... Alpaca wool. The wool from the first shearing of this animal, in the first 2 years if its life, is called “baby alpaca” and is a super-fine, super-soft fiber which can be … Llamas have a longer face, similar to a kangaroo or horse, and prominent muzzles. They both communicate disappointment by spitting. • Alpacas are reared for their valuable fibre or wool, while llamas are useful for human in many ways including as a working animal and a source of good meat and wool. Alpacas have padded feet, unlike cows who have hoofed feet. They are cousins after all. Huacaya has short, crimpy, and fluffy fleece. Today the United States, Italy, and Japan are the top consumers of alpaca fleece. From here: Alpaca is warmer than sheep’s wool. Hi Louise. They have a lot of power, and can travel far with a heavy load without needing much water. From there, the industry exploded, especially in the 11th and 12 centuries. Typical llama fiber is comparable to sheep’s wool in terms of weight and texture. The Alpaca fiber you'd find on the market is naturally soft, so you don't have to think about that. Alpaca fibers have higher tensile strength than wool fibers, therefore, the fiber is stronger than wool. The benefits of alpaca are limitless, but let’s explore the primary advantages of wearing alpaca rather than wool for … If separated from its alpaca herd, this herd animal would die from loneliness. The terms Royal, Medium, and Fine Alpaca fleece refer to fibers of certain diameters. Alpaca is softer than almost all sheep's wool. Llamas, on the other hand, originated from another Andean camelid, the wild guanaco. It too provided native Incas with fine, gorgeous fleece. Derived from three different lineages of the wild mouflon, sheep were originally developed for meat, milk, and skin. I would like to try Angora goat and rabbit, but it will be awhile before I can raise my own. Just because it is a llama doesn’t mean it packs and just because it is an alpaca, doesn’t mean it has great fiber. They stay close to their herd. 5. BetacommsnBot, in Public Domain, wikmedia commons, Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC-BY-SA 3.0, wikimedia commons, 3268zauber, CC-BY-SA 3.0, wikimedia commons. Llamas did not fare well with the Spanish colonists either, but their decline came a bit later in the 11th to the 13th centuries. Another difference is that even if they’re smaller, alpacas produce more fibers than llamas. Llamas are pack animals. Alpacas faces are short, have a blunt muzzle, and are very fluffy. They’re even softer and warmer than cashmere! The personality and disposition of a llama and alpaca are quite different. You may have heard about alpaca wool, which is much softer than a llama's double-layered, coarse outer coat over a softer inner coat. These banana shaped ears stick almost straight up out from the head. You can see there is a difference between a llama and alpaca. Llamas have short, coarse hair, which is double-coated. Llama and Alpacas are from the Andes Mountains, in central and South America. This one of the first things to look for, and one of the easiest ways to distinguish an alpaca from a llama. Wool is a highly synthetically-processed fiber, which also makes it less eco-friendly. Llama fiber is often sheared and used for weaving and other fiber arts. Alpacas have small faces and shorter ears, and their faces are covered in fur. Diane Ziomek from Alberta, Canada on May 21, 2015: I have alpacas, and love their fiber. Fine-Wool sheep fleece is used in spinning and manufacturing soft, inner-worn clothing. Apart from that, when comparing llama wool to alpaca, there are quite some similarities and the biggest difference is that alpaca wool is generally a little softer. You’ll wonder what you were missing! Suri Alpaca fiber doesn’t have a crimp and suited to weaving. Depending on the species, alpaca fiber can be suitable for weaving or knitting. Alpaca fiber is generally finer and softer than llama wool, although llamas are being bred now specifically for finer fiber and many llama fleeces rival some alpaca for softness and quality. Learn more. Llama wool is an often times misunderstood fleece. Important Note: There are four similar animals all related to each other. Unlike the llama, which served as a pack animal, a source of meat and a provider of wool, the alpaca has long been bred for its fiber alone. With sheep, the entire fleece is removed, including from their faces. Alpacas are 81 – 99 cm tall at the withers (shoulder area). Hi. At first, these south american animals from the camel family may look indistinguishable, as llamas and alpacas have a lot in common. The llama, however, has a coarser outer coat and a finer undercoat, which is the part used for spinning yarn. Soft and docile, there are no wild alpacas now. They both produce one child annually, known as a cria. Have you learned something about these animals, or which one do you prefer? They have a lifespan of about 15-20 years. Fleece from their underbelly is unusable .The rest of it has to be skirted (removing debris or dirty, contaminated, and low grade parts of the fleece from the more valuable whole). The easiest way is to look at their ears. I enjoy learning and helping others discover the joys of working with yarn. This fiber is excellent for alpaca garments like shawls, hats and socks. Like anything there are good and bad fleeces for both animals. Alpacas have shaggy wool that’s much finer and softer as well. Question: We can't find a market for our alpaca wool? of fleece; though some animals can give you up to 10 lbs. Generally, their wool creates a higher quality yarn than llamas. Nowadays, their numbers have recovered to approximately 350,000. This gives it its lightweight property. They live in Peru, Chile, Patagonia in Argentina, and parts of Paraguay. The fiber of alpacas and llamas is considered to be luxury fiber, in the league of cashmere and angora. You will use the same Clippers that you use to shear the wool from your sheep in order to collect the fur of your alpaca and llama. Unlike its alpaca cousin, however, the llama fleece color scheme can be solid, patterned, broken, or spotted (there is definitely no need for dyes here). DcoetzeeBot, Public Domain, wikimedia commons. Something I forgot? Their faces: Llamas have a longer face; an alpaca’s face is a bit more blunt, giving them a “smooshed in” look. Many people have businesses where they have hand made products from Alpaca and Llama wool. Alpaca and llama fleece are classified as specialty or luxury fibers, but sheep fleece or wool tops the list of animal fibers used today. 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