Alpaca: From Farm to Closet

FROM FARM TO CLOSET

As a brand founded on an enchantment with horses and the lifestyle that surrounds them, there is another animal that figures prominently in Stick & Ball's inspiration and collection: the alpaca.

ALL ABOUT ALPACA

Since our inception in 2011, all of our luxury knit and woven products - ponchos, scarves, throws, sweaters, and pillows - are made with 100% pure baby alpaca, a natural fiber gaining prominence in the fashion industry for its incredible attributes and sustainability. When you wear our alpaca designs, you are wearing the quality and elegance of a final product that begins and ends with personal thought, touch and care. Join along as we explore the alpaca's significance in Peruvian culture, and why our community loves it. 

A VITAL PART OF PERUVIAN CULTURE

The farming of alpacas is both a sacred practice and a significant means of income for many families in the Andes. In Peru, it is said that the Incas placed a higher value on its fiber than on silver or gold. Alpacas help sustain the local economy, and the industry supports as many as 120,000 families. Honored by the indigenous people of the Andes, it is a prized element of our collection, too. Our Alpaca fibers come from the Peruvian highland where they breed and sheer the alpacas in the open range of the mountains. In Peru, the shearing process usually occurs between October and December, due to the warm temperature and the first rains are favorable for the process. Sheared alpacas are not exposed to the intense cold of winter.

WHY WE LOVE ALPACA

There are many reasons why we can't stop talking about how much we love Alpaca. The exceptional fineness of the fibers offers a softness comparable to cashmere. Alpaca fiber, though, unlike sheep's wool, has hollow air pockets which provides a superior, insulating warmth, breathability, and an overall light weight to the finished textile. The length of baby alpaca fibers give finished garments a highly durable quality and resistance to pilling. Because the fleece is naturally free of lanolin, it is also hypo-allergenic (read: not itchy). There are more than 20 rich, naturally occurring colors of alpaca fleece, requiring the use of less dye - good for both our customers' skin and the environment. Research revealed that raw alpaca fiber possesses antibacterial properties – making the fiber an alternative to treating fabrics with chemicals that inhibit bacterial growth. 

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