The drum carder aligns the fiber and creates a batt. As a new spinner, I realized I had no idea what to do with it. If you scroll to the bottom of the post I've linked to a few items you may find helpful.When you are ready to use it, decide how much fleece to process. I will include videos with some of the 5 steps There is also a pin image at the end to summarize the steps. For Suri alpacas, use lukewarm water and keep the temperature consistent.
Ultimately, you don’t have to wash alpaca fleece like sheep’s fleece, because alpacas don’t have oils, lanolin, and suint like sheep. Rinse it in the colander thoroughly, then plug your sink back up, and fill it with more warm soapy water. Doll makers are always looking for long locks. Finer grades of alpaca fleece (known commercially as "Baby Alpaca") are believed to be hypo-allergenic, meaning it does not irritate your skin as sheep’s wool sometimes does. Will you card it and spin it in it's natural color? I do 4 - 8oz at a time to keep it manageable. I do 4 - 8oz at a time to keep it manageable. If you skip this step, it will take FOREVER to dry. He is the herd guardian. If you want to handspin art yarn, your fleece is ready at this point.This step is difficult to do without a drum carder so this is one of the items that may be worth your investment if you plan to handprocess your fleeces. Moisture could collect on the bottom of the bags bringing mold, and mud, and smells to your stash. I was terrified of ruining it all.Boy am I glad I did that. I usually put one alpaca’s fleece into 3 batches- prime, seconds (different from second cuts which are just short pieces of fiber created during the shearing process) which includes the neck and rump, then thirds which include the belly and other coarse fibers.Once your fleeces are cleaned, you are ready to wash. You will need some buckets and dish soap (or shampoo). A dear friend and fellow fiber enthusiast generously gifted me about 2 1/2 pounds of raw alpaca fleece in 3 colors - black, white, and cinnamon brown. Have you had your alpaca fibers graded and sorted and still not sure what to do with your fiber or confused about all the terminology? The fleece can breath, bugs or (new) dust can't get on it, and it stays dry. I just split the batts into strips if I plan to spin at this point.This is the most fun step of the process You can create handspun yarn with a spinning wheel or a drop spindle (if you are super patient and don’t have much fiber…). The first thing I did, was decide how to store it. Soak and squeeze a few times until the water runs relatively clear. The batt is ready to use for felting and spinning. When we returned from our summer trip this year I was inspired to try again. Create a felting kit. Give these a try:I'm an accountant, new homesteader, and now blogger that convinced my husband and kids to move from the desert suburbs of Phoenix to 12 acres in rural Southern Ohio so we can grow our food and raise adorable goats. Hopefully these charts and explanations can help you out a bit. Repeat this, until your fleece looks clean enough. It saves me quite a bit of money since I don’t have to ship my fleeces to and from a custom mill and pay for processing fees.
In general, alpaca fleece is stronger, lighter, warmer, and more resilient. Hand processing does take time though! The neck and upper legs (seconds) produce fiber that is usually shorter and less uniform - but still spinnable. At this step, you also want to batch the fleece into similar lengths and fineness. Photo by Joe Coca. You can then use the yarn for any project you like! Do not agitate the fleece since this will felt them together. Weight it, and put it in a plugged up sink with Dawn dish soap and warm water. . You may card and spin it without cleaning it, but I don't recommend it. So I will be carding this fleece.If you opt to dye it, you may start that when it is wet. I love to process my fiber at home in small batches by animal. There are tons of way to process it, but I will share what I have found works best for me for the various fun things I want to do with it.Luck you! Keep your prime fleeces separate from the neck, rump, and other usable areas. This book identifies a number of proven ways, to monetise your fleeces and gives details of where to sell them, as well as tips to improve your sales. I rely on their professional services to make sure I get the maximum benefit from my fiber, and that my fiber is turned into a quality product. Once it is dry, continue to Alpaca Series 3: Carding Clean Alpaca (coming soon).Do you need items to store or process your fleece? Be sure to keep it in lock form. WL : Woolen recommendation for processing. This is how I stored my fleece for two plus years, and it was as good as it was the day I got it when I pulled it out. A spinner's treasure trove! Fly fishermen love to tie their own lures. This post, is the first in a series where I will share with you what you can do with alpaca.
About alpaca fleece: The blanket (back and sides) is the prime fiber area. Add the fleece, make sure it is wet, but don’t agitate it or mess with it more then you have to or the wool could felt.