and durability. The natural color of the coat varies from white, cream, beige to brown and black, and has up to 52 shades (according to Peruvian classification).

Alpaca wool is highly resistant to weather conditions, so it can long period don't get dirty. It does not contain lanolin, is lightweight, durable, has high thermal insulation, water-repellent, and hypoallergenic properties. Alpaca wool is used to make high-quality home textiles, characterized by lightness, soft fiber and excellent warming effect (blankets, rugs, bedspreads), fabrics, yarn and clothing.

In addition to wool, the skin and fur of these animals are very valuable. Excellent taste qualities alpaca meat also does not go unnoticed. This product has been recognized by nutritionists and chefs as the most delicious, healthy and dietary. 100 g of alpaca meat contains 23 g of protein and a small amount of fat. One adult animal produces up to 23 kg of meat, half of which is intended for preparing sausages, ham, and sausages.

Alpacas are often used as pets. They are distinguished by calmness, goodwill, intelligence and complaisance. They can participate in games with disabled children and brighten up people’s loneliness old age, serve as a means of psychotherapy for those suffering from depressive disorders.

Simply put, alpaca is livestock, which is smaller in size than a llama, but they are shaved like sheep.

Why are they so good?

Alpacas are valuable for their wool, bark is used to make yarn, felt or fabric. The palette of natural colors contains approximately 24 natural shades!! And since the wool of these animals does not contain fat, products made from it are practically do not wear out. The fiber is very thin, durable, long and repels moisture well, which makes clothes made from it are durable. Initially, only alpaca wool was used to make clothing items exclusively for royalty. Due to the fact that wool does not contain lanolin, alpaca is completely hypoallergenic !

Are they good pets?

In the traditional view, they do not look like pets. For the most part, alpacas are a very shy animal; they do not like to be petted. But if you train them, they quickly get used to people. Their behavior is similar to cats - they approach a person whenever they want - they are very curious. You can watch alpacas for hours like birds - very cute and fascinating. But don't think that the alpaca will greet you like a good dog.

Are alpacas dangerous for children?

Is it possible to buy only one alpaca?

No way! Alpacas are herd animals and must be kept in a herd. Most reputable breeders recommend keeping at least three alps together (two is also acceptable). And if someone tells you that it is normal to keep one alpaca, then this person, apparently, is not competent in matters of alpaca breeding.

Can you eat them?

Theoretically, yes, you can eat them, as the Incas did in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile

and, due to the fact that alpaca meat does not contain cholesterol and fat. But in the United States of America they are grown primarily for their wool. And it is illegal to eat these animals.

Are alpacas evil?

No, alpacas are the most shy and self-conscious animals in the world. They spit only when necessary. The reason for this is stomach acid, which tastes unpleasant. Usually, alpacas only spit at each other. Well, if the alpaca spat at you, then you obviously offended him in some way. These cute animals will never offend a person! On the contrary, they also helped the Incas save lives. We noticed the danger, the alpaca immediately ran into

the opposite side, warning the person in advance.