This listing is for two ounces of Suri Alpaca Fiber, carefully skirted, then prewashed, ready to be carded for spinning into a lovely, silky, lightweight yarn, blended with other fibers, or spun right from the locks for a textured art yarn. Suri spins into a good, strong, drapey yarn. Doll makers also love suri fiber to use as doll hair.

Age, genetics, nutrition, and environment all play a part in the fineness of alpaca fiber. This fiber is the prime, or blanket fiber, grown by a handsome young alpaca named "Salem" not quite two years old at time of shearing so still very fine. This fiber is Medium Fawn and White, according to The Alpaca Registry Color Chart, and some have both colors in the same lock. It is approximately 5 1/2" in length. Packages of the dark and light colored fiber are available, as well as the darker color only.

Suri alpaca is nice blended with silk, seacell, tencel, cormo, merino, kid mohair and rambouillet, and usually 10% is enough. Suri fiber adds interest to needle and wet felting projects, can be woven with, decorated with, even knit or crocheted.

To separate locks of fiber to use as doll hair, simply look for the tip of each lock (versus the cut end) and pull away from the rest of the fiber.

Fiber has been pre-washed meaning it has been soaked in soapy water and rinsed multiple times, getting the majority of the dust out. It has been picked through to get out vegetable matter, though you are still apt to find tiny bits of hay and straw, which can be picked out easily as you work with it.

WHAT ARE SURI ALPACAS?

Suri alpacas are distinguished in the camelid family by their unique fiber characters. The fiber grows parallel to the body while hanging in long, separate, distinctive locks. Its artistic style enhances the graceful appearance of the animal compared to the soft, wooly look of huacaya alpacas. Suri fiber locks, made up of high-luster fibers, drape down the sides of the body in a twisted or flat form of various size. Suri fiber has a slick hand and softness with an exquisite luster.