I've been asked...

I have been asked to upload pictures by my wife, which I've finally done. As we blog we'll add those pictures for everyone to see.

I've also been asked by many people who do not know much about alpacas what they are used for. I think many people consider them to be an odd/exotic pet. While they are very friendly animals, they do serve a purpose and nothing can explain that as well as a picture...


While looking at this picture you'll see just how thick the fleece is on an alpaca and how long the staple is. The alpaca pictured is our oldest, Alexander, who was about 1 year old and had about 10 months of growth on him. One of the easiest ways to tell how dense they are is by looking at the longer fleece still on them for where the dirt line stops.

There are as many uses for this product as for silk and/or wool. The product is much stronger than silk, carries a similiar luster and feel. It is also much softer and less itchy when compared to wool products. We have recently learned how to work more with our fleece, as noted in a prior post and hope to process it into a final product at some point this year.