How is alpaca wool made

Alpaca wool production commences with shearing the alpacas once their fluffy hair fibers have grown to the appropriate length. The timing of shearing can vary based upon the rate of hair growth and herd location.   Ideally shearing is performed before the of warmer months.

Shearing methods mainly fall into two categories: hand shearing and electric shearing. Traditional hand shears, akin to scissors, can be time-consuming when there is a large herd to shear. Electric shears have become more popular due to their quick completion time, typically within minutes. 

Typically, 2-3 people participate in the shearing process as alpacas are quite resistant to it. Shearers usually shear alpacas close to the skin, causing the entire coat to come off in one large piece. 

After the raw wool is freshly harvested, it is carded (combed in a uniform direction to separate the hair strands) and prepared for spinning into yarn. There are two spinning methods:  

Following the spinning process, the wool is washed to eliminate dirt and other impurities. 

Indigenous communities create eco-friendly and uncomplicated washing solutions from wild plants to clean the wool. Conversely, in some regions, wool may undergo cleaning with non toxic agents before the weaving or knitting process. Subsequently, the wool is air dried and becomes ready for use in textile items.