Alpacas are intriguing. They are smaller than llamas, yet both species belong to the camelid family. These gentle animals produce soft and lovely fiber that is pure pleasure to handle and knit up.
The recent North American Alpaca Show (held at the Eastern Exposition fairgrounds in Massachusetts) allowed opportunities for learning more about these fine fiber animals.
An alpaca communicates with a variety of sounds including humming, screams, breathy whines. A Suri and a Huacaya are different in appearance and produce different types of fiber. (A Huacaya is shown here.)
Proceeds from the event are earmarked for “alpaca organizations committed to alpaca education and research,” according to the Web site of the show organizers, New England Alpaca Tours (NEAT). For 2010, the selection is The International Camelid Institute and The New England Animal Health Institute. For information about upcoming events and seminars contact NEAT, which is a group of three farms dedicated to the alpaca industry, research, and education. Site is www.alpacatours.com.
