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Only Incan royalty were once able to wear such luxurious fiber. Alpacas produce approximately five to ten pounds of fleece per year. The animals are shorn once a year, usually in the spring. This process is performed not only for the use of the valuable fleece, but also for the health of the animal. Alpaca fiber has excellent insulating qualities and the animals are at risk of death as a result of heat stroke if the fleece is left on for too long. The shaft of the fiber is hollow, making the fleece very light, but still warmer and stronger than wool and softer than cashmere. Alpaca fiber contains no lanolin, which makes sheep wool greasy, so it does not have to be washed in harsh chemicals before it is made into yarn. For this reason, Alpaca fiber is thought to be extremely hypoallergenic. Alpacas come in 22 natural colors and can also be easily dyed into a broad spectrum of colors.
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