I won several auctions last week for raw alpaca fleeces and they are starting to come in.
this is 3# of a rich chocolate brown with a staple length of about 5 inches:
this is 1# of fawn with a staple of about 4 inches
and last but not least 2# of a medium tan with a staple length of about 4 inches.
I just cant get over how soft the wool is! Even unwashed and dusty its just heaven! I've heard that most people do not wash the fleece before spinning, i do because even though the fiber isn't visibly dirty it does contain a lot of fine dust and sand.Good thing is it comes clean very easy. Since it doesn't contain any lanolin it can be washed with lukewarm water and just a hint of soap.This is the water after the first wash:
So, not apparent but quite dirty after all.I dump the water ,fill up the bucket one more time, let soak for about 10 min., squeeze out the water,fill up one more time,no soap , rinse and spin in the washer.Dry it on a rack outside in the sun.I use those little mesh lingerie bags.Its a little tedious since the bags don't hold much fiber but they keep it from moving around too much and make the whole process a little more orderly.
I'll be washing and carding this soft goodness in the next week or so and start offering it in batt form in the shop.So come on by and maybe you see something you might turn into a next to the skin soft yarn!
Prices will be very competitive and Ravelers,remember there will be a 10% discount for you !!
I will post pics of the carded fiber later.
Now back to washing ALPACA :)
