The Wonders of Alpaca

Used as a pet, in therapy for children, as a guardian of herds and, above all, appreciated for its wool, this tender animal from South America is a real treasure.

Always in search of new handcrafted products for our shop, we have visited museums, workshops, and markets in several interesting cities and towns. From South America, specifically from Peru and Ecuador, we bring pieces woven from the wool of a little animal in which it is worth stopping to comment on its natural charm and usefulness: the alpaca.

This direct relative of the camels of Africa and Asia has a wool that is sweet to the touch and comfortable to wear. Pre-Incas Civilizations began to graze them 6000 years ago when they realized the advantages of their soft but resistant fleece. Far from the high Andean grasslands, they are now bred in the United States for wool exploitation or as pets because of their docile character and gentleness. In Germany and Australia, they have been used for a long time in therapy for children with autism or with those who have suffered some kind of violence.

Their languid look as a silent film actress says nothing about their usefulness as a wool-producing animal and as a keeper of flocks of sheep, goats, and chickens. They are always alert and ready to defend themselves from the predator or the rival male with the force of his spittle, and, in the case of females, to keep away any seducer that is not to their liking. In addition, it uses a multitude of different sounds to communicate and express its moods.

Every two years, shearers remove the alpaca from its coat to make it one of the finest and most colorful natural textile fibers. With such special characteristics as softness, lightness, anti-inflammable and anti-allergic properties – it has less lanolin than sheep’s wool – it resists water very well, making it ideal for humid climates.

It is really interesting to follow the step by step of the artisan work in the transformation of the recently sheared fleece up to the soft blanket that surrounds us: the washing of the wool flakes, the spinning with ancestral methods and the dyeing with plants make the alpaca wool a sustainable resource, that is to say, it does not cause serious damage to the environment. And this is one of our priorities when choosing products made by the hands of artisans.

Shop our Alpaca collection here!