Alpacas are camelids, the aristocratic little cousins of the Llama and Camel, who have thrived at the top of the misty, mystic Andes Mountains for millennia. Natives of Peru, they can be found roaming wild through the ruins of Machu Picchu and as tamed ranch animals. Raising Alpacas and shearing them for their lofty fiber has been a main income for Andian families since the before the Incas ruled their world.
Prized for their cashmere-like fleece, once reserved for royalty, they produce one of the world's most luxurious fibers ...
... and the first shearings of the baby alpaca
--- creates the softest, lightest, most exquisite natural fiber in the world.



Since the beginning of time, the women of Peru have spun this incredible fiber into yarns and woven it into cloth.
Today, their great great grandaughters use thoroughly modern methods to do the same thing; creating the most fabulous natural-fiber yarns and materials for export all around the world.
We take the Baby Alpaca's fiber and mix it with a bit of Silk, to help it hold its shape and give it a glossy finish .....

The final result is our Baby Alpaca and Silk knits created, just as they have been for thousands of generations, by the artisan women of Peru.


Many thanks to The Portland Tribune for permission to post the following:

"Alpacas are 'green' sheep of the family

Animals tread lightly upon Earth, give fleece and fertilizer in return"


"For 5,000 years, alpacas have been a staple of life in South America, especially Peru. In the past decade alpaca farms have cropped up in the U.S., with a particularly high density in Oregon.Treehugger.com, a Web site dedicated to environmental issues, calls alpacas the “green” sheep for the ease in which they coexist with the land.

They’re not picky eaters

The major difference between alpacas and most farm animals is their eating habits. Alpacas can thrive in deserts and mountain plains, by doing something most other domesticated animals (and many humans) haven’t been able to master: They stop eating when they are full. They don’t mind eating brush, fallen leaves and other “undesirable” vegetation, leaving the good stuff for species that don’t have the stomach to digest such roughage.

Alpacas’ feet are heavily padded so they don’t tear up the landscape when foraging, like sheep’s and cows’ do.

Alpacas’ fur, referred to as fleece, grows quickly and is lighter, warmer and softer than most sheep wool. Because alpacas have adapted to survive in harsh weather, their fleece is resistant to sun and water, qualities it retains when it’s woven into a sweater. Why spend fossil fuels manufacturing synthetic fibers for outdoor adventures when the real deal already exists?

Another quirky, but environmentally beneficial, alpaca habit is building “poop piles.” A herd of alpacas keep their dung confined to one or two piles (sometimes they even line up to go to the bathroom in the proper spot). This makes it really easy to recycle or compost their manure for garden fertilizer or even biofuel."

Click on this link for the full story:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=117107415676859600