Spinning Alpaca: Fiber from Huacaya to Suri (and beyond)

Soft, long, and available in a range of beautiful natural colors, alpaca can be a joy to spin. That is, if you know what makes it different from the sheep’s wool most spinners start with.

It is a long fiber with no crimp, so it doesn’t stretch and bounce the way wool does. Because alpaca fiber doesn’t have crimp of wool, the yarn requires more twist to stay together as well as hold its shape over time. As you working with alpaca fiber regularly, you cna begin appreciate its unique properties and learn how to spin it to best advantage. In this free eBook you will learn about the different types of alpaca and their fiber from Kaye Collins, who raises her own alpaca and has traveled extensively to the Andes of South America where the animals originate. Inside you'll find:

• Spinning Alpaca for Knitting: Huacaya Alpaca - Learn about preparation techniques for the Huacaya breed and things to be aware of when choosing your alpaca fleece.

• Spinning Suri Alpaca Instruction - Once Suri fiber is well prepared, it spins so easily you can forget your troubles, relax, and spin, spin, spin. Get started by learning where to find it, how to prepare and wash it, and to properly spin it

• Spinning the Yarn of a Newcomer - Paco-vicuña, blends the characteristics of alpaca and vicuña fiber that will remind you of spinning cashmere.

• South America's Wild Ones, Vicuña and Guanaco - Kaye Collins shares her experience in Lima, Peru and the important things she learned about these two breeds, their fiber qualities, spinning their fiber, and the gorgeous project she made from her handspun alpaca fiber.

You’ll love learning how to spin this unique fiber in this instructional and very informative guide on spinning alpaca fiber.