Alpaca fine knit

Alpaca fine knit refers to premium fine-gauge flat or circular knits made from the finest sorting classes of alpaca fleece. The internationally recognised Peruvian alpaca institute scale defines Royal Alpaca as <19 micron, Baby Alpaca as 19-22.5 micron, Superfine Alpaca as 22.5-25.5 micron. Typical two-ply yarns run from Nm 2/28 to Nm 2/60, in gauges from 12 to 18 needles per inch. Pure alpaca yarn costs 250-450 euros per kg.

The alpaca fibre has a hollow medullary chamber and is therefore about 30 percent lighter than sheep wool at equal volume, insulates markedly better and is virtually lanolin-free - hypoallergenic and without the typical 'wool' smell. Further advantages: very low pilling (smooth scale layer), 22 natural shades from white through beige, brown to black (no dyeing needed) and high tensile strength.

Typical applications in the fine-gauge segment: classic V- and crew-neck sweaters, cardigans, twinsets, cashmere alternatives at Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Peruvian Connection, Sol Alpaca. In corporate wear (boutique hotels, front office) Baby Alpaca in dark tones is increasingly used because the hand is close to cashmere but 30-40 percent cheaper. Key standards: Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) and ISO 6938 for fibre diagnosis.