Friday, September 11, 2009

Alpaca socks or Beautiful fashion garmets?

Reading many forums and alpaca sites, i see many breeders are mainly focusing on alpaca socks.
Alpaca produces some of the finest (micron), fibre in the world, and the lustrous and beautiful qualities of this yarn lends itself only to the imagination of the designer.
Alpaca socks, Doonas, hats and scarfs are great, but when you see a quality garment be it a suit, skirt, jumper, cardigan, shawl, there is nothing to compare.
I sat at a meeting a few weeks ago in at AAFL (Australian Alpaca Fleece ltd), in at Sunshi9ne, Vic, and they showed me their new lines for summer.
The tops were so fine, i do not think you could get a cotton top so lightweight.
The styles, colours, be it natural or dyed, was absolutely devine.
A young fashion designer in England, daughter of TOFT alpacas, has produced some stunning garments original designs, can be viewed on their website.
Wehave also assisted young fashion designers in AUstralia through the LÓreal fashion weeks, and further promotion of their products, and the ideas, and styles these young designers arer coming up with are just magic.
While some focus on alpaca socks, and doonas, the breeders are only breeding to suit that marketplace, and not looking at what selective breeding can produce.
Returns on alpaca fleece are always a contention, but aiming to produce fleece for a sock market, when we can supply the top end fashion market producing a more desireable return for the fleece and garments.- in the commercial sense.
I take my hat off to the ladies that are also using their imagination at home, who are also looking further than socks.
I see some of the beautiful garments from the home spinner and knitter, felter and weaver, and again it is only limited to their imagination.
Alpaca fibre is so beautiful, and when i see some of the most beautiful fleece, the highest of lustre, the finest of microns, the handle and the feel, in some of the most georgeous natural colours, can only give you inspiration to produce this most magical of yarns.

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