As many times as I have covered alpaca fiber prep and spinning, I continue to get new questions – good questions, new questions, interesting variants of old questions. I thought I had it all answered – or maybe I thought I had all the answers. As I continue to learn about fiber and as I continue to get new questions, I realize that I don’t know it all, don’t know the answers, and haven’t answered everything I think I know.

The following questions come from a fiber artist with a good blog, but since they were sent by private e-mail, all links are omitted. The artist lives and works in an isolated or remote area and while she has thirty-five years experienced with a fiber artist, this is her first alpaca fleece.

This puts me in the rather difficult position of being a relative novice fiber artist providing answers to someone with vast experience – and judging by the works on the blog – considerable skill. True, I have more experience with alpaca than many spinners, and most of my experience is with alpaca. This makes my advice to experienced spinners worthwhile. However, I am rather hesitant to say something can’t be done a certain way with alpaca just because I have never had any luck doing it that way.

The questions and answers are as follows:
Hey: saw your site re alpacas, and just returned home with a fleece…a cria fleece, but the woman that owns the farm wasn’t there so I have no history of the fleece but ohhhhhhhhhh is it soft…I am a spinner and dyer for many years, but never used alpaca, why would be the question? anyhow I am living [in a remote/isolated area], so am reaching out to find out more of how to use this ….is seems to be divided I guess when they skirted it, they put the leg fleece in a separate bag, it doesn’t have much vm and is wonderfully soft…

Alpaca fleece is typically divided into three portions at shearing. These three portions are blanket or firsts, neck or seconds, and leg or thirds. Some shearers divide fiber strictly on anatomy. Blanket (back and sides), neck, legs. Others divide more on grade in which case good neck and upper leg fiber ends up in the firsts bag and low-grade neck fiber may end up in the thirds. When one purchases an alpaca fleece, one may be purchasing the entire fleece or only the blanket portion. It is often best to clarify with the seller if you can.

Neck fiber is often comparable quality to blanket, but different length. This is a major issue in alpaca shows, but often not an issue with hand spinners. However, neck fiber can contain a lot more guard hair than the blanket which is an issue for hand spinners. It all depends on the fleece – and guard hair in the neck fiber can increase dramatically as alpacas age.

Leg fiber can be very variable in both length and quality. The fiber from the upper leg can be so good it is often included in the blanket. It can also be lousy. Fiber from the lower leg can be almost all guard hair. Again, it all depends on the animal and the year.

In terms of using the fiber, the fiber artist needs to make the decision whether to include or exclude various parts of the fiber based on the desired outcome and finished product.

should I spin this fine from the cut end and hand tease, or is it absolutely necessary to card…

I have never had much luck spinning from the lock. This doesn’t mean it can’t be done, it simply means I haven’t done a very good job – yet. I send everything through my trusty drum carder. I know spinners do work from the lock with great results. As an experienced fiber artist, you may have very different results. Like many aspects of fiber arts, I suggest experimenting with the fiber and taking what the fiber gives you.

I am a 30 year spinner, so have much experience…also should I wait to wash…just what is the scoop..thanks heaps

I will answer this question with a question. Is what is called a cria tip or if it is the actual first shearing fleece.

It is common practice among alpaca breeders to sheer cria about three to four weeks of age. This removes the amniotic fleece which can be brittle and a VM magnet. The fleece shorn at this time is called cria tip. It is the softest fiber the cria will ever produce. A good handspinner can work with this fleece – I have done so – but it is very tricky. The fiber is extremely short, very soft, variable, and very slick. Washing cria tip without felting it is nearly impossible – at least for me. Washing alpaca also makes the fiber slicker. I typically spin cria tip unwashed and then wash the yarn because of slickness and felting issues. My unwashed results have been good enough and my difficulties with felting have been great enough that I feel comfortable advising a spinner of great experience to work cria tip unwashed unless there is a very good reason to wash the fiber.

More likely you have the first full shearing fleece from a cria. This is absolutely luscious fiber. Enjoy it. Depending on how dirty it is, you may or may not find it necessary to wash it prior to spinning. I work both ways and I enjoy the fiber both ways. I know some spinners who only wash first if they plan to dye the fiber or if they want a bright white yarn from a dirty fleece.

Nothing feels so wonderful to spin as good alpaca and washed alpaca feels even better. If you’re working with a light-colored fleece, you may have difficulty washing dirt from the center of the yarn after it is spun. Washed fleece will take dye better. There are lots of good reasons to wash.

Unwashed alpaca fiber won’t be so slick and will feel more like wool. Some argue this gives the spinner better control. Alpaca fleeces – particularly cria fleeces – are vulnerable to tip felting during washing. Working unwashed avoids this problem. I find washing yarn is faster than washing fiber. There are lots of good reasons to work unwashed.

As with so many aspects of spinning my advice is to experiment and to take what the fiber gives you.