|
Alpacas are indigenous to
the Peruvian highlands,
where they were domesticated
thousands of years ago.
Alpacas are bred at
altitudes ranging from
10,000 to over 14,000 feet
(3,000 to +4,500 meters)
above sea level and
withstand temperatures that
fluctuate between 65 °F to
over 85 °F (20 °C to +30 °C)
in a single day. The
highlands provide a
low-protein diet based on
natural grasses that help
grow their fine hair. the peruvian Alpaca
fiber is a luxury fiber,
usually rivals the
popularity of such fine
fibers as cashmere and
pashmina due to its natural
properties. It is a smooth,
velvety, very lightweight,
soft, and durable fiber
imposible
to imitate.
The Peruvian alpaca knitters
come from families with many
generations of experience
working the alpaca fleece
and they receive support
from Peruvian government to
reach new markets.
The Spanish conquistadors
failed to appreciate the
value of Alpaca fibre
preferring the wool of the
merino sheep from their
native Spain. For a time
Alpaca fibre was a well kept
secret; however, beginning
in the mid 1800's Alpaca was
rediscovered by Sir Sirus
Salt of Bradford, England.
The newly industrialized
English textile industry was
at its zenith when Sir Titus
Salt began studying the
unique properties of Alpaca
fleece. He discovered that
alpaca fibre was stronger
than sheep wool and that
it's strength did not
diminish with fineness of
staple. The Alpaca textiles
he fashioned from the raw
fleece were soft and
lustrous and quickly made
their mark across Europe,
see the whole story at the
end of this document. Today
the center of the alpaca
textile industry is in
Arequipa, Peru. Yarn and
other products made from
Alpaca have been marketed
primarily in Japan and
Europe.,
Compared to the numbers in
their native South America,
the number of Alpaca in
other countries are somewhat
nominal. Some references
indicate over 80 percent of
the global population is
found in Peru. Other smaller
groups are on Bolivia and
Chile. Very small groups (5%
of the total) are found on
North America, Australia,
Europe, New Zealand, Japan
and China.
We could finish this short
introduction to the alpaca
marvelous world quoting some
literary fragment:
"Appreciated for its soft
touch and variety of natural
shades ... alpaca cloth is,
in my judgment, the finest
lightweight in the world.
Alpaca is pure, it's
resilient, it breathes. "
John le Carri in "The Tailor
of Panama". |
