Alpaca clothing

Alpaca clothing is some of the softest and most comfortable stuff around. I sometimes look forward to winters, with the prospect of keeping so easily warm. You know how good it feels to warm up in the winter months. Nice and cosy… Mmm I’m glad it’s getting cool now!

If you knit, alpaca yarn is definitely something to try. It knits up beautifully. My grandmother has terribly sensitive skin, but she loves to knit. So she never used to be able to use sheep’s wool. She loves alpaca wool though. I think she is working on a blanket for my mom at the moment. I wish I was getting one.

Alpaca Yarn is generally made from Huacaya alpacas. This breed of alpaca has the denser softer fleece of the two alpacas. It also has a strong natural elasticity; perfect for garments which need to withstand some stretching. It’s counterpart, the Suri alpaca, has finer hairs and is more suited to woven goods. Armani produces some of their high-end suits with an alpaca weave. But Huacaya is the stuff you’re looking for.

Alpacas are bred in the high altitudes of the Andes. Huacaya alpacas are particularly well adapted to the climate because of their fleece. So you know the fiber from these animals is going to be warm. It is often blended with other fibers such as cotton or cashmere in Alpaca Clothing and yarn, however the 100% alpaca blend is my personal favorite.

Give Alpaca Yarn a try today. I guarantee you that the beautiful Alpaca Sweater or Alpaca Blanket you knit will set new standards of comfort for your needles!

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A fire on an Alpaca Farm in Erie, Colorado, claimed the lives of 14 Alpacas on 14 December. Mountain View Fire Protection District were able to rescue some alpacas from the blaze and prevent the fire spreading from the barn to the resident house some 30 yards away.

Twenty alpacas were trapped inside the barn, however firemen were able to secure an escape for six of the furry creatures before the barn itself collapsed; destroying any chance of liberating the rest. The firemen were conveniently gathered together for a work Christmas party less than 3 miles away, and were fortunately able to get to the farm quickly and efficiently.

Jesse Hodgman of the Fire Department commented on the fact that the firemen had abstained from alcohol during the event, so that should such a situation arise, they would be prepared to serve the community with the utmost effectiveness. The fire was brought under control within 35 minutes. The cause of the fire is still unknown, however fire investigators have remarked that its cause is not particularly suspicious.

The alpaca stock lost amounted to an approximate of $250,000, including one alpaca stud, which was involved in quality breeding programs. The barn itself, containing stables and an office was estimated to be worth around $90,000 also.

Alpacaclothing.net wishes to send their deepest sympathies to the victims of this fate.

Image sourced from: http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=19778 by Lewis Geyer

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The Midwest Alpaca Owner Association states that there are now over 81 registered Alpaca farms in Missouri and Kansas. We are talking several hundred of these cute little critters here! One such of these farms, Aconcagua, owned by Patricio and Veronica Mujica has a particular tale.

Driving amongst much of the farmland in the Midwest The Mujica’s farm doesn’t seem too different. However, start driving up to Aconcagua you start to notice subtle differences. Barbed wire replaced by friendlier looking wood fences and seemingly personal water tanks substitute the normal utilitarian ones you see in these parts. This raises your suspicion, but it’s not until you see alpacas grazing instead of cows or sheep that you begin to realize this is no normal Midwestern farm.

Dr. Mujica heard about alpacas from a friend and slowly became immersed in the particular culture of the alpaca industry. Pat, their son, says it began with meaning when “we went to our first show, and I was like, ‘Wow!’ For one thing they’re cute, cuddly things, and then we went to an auction and we saw what they were bringing and we were like, ‘You have got to be kidding me.’” Not long after the family bought two pregnant females.

However the costs of running a farm in the North-east, where the Mujica family started off, were quite high. They knew that if any real profits were to be made they had to relocate. Missouri looked promising. The costs associated with feeding and housing the cute animals were almost halved.

The Mujica farm is primarily concerned with exclusive breeding programs. The national fleece champion of 2000 and 2001 lives there and dozens of alpacas have sold for tens of thousands of dollars because of their superior breeding.

Pat explains it’s not just about the money but it’s the lifestyle he loves. “You walk out your back door and go to work. You look up and your kids are playing right there, but you’re at work. And when you have a rough day, you can get out your lawn chair, come out here and watch the little guys bouncing around in the fields. The juveniles are like little kids. They’re spunky, they get to hopping around like Bambi, in synchronization across the field. They’re adorable.”

While Aconcagua doesn’t produce Alpaca Clothing, it’s nice to see how diverse an industry based on alpacas is, and the stories leading to it are fascinating.

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I am sure many of you have been told that wool clothing keeps warm when its wet? Well this is only half true. For a long time I came home wearing a woolen sweater after being in the rain and I was soaked, but not warm. Some of you may have heard that Alpaca Clothing keeps warm when wet; also true, but in a different way.

Wool fibers are made up of cortical cells bound by two layers. The outer layer (the epicuticle) forces rain to “run off”, so droplets are not absorbed, but rather remain intact within the soft wool. In heavy rain or extreme humidity -such as that during storms – the epicuticle’s tiny pores absorb water into the center of the fiber; keeping your skin dry. Alpaca wool however acts in a different way. While sheep’s wool absorbs water, Alpaca wool does not. Rather the water is drawn from the body to the outside of your Alpaca Sweater because of the far finer fibers making up Alpaca wool.

Both methods are a means of retaining warmth through maintaining the greatest possible insulation. Because it is wool’s natural crimp that maintains air pockets, the fibers themselves are able to absorb water. However, your Alpaca Coat will not absorb water because it is the air within the hollow fibers that keep us warm. When a woolen sweater gets saturated, the crimp in the wool is lost and the garment is no longer warm, however a saturated Alpaca Sweater will maintain its insulation despite being warm.

Both animals have done well. Their fibers go to great lengths to keep our skin dry where possible and keep the air pockets which keep us warm. However, in the end the Alpacas true have it over our familiar sheep friends. Keep warm today with your own Alpaca Clothing.

Technorati Tags: Alpaca Clothing, alpaca-wool, wool

Straight from the fashion centers of Italy this opulent Alpaca Coat shows that the pinnacle of fashion is ultimate comfort.

Hand tailored, this work of sartorial art is made from 70% of the most exquisite Baby Alpaca and 30% the finest Merino wool available. Tailored with a hood, this Alpaca coat will be undeniably one of the most versatile garments in your wardrobe.

Show you know what chic really is by treating yourself to the best money can buy with Carlota Piaggio’s Hooded Alpaca Coat. But hurry, this will NOT last

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Finally, a teddy bear fit for your child. I don’t know about you, but everywhere I look all I see is cheap quality teddies. I want something that lasts, I want something that is soft, I want the best for my child; and here it is…

This is one of the best Alpaca accessories on offer anywhere: An Alpaca teddy bear! Hand-made from 100% Alpaca wool, this teddy is the softest thing you will find. We promise you will not see a better quality teddy!

These little guys are made individually in Peru. No two bears are the same. A unique bear for the keen teddy collector, for that special child, for an expecting mom or for that special somebody. The great natural range of Andean Alpaca colors means that there is an Alpaca bear for any affair.

Find out how you can give the gift of love with an Alpaca teddy today.

Technorati Tags: Alpaca Accessories, alpaca teddy