Camelid Fiber

Alpaca: warm, soft, and heavier than it looks.

Alpaca fiber has no lanolin, very little crimp and a partly hollow core. That makes it warm and silky, but also slippery and inelastic, so it behaves differently from wool in a yarn and a garment.

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Huacaya vs. Suri

	Huacaya	Suri
Share of alpacas	The large majority	A small minority
Fleece	Dense, crimped, fluffy	Long, silky locks that hang in pencil-like curls
Luster	Matte to soft sheen	High luster, almost silk-like
Yarn	Lofty, soft, good for knitwear	Drapey and smooth; often blended with silk or wool

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Alpaca Grades by Micron

Alpaca is sorted by fineness. "Baby alpaca" describes a fineness grade, not the age of the animal.

Grade	Approx. µm	Typical use
Royal alpaca	≤ 19.5	Luxury knitwear, scarves
Baby alpaca	≤ 22.5	Sweaters, next-to-skin accessories
Superfine / fleece	23–26.5	Outer sweaters, blankets
Medium & coarse	26.5+	Rugs, outerwear, felting

Grade names and cutoffs vary between processors, mostly in Peru, where most of the world's alpaca is processed.

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How Alpaca Behaves

Warm for its weight — many fibers have a hollow or partly hollow core (medulla) that traps air.
No lanolin — some people who find sheep's wool itchy or irritating get on better with alpaca.
Little memory — with less crimp and elasticity, alpaca garments can stretch and grow, especially when hung.
Drape and halo — the slippery fiber drapes beautifully and develops a soft halo with wear.
Natural color range — from white and fawn through browns and greys to black, often used undyed.

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Knitting & Care Tips

Swatch, then hang the swatch for a day. Alpaca's true gauge shows up once its weight pulls on it.
Knit slightly tighter than you would with wool of the same weight.
Choose a blend (alpaca with wool) for sweaters that need to hold their shape.
Wash like wool in cool water with a wool wash, then dry flat. Never hang a wet alpaca garment.