Sorting Alpaca Fiber

Sorting the fiber can seem kind of overwhelming when you look at the herd’s whole clip piled up in front of you.  In reality, it’s not as bad as it looks. 

 Sorting involves going through each animal's fleece and grading it according to how fine the individual fibers are.  In the picure below, you see Linda with a fleece spread out on her sorting table.

Finer fiber feels better close to the skin, so we use our finest grades for the fingerless gloves and throws.  We use fiber that isn't as fine for insoles and rugs because our feet typically aren't as sensitive as our hands and faces are.