Fiber Processing

The preparing, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process used for wool.

Processing Alpaca Fleece

Once the alpacas have been shorn and we have their fleece, we then wash it to bring out the truest alpaca fleece colors. Some of the colors we have are: white, medium fawn, dark brown, beige, and true black. We also have other colored fleece for sale that is already spun into batts of yarn (100-200 yards each).

True Black Fleece

Beige Fleece

High Levels of Crimp - Very Valuable

Pure white fleece - washed and processed

Once the fleece has been washed, it then gets carded or combed, in order to get the fleece into a slightly more manageable state. Carding by hand yields a rolag, a loose woollen roll of fibers. Using a drum carder yields a bat, which is a mat of fibers in a flat, rectangular shape. To do this step of the process, one must use a teasing tool, and a carder (images below). This process is important because it works the fleece fibers in one direction, thus making it easier to go through drum carder without causing any lumps in the batt.

Each smaller section of batting that is carded is now placed in the drum carder tray, lined up in a row to create an even batt (Image 1). The drum carder is turned on and the fleece is slowly pushed in the rotating drum, and then finely carded (Image 2). Once the fleece has made it through the drum, one must use a special hook to pull off the finished batt in one large sheet (Image 3). We then wrap it and prepare it for sale.

Image 1

Image2

Image 3

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