Natural White Alpaca Combed Top | Ashford Spinning Fiber
Ashford Natural White Alpaca Combed Top is made from 100% natural white baby alpaca. With an average fibre diameter of approximately 21 microns, it offers exceptional softness, outstanding warmth and a silky handle that is highly valued by hand spinners.
This luxurious fibre is ideal for spinning, felting, dyeing and blending with other fibres. Its natural white colour provides an excellent base for creating custom colours using Ashford dyes.
Compared with sheep's wool, alpaca has less natural elasticity but offers remarkable warmth, softness and beautiful drape, making it an excellent choice for luxurious garments and accessories.
Quick overview:
✔️ 100% natural white baby alpaca
✔️ Approximately 21 microns
✔️ Staple length: approximately 5–7.5 cm (2–3")
✔️ Exceptionally soft and warm
✔️ Ideal for spinning, felting, dyeing and blending
✔️ Available in 100 g and 500 g sizes
✔️ Ashford product
Why choose alpaca?
Alpaca is renowned for its exceptional warmth and luxurious softness. Despite its lightweight feel, it provides excellent insulation, making it a favourite fibre for garments designed to keep you warm without adding unnecessary weight.
Its silky handle and elegant drape also make it an outstanding choice for handspun yarns intended for shawls, scarves, sweaters and fine accessories.
- exceptionally soft
- excellent warmth
- lightweight fibre
- beautiful drape
- excellent for blending with wool or silk
- ideal for dyeing
Perfect for
Natural White Alpaca Combed Top is suitable for a wide variety of fibre crafts and spinning techniques.
- spinning wheel
- drop spindle
- custom fibre blends
- hand dyeing
- wet felting
- needle felting
- shawls
- hats, scarves and mittens
A naturally luxurious fibre
Ashford prepares this baby alpaca as a smooth, consistent combed top that is ready to spin straight from the package. Its natural white colour also makes it an excellent choice for hand dyeing and creating custom fibre blends.
Specifications
- Brand: Ashford
- Composition: 100% baby alpaca
- Colour: Natural white
- Fibre diameter: Approximately 21 microns
- Staple length: Approximately 5–7.5 cm (2–3")
- Available sizes: 100 g and 500 g
Why spinners love alpaca
| Characteristic | Alpaca |
|---|---|
| Softness | ★★★★★ |
| Warmth | ★★★★★ |
| Elasticity | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Ease of spinning | ★★★☆☆ |
| Dyeing | ★★★★★ |
Alpaca is an outstanding choice for spinners seeking luxurious softness and exceptional warmth. While it offers less elasticity than sheep's wool, it rewards careful spinning with beautifully elegant yarns.
Complete your fibre studio
Our opinion
If you enjoy spinning soft, luxurious fibres, alpaca deserves a place in your fibre collection. It is equally rewarding on its own or blended with wool, silk or other fibres to create truly unique handspun yarns.
Frequently asked questions
Is alpaca warmer than sheep's wool?
Yes. Alpaca is widely recognised for its excellent insulating properties while remaining lightweight.
Is alpaca easy to spin?
Yes, although it requires slightly more control than Corriedale because it has less natural elasticity and a smoother handle.
Can I dye this fibre?
Absolutely. Its natural white colour makes it an excellent choice for hand dyeing with dyes suitable for protein fibres.
Can alpaca be blended with other fibres?
Yes. Alpaca blends beautifully with Merino, silk and many other fibres, combining warmth, softness and unique spinning characteristics.