Alpaca

I visited an alpaca farm in Earleville, Maryland, the other day. 

Long-necked alpacas––covered with fluffy, soft hair in brown, white, or black––were hanging out there comfortably. They were very calm and clean, and their huge marble-like eyes shimmered as though I could look through them. One of the brown alpacas approached me, and I was allowed to touch it. It had a muscular body covered with soft and smooth hair, which was very nice to touch. There was no unpleasant smell, so I instinctively buried my face in its hair and enjoyed the texture. It was a blissful, genuine 100% alpaca experience.

I’d like to review animal-based wools now.

Alpaca, known as the “Jewel of the Andes,” are camelids, and have been grazed as livestock in the Andes Mountains since ancient times. Alpaca fiber is very fine and soft and has a great feel. Its production volume is scarce just like cashmere (which comes from goats), and because of that, it’s highly valued. On the other hand, sheep wool (mainly merino wool) comes from Australia in high volume. Angora comes from Angora rabbit hair, while Angora mohair comes from Angora goats. Angora mohair fibers are fine and long, with a beautiful texture, but they are slippery and fall out easily. Yak are cattle that have been domesticated in the Himalayan region and can endure extremely cold weather, so their hair is very fine, soft, supple, and great for heat retention. Yak wool, however, is rare because the production volume is very small. Qualities and values of animal wool vary, to a large extent, depending on the climate and environment of the production area as well as the production methods. Prices are a good indication, but I’d recommend that you determine your favorite wool by actually touching it to check its texture and heat retention and experiencing how comfortable it is to wear. 

Yuh Okano, 11.2021