The Alpaca Fiber is a superb source of shine and texture. Alpaca is the only animal species worldwide, whose hair naturally displays a wide array of colors, going from black to white, through different shades of brown and gray, allowing the animal to blend with the Andean landscape. And the fleece dyes to glorious colors as well. Alpaca is a sheared fiber, never skinned. Native Andean herdsmen shear them every other year at the onset of the rainy season. The first clip of the shearing alpaca is called baby alpaca. It provides a featherweight, heavenly soft fiber that is even more prized. Alpaca Fiber is seven times stronger and three times warmer than merino wool. The fiber actually contains microscopic air pockets that contribute to the creation of lightweight apparel with very high insulation value. Alpaca is silky against the skin and heavenly smooth to the touch. It is hypoallergenic and lanolin free; it does not absorb or retain moisture and it often wearable for those people who are allergic to wool.