The Artisan Journal

How to Care for Your Baby Alpaca Shawl (and Why It Only Gets Better)

Hand washing, dry cleaning, storage, and why careful ownership makes a baby alpaca shawl softer over time.

The Ultimate Guide to Baby Alpaca Wool

Baby alpaca is a grade, not an age — fleece measuring 18 to 22 microns, warmer than wool, softer to wear than most cashmere, and significantly more durable than either. This guide covers what it is...

A Baby Alpaca Shawl: The Winter Gift That Gets Worn, Not Put Away

Some gifts get worn once. A baby alpaca shawl from the Peruvian highlands gets worn until it's soft and familiar and hers.

Baby Alpaca in Winter: What Makes It Different

Baby alpaca is a winter fibre in the best sense — warmer for its weight than standard wool, soft enough for direct skin contact, and durable enough to look good at the end of a full season. Here’s ...

Baby Alpaca and the Highland Families Who Raise It

In the high Andes — in Arequipa and Puno, at altitudes where very little else survives — families raise alpacas. They have done so for over 6,000 years. This is where baby alpaca fibre begins.

Baby Alpaca vs Cashmere: A Practical Guide to Luxury Fibres

Baby alpaca, cashmere, merino, and vicuña sit in the same conversation about luxury fibres — but they don't all perform the same way. This guide covers what sets each one apart, where baby alpaca h...

How Baby Alpaca Wool Is Harvested

Baby alpaca is a grade — fleece that measures between 18 and 22 microns, identified by hand after shearing. Here is how it gets from the high-altitude farms of the Andes to a finished piece.