Alpaca rugs are some of the softest natural fiber rugs available -- But why is this?

Alpaca rugs are amongst the softest, most luxurious natural fiber rugs available today. Many say they surpass even flokati rugs for the sensuous experience their natural fibers can provide. These rugs come in one of two main types. The first type are woven from alpaca wool which is spun from the soft fiber fleece shorn from a living alpaca. The second type is the alpaca fur rug and these are produced from the pelt of a dead alpaca which would normally only taken from a naturally deceased animal. This is mostly due to the high value of a living alpaca.

Alpacas are native to the andes mountains of south america, where there are currently thought to be over 3.5 million animals. It is widely believed it's ancestors originated on the plains of north america and migrated south to the andes mountains around 10 million years ago. Peru is the worlds largest producer of alpaca fleece and fibers with an annual production of 4000 tons. However, this amount is tiny when compared to the 1,851,000 tons of sheep's wool produced annually by new zealand, australia and south africa. This in part helps to explain the high value associated with a rug made from this type of fine filament fiber compared to, for example, the more affordable sheepskin rugs.

The fur of the alpaca is probably the softest you will ever feel, it's fibers are seven times stronger than sheep's wool, but amazingly just one third it's weight. The fine filaments that make up it's fur contain no lanolin and are hypoallergenic, These fibers are available in more than 20 natural colors, and are one of the warmest natural fibers available today. However the wool rugs made from this fiber are not particularly resilient, and it is therefore best to use these type of rugs in a low traffic area where they can make, for example, fantastic bedroom or fireplace rugs.

April 27, 2005

By: Paul Goodwin
Website: http://www.a-to-z-of-rugs.com

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