If you have not sheared yet, taking some time to clean the fiber before shearing can save a lot of effort later. First, decide on your show fleeces. Pick these alpacas clean. Do not blow them out. For all other animals, use a blower or vacuum to the fleeces while still on the alpaca.
While shearing, sort your fleeces into 3 bags- prime blanket(1sts), neck (2nds), leg and belly (3rds).
Once shearing is completed, you will have piles of bags. Now is the time to analyze what you have, and what to do next.
First identify and pull out your show fleeces. These should be the best of the best. You want to carefully skirt these fleeces to get them ready for shows. Set them aside until you have time to work with them.
The rest of your fiber is used to make money. All the fiber can be used. You just need to analyze the best use for each part or type.
CRIMP: Good crimp will give loftiness and body to your end product. Deep bold is best for knitwear. Wave or no crimp is best for drape.
SURI VS. HUACAYA: Suri is silky and best for lightweight garments with drape, not meant for high level of warmth. Think high fashion. Huacaya is a soft replacement for sheeps wool. The more crimp, the more loft, and the warmer the end product.
TENSILE STRENGTH: This is the amount of pulling a fiber can stand before it breaks. If the fiber breaks easily, your end product will shed and not last as long.
LUSTER: This is the light reflective quality of the fleece. It is usually associated with suri fleece, but can also be found in a fine quality huacaya. End products will look brighter and have shine to them.
HAND or HANDLE: This is the tactile "feel" of all the fiber characteristics combined. A good hand will make an end product more desirable to the consumer, and command a premium price.
CONTAMINATION: Impurities are present in all fleeces, after all, these are pasture animals. Skirting can remove most contamination. Commercial processing is more tolerant of these impurities, more than hand spinners. The cleaner your fiber, the cleaner your end products.
PRIME BLANKET: This is the best part of the alpaca. It has the most uses. Other fiber characteristics may limit your uses.
NECK: The neck can be as soft as the blanket, just shorter. If it is not too much shorter, it can often be combined with the blanket.
LEG and BELLY: The coarsest part of the alpaca, it is good for batting, stuffing, and felting.
MICRON: The micron is the thickness of the individual fiber. The finer the micron, the softer the end product, the higher a price you can command. But note that the handle can mean more to the end product than just micron. The preparation of the fleece for show, fiber co-op, mini-mill, or fiber artist is best demonstrated. Hands on work is best done in a class.
Check your local show listings for a hands-on class. If you have specific questions, check our website:www.alpacas-r-us.com for general information, email to solartsalpacaranch@yahoo.com for Blair's upcoming classes, or call 503 538-5673 for fiber processing information. Starry Nights Mill offers full processing, and answers for preparation questions.