SPINNING WITH ALPACA FLEECE.... “Have a go !!!”
High quality alpaca fleece is fine, crimpy and soft with little coarse guard hair. It does not have the lanolin that sheep wool has, therefore it does not have the greasy feel or need to be washed in wool wash . It can be washed in cheap hair shampoo. Raw fleece can be dusty so you can put it in a large mesh laundry bag and shake some of the dust from it (outside the house) before you wash it. Pick out any bits of fleece that seem straighter , coarser (and sometimes a bit lighter in coloured fleece)as these may be the edge of the ‘saddle’ guard hair. If the fleece is “skirted” then most of this should have been removed. Alpaca fleece can be spun before you wash it and you can wash the spun hanks , or you can wash it before you card and spin.
Sheep fleece has fibre that can be drawn out fairly easily whilst staying attached to itself. The silky nature of alpaca can make it seem ‘slippery’ compared to other fibres , that is, it may seem as though it doesn’t adhere to itself as much as sheep wool. When preparing alpaca fleece for spinning, a drum carder will help to draw the fibres out and together . This makes it easier when you are pulling out the fibre as you spin as it won’t be separating as easily. (It can be frustrating for beginners if they have to keep rejoining fibre). When spinning with alpaca the main difference is that you may not draw out a length as long as you might with sheep wool...just draw out a shorter amount initially and wait for the twist to hold it together before drawing out more. Initially some people spin the alpaca fleece slightly tighter than sheep wool until they become used to the feel of it .. If the fleece draws in too quickly with insufficient twist and keeps separating, just loosen off the brake knob a little or hold the fleece for a little longer.If you twist it too much it will be hard to ply two threads together without ‘twisty bits’ curling unevenly along the length of the thread. It is really a case of trying until you have the feel of it. Once you succeed you will find it an enjoyable sensory experience. I learnt to spin using a sheep fleece and once I knew how to spin enough to fill a bobbin without constantly stopping and rejoining the thread each time the flyer ‘gobbled it up’ , I started on the alpaca fleece. Alpaca fleece can be blended or plyed with angora or sheep wool or even silk thread, so don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun !! When you knit with alpaca, use a needle size that will enable you to knit it fairly firmly for large jumpers (to reduce stretching). You don’t need to knit tightly if you are knitting or crocheting soft, lacy patterns on shawls, scarves etc.. Alpaca fleece can be dyed with commercial wool dyes such as “Ashford Wool Dye for Protein Fibres” or natural dyes from plants.It is an incredibly warm, non allergenic fibre so spin and enjoy.
Prepared by Susan Roberts, Tinonee Alpacas www.tinoneealpacas.info
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