Llama Fiber

South American camelids are native to the Andean mountains and include llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicunas, Llamas and alpacas were in the Andes domesticated over 5,000 years ago. The rules and regulations of Inca llama herd management are ranked among the top in the annals of world animal husbandry. Their immense llama and alpaca flocks were thoroughly classified for uniformity in age, sex, and color on "quipu," a ledger made of knotted strings.

Physical characteristics

The llama is a two–coated animal. Its fine, downy undercoat gives protection from cold and heat. The outer coat of crimp–less guard hair allows moisture and debris to be shed. Llama fleece varies from 0–20% guard hair. In North America today, many llamas have a coat more like the alpaca (who historically has been selectively bred for fineness of fiber, and has lost both the hair coat and the ability to shed). The fine llama undercoat can be used for handicrafts and garments. The coarser outer guard hair is used for rugs, wall–hangings and lead ropes. The fiber comes in many different colors ranging from white, grey, reddish brown, brown, dark brown and black.

The fiber of llamas and alpacas varies greatly from individual to individual. Magnified cutaways show that llama fiber is a tubular hair with a medullated, or hollow, core, structurally different from the solid or corticated fiber of sheep and most other wool-bearing animals. The degree of medullation decreases with fiber diameter, with the finest Llama and alpaca fiber having an interrupted medullation, or none at all. This unique structure may account for the remarkable warmth and insulating quality of camelid fiber, and contribute to its tensile strength and durability.

                         South Down wool
                         Lincoln wool
                         Human hair
                         Australian Merino
                         Mohair
                         Alpaca

62.6
96.4
100.0
122.8
136.2
358.5

Relative fiber strength according to F.H. Bowman, The Structure of the Wood Fibre, (1885).

The individual shafts of the wool can be measured in microns. 1 micron = 1/1000 millimeter. A table of the average diameter of some of the finest, natural fibers following Beula Williams (2007–04–17). Llama Fiber. International Llama Association.

                                  Animal
                                  Vicuña
                                  Alpaca (Suri)
                                  Muskox (Qivlut)
                                  Merino
                                  Angora Rabbit
                                  Cashmere
                                  Yak Down
                                  Camel Down
                                  Guanaco
                                  Llama (Tapada)
                                  Chinchilla
                                  Mohair
                                  Alpaca (Huacaya)
                                  Llama (Ccara)

Fiber Diameter (microns)
6 – 10
10 – 15
11 – 13
12 – 20
13
15 – 19
15 – 19
16 – 25
16 – 18
20 – 30
21
25 – 45
28
30 – 40

Hemstreet Fiber for Sale

Raw fiber – We generally shear our llama herd in early spring and place the fleeces in large plastic bags for further processing. The process is rapid and efficient and does not harm the llamas in any way. The raw fleece typically consists of gard hairs and undercoat with minor amounts of short clippings and vegetative matter. With minor preparation this material could be spun directly.

Carding – Fibers can be mixed and blended together before processing using hand carders or a carding machine. Carding machines are cylinders with short spikes that mat the fibers into a web. The fibers in the web are pulled by the wires, or carded, so that they move parallel to one another in an intimate web. At the end of the process the carded web is removed and rolled up.

Rolag – As a pair of cards brush the wool, the fibers between them become more or less aligned in the same direction. The aligned fiber that is peeled from the card is called a rolag, which is also handy for hand spinning.

Roving – A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber that is created by drawing out long strips of carded fiber webs. Although the carded strands of fiber are not perfectly parallel, drawing it into longer roving strips improves the alignment. Rovings are practical for hand spinning the llama fiber into a single strand of yarn. By blending rovings of different color into a single yarn strand, interesting colors and textural effects can result.

Carded batts –Several different webs are combined to create one thick web. Four rolls of web are rolled up but are layered so that their fibers alternate in direction based on the way the webs were rolled. These four rolls are considered a standard single roll, sometimes referred to as a batt.

Spun skeins – A skein is a long coil of yarn intended for weaving, dyeing, or heat setting. Yarn sold in skeins generally needs to be re–wound into spools or balls depending on the application. A skein is not a specific unit of length. Spun yarns are made by twisting fibers together to make a cohesive thread. Spun yarns may contain a single type of fiber, or be a blend of various types. Blends of different natural fibers are common, especially with more expensive fibers such as alpaca, llama, angora and cashmere. Yarns are made up of a number of plies, each ply being a single spun yarn. These single plies of yarn are twisted in the opposite direction (plied) together to make a thicker yarn. Depending on the direction of this final twist, the yarn will be known as s–twist or z–twist. For a single ply, the direction of the final twist is the same as its original twist.

Prices for our Hemstreet llama fiber products depends on the quality (fineness, strength, and luster) of the fiber and the degree of preparation we have done for the final product. Our fiber typically ranges between $1 and $7 per ounce. Please contact us for availability, prices, and more information.
We have several natural colors as well as blends available: