
It's Fair Time, so while I haven't had time to post since last Friday, I have had lots of exposure to interesting fibers.
Today was the Sheep show for our local county fair and it was also the fleece competition. This year we had three different species represented in the fleeces - camelids (alpacas), sheep and rabbits (angora). We didn't have any angora goat fiber - known as mohair - but that would have made four species, which would have been even more interesting.
When judging fleeces, the judge looks at various aspects of the fleece - the luster, the crimp, cleanliness (lots of work skirting to remove all vegetation), the condition of the fleece (sun damage, etc.) and similar criteria. This year's Supreme Fleece went to a lovely natural colored (not white) alpaca fleece.
Alpacas produce some of the most valuable fiber in the world. It has an incredibly soft hand, and thanks to a hollow fiber structure, offers warmth without weight. There are two different types of alpaca - the huacaya and the suri. They are differentiated by their fleeces. Huacayas have fluffy fleeces that stands out away from their body making them look like the camelid version of a teddy bear. Or a fluffy alien. Suri alpacas, which traditionally make up only about 10% of alpacas, have long, silky locks that fall closely to their bodies making them look more like a lustrous, silky mop on stilts. Or something to that effect.
While alpacas have long been domesticated in their native South America, they were introduced into the U.S. in the 1980's. Originally it was thought that alpacas were a smaller form of llamas, but more recent DNA testing found that they were actually descended from the vicuna, and so their scientific name was changed accordingly. In doing some research for this article I came across
a very interesting piece about breeding suri alpacas. Apparently there has been cross breeding with huacayas, resulting in what looks like a suri, but is actually a 'cross breed' of sorts between the two. If you are not interested in genetics, animal science or fiber, you might think 'big deal'. But when you're intending to breed for a suri alpaca fleece, it is definitely required reading!
If you have the chance, I would definitely encourage you to get your hands on some alpaca fiber. It is truly a treat. My second self-knitted sweater was made of a blend of wool, alpaca and mohair fiber. I love it - it is one of my most common winter garments. It is never too warm and always snuggly whatever the weather.