Alpaca fiber has a fine and soft texture; it has a natural palette of 22 colors in shades of black, brown and cream. It also contains microscopic air bags that make it possible to produce light-weight clothing with high thermal capacity.
The Alpaca fiber:
....contains no natural oils such as the lanolin contained in sheep's wools. This means that alpaca is naturally hypoallergenic. You can use alpaca with newborn babies without any risk of allergy
....has an average width of 24 microns. The micron count is the average diameter measurement of each fiber. One micron equals one thousandth of a millimeter. Human hair is 40-80 microns. Alpaca with its 24 microns is really, really fine indeed. Once the micron count goes over 30, the average human can detect a prickle effect of the fiber
...is strong and resilient. The strength does not diminish as the fiber becomes finer
...is extraordinarily long and therefore a better fiber to thread
...is warmer than Merino wool, and is comparable to other natural fibers such as Cashmere, Angora and Mohair
...has insulating and thermal qualities, due to its length, width and air-pockets. This means that the garment will retain body heat in cold days, and allow the body to breathe in warmer days
...is resistant as it does not absorb water nor smell
...does not pill, stain easily or create static
The characteristics of the Alpaca fiber are the results of a very long acclimatization process to the Andean environment where these animals are found. The temperature in the Andes, at 3,800 meters above sea level, is extremely changeable: from minus 18-20 C° during the night; up to 30 C° in the middle of the day. The intensity of the solar radiation, the rarefied atmosphere and the icy cold wind are also some of the difficult conditions that prevail in these high places. Due to its natural properties, Alpaca Wool garments keep their shape after many years of use, and do not become rigid or rough through travelling.
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