Oh, Alpacas

I’ve been thinking a lot about just how many different types of yarn there are out there. You may think that’s a bit crazy, but I think about things like this. I was watching this program on Musk Ox in Alaska, and they were talking about the wool that comes from them. I sat there, thinking to myself how odd it is that they get wool from musk ox. I’ve seen them in the wild before. They’re nothing pretty to look at. However, they do sell the wool– and for a high price. Apparently it’s one of the warmest, softest wools you can get your hands on. So I started looking for other types of wool, and I came up with a lot.

One of the coolest ones that I found was Alpaca yarn. I didn’t even know that you could get yarn from an Alpaca, but apparently you can. It’s really popular, too. Now, don’t mock me for not knowing this. It’s one of those little things that you should totally already assume in life, but I just never really thought about it before. This makes Alpacas an even cooler animal to have around than I already thought.

So, what can you make with Alpaca wool like this? Oh, there’s no limit to the stuff you can make. Not only is this stuff much more soft and supple than regular sheep wool, it is very weather resistant. One reason that a lot of people have started to turn to Alpaca wool instead of sheep wool is because they are less likely to have an allergic reaction to it. While there is no guarantee that people who are allergic to sheep wool won’t be allergic to Alpaca wool, there are people that report feeling none of the ill effects of sheep wool while wearing Alpaca wool. A lot of this is due to the oils that are on the wool. Sheep produce an oil that coats the wool and that is very hard to wash out. Most wool fabrics that hit the market are coated with this oil, and it’s really the oil that causes the allergic reaction with people that are allergic to sheep wool. This stuff is not produced by the same animal, so the oil is different and gives you an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of wool without having to deal with all the downsides experienced by those with allergies. Also, they use less habitat and therefore are better for critical wild habitats.

jareds | My Bio & Articles

Jared Skye is an environmental scientist and author of sustainability and self-sufficiency themed media.