Below, some of the fi ber
bagged up and getting ready
to be sold.
March/April 2020 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 7
Top photo, alpaca fi bers left to dry after being
washed. Just above, the carding machine. Below, the
fi ber being fed into the machine, and a near-fi nished
product.
Becky explained that there are varying qualities of
alpaca wool, judged in units called microns.
The microns from the Edwards’ alpacas are in the
upper 20s or 30s, but some are far fi ner. The price of
an alpaca can range from between $250 to $50,000
per animal, with the majority falling in the range of
$3,000 to $10,000. This is based, in part, on the
number of microns in their fi bers (often nicknamed
“wool”). The better the animal’s fi ber quality, the more
expensive an alpaca is. Their wool is almost
waterproof, and is hypoallergenic.
The fi bers are often used to make coats for cold
climates, as their wool is some of the warmest you
can fi nd.
After our indoor tour, it was time to actually visit the
alpacas. In the front part of the acreage behind the
house, Clifford - a fawn alpaca - and Jason - a white
alpaca - laid in the shade, munching grass. Jason was a
bit lame at that time, and the reason for that led into
an interesting conversation.