Paco-Vicuña
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| This is Elena, born in October 2013, owned by Amber Martin. | |
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(Processing pictures and descriptions are at the bottom of the following text)
Paco-Vicuña....what is that? You may be asking yourself this question just like I did.
First let me tell you how I found out about it...
I was browsing around Etsy as usual and somehow came upon a listing for
P-V fiber. Can't remember just what I had typed in, because I had never seen that word combination before. Anyhow, I sent a message, because...silly me...
I thought it was priced wrong. I heard back and was corrected that
it was in fact $250 an ounce. Of course this was for the 12.7 micron fiber,
which is in the same league as Vicuña! I almost fell off my chair...really....LOL
That was my introduction to Paco-Vicuña.
I know there are luxury fibers out there, with Vicuña being the most rare and valuable, but I really didn't know that fiber in the low double digit micron range went for that much.So after I recovered from my shock, we started a correspondence back and forth
about her fiber. It turned out she was looking for someone to hand process the P-V fiber because it is so fine and finding a mill to do it seemed an almost impossible task.
I thought it would be rather interesting to have in my hands a fiber this fine, so we
came to an agreement and I was sent fiber to comb and spin into very fine laceweight
yarn, about 400 yards or better per two ounce skein at 30 wpi.
The softness is so exquisite...What an amazing experience!!!
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| Close-up of hand combed top. |
Below is a fantastic description of what P-V fiber is and how it came to be:
by Amber Martin
Just a “not so quick” correction/explanation on what a Paco-Vicuña is and isn’t. I’ve been working on my Master’s Thesis in the area of South American Camelid Preservation, and yes “Paco-Vicuña”
is an actual scientific species name - not a “made up name” like say … a
“Labradoodle”. Officially it is a cross between a wild Vicuña and a domesticated Alpaca. (I have only found one “made up name” for
the same cross, with one breeder in New Hampshire marketing them as
“Pacunas” or “Pure Paco-Vicuñas” - which is
an oxymoron to call any hybrid “Pure”, but that is just one lone breeder
- still great animals with nice low microns, but we’ll get to that.)
The confusion over the term that many have found definitions of, which describe Paco-Vicuñas in the U.S. as, “special Alpacas that exhibit the phenotypical traits of
the Vicuña” is the result of responsible breeders who refuse to market their animals as containing Vicuña
blood, because they can’t make that claim for certain - which I for one
find applaudable in this day and age of advertisements and marketing
that tries to pull the wool over our eyes (sorry, I couldn’t resist, ha,
ha). The resultant offspring of these Paco-Vicuñas is impressive and hard to argue with though, when the average micron
achieved is in the 14-15 micron range, with some even measuring in the
11 micron range well into adulthood. Let’s be straight though, there are
currently no Vicuña in the U.S., not even in
zoos. (The one that was died a number of years ago). The restriction on
importation is due to their now Protected, once Endangered status and
subsequent CITES Treaty (i.e. Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species) which regulates the sale and trade of protected and
endangered species. So again, let’s be clear, no one in the U.S. is
hiding a Vicuña on their farm and breeding it
with their Alpacas. So how are these breeders in the U.S. getting such
amazing fiber and animals that look in some cases nearly identical to
the wild Vicuña? Long story short, despite our love for things that are black and white, the answer isn’t.
When the Spanish conquistadors decimated the Alpaca, Llama, Guanaco, and Vicuña
herds in South America - much like the slaughter of the American
Buffalo in order to control the Native population - the controlled
breeding of the domesticated Alpaca and Llama once carried out to near
perfection by the Incas was almost lost to the ages. What animals
remained often interbred with one another - especially in more remote
areas high up on the Altiplano. It wasn’t until more recently (i.e.
within the last 200 years) that controlled breeding was reintroduced
with an eye towards improving the fiber quality and quantity of the
South American herds. As a result, and at the same time, a number of
attempts were made at crossing a Vicuña with
an Alpaca as a commercial venture to obtain finer fleeces and longer
staple length. Most notably, this occurred prior to the first recorded
experiment in the genetic expression of inherited traits. Okay, everyone
remember back to Science class where you were first introduced to the
name of Friar Gregor Mendel. That’s right; the “Father of modern
genetics” and one who experimented with crossing pea plants…ringing a
bell? Well, the guy who crossed a Vicuña with
an Alpaca prior to that in the 1840s was a Catholic Priest by the name
of Father Don Julio Cabrera, but he didn’t document his results as well -
otherwise we would all know his name instead of Mendel’s. Anyhow, long
story short, his experiment worked, but not in the long run as he and
others that followed him kept breeding the first and subsequent crosses
back to full Alpacas - thus diluting the Vicuña
gene each time. In the end, the Vicuñas were let go and the offspring
absorbed into the Alpaca herds. It is important to remember though that
this was an intentional cross. Vicuña and
Alpacas crosses have existed and still occur naturally in South America
even today, as shepherds graze their herds on the open plains and only
corral them typically at night. Well guess what? Wild Vicuña
males who typically travel in small bachelor bands prior to
establishing their own territory and female/family groups find it quite
convenient to “intermingle” with the local gals, and voila a Paco-Vicuña is born. Sometimes they look like an Alpaca, and sometimes they look like a Vicuña, and or, a combination of both.
Now Alpaca ranchers in South America are paid by the pound, not by
the fineness of their fleeces, so slower growing fiber animals like the Vicuña and their Paco-Vicuña
offspring are not as profitable. So guess which animals get sold off
first or culled from the herds? Yep, you guessed it - the crosses or
ones with slower growing fiber. But being that Alpacas were pretty new
and exotic to the U.S. market, having only really been imported on a
regular basis starting in the 1980’s, we didn’t really notice. Remember,
there weren’t always breed standards in existence. Much the same as the
AKC kennel club wasn’t always around to tell us that German Shepherds
should have a certain color pattern with pointy upright ears, and
anything else is probably a mix. Anyway, a few astute importers noticed a
number of “Alpacas” that were slightly different from the others, such
as having slightly finer fleeces, finer bone structure, and less leg and
belly hair, which are very desirable traits for avoiding fly strike and
heat stress alone. So naturally these animals were bred together to
reproduce these desirable traits (and also because there simply weren’t
that many to choose from at
the time). However, when they did that they
started to get animals that began showing more and more Vicuña like qualities and characteristics, such as Vicuña coloring, lower micron counts, longer chest/bib hair, and shorter head and leg hair like the Vicuña.
Putting two and two together they quickly realized that they must be
crosses - but how much of a cross and what generation that cross
occurred in was indiscernible due to the lack of record keeping - and
still is, even with genetic testing. (Think of it like having the
technology to take and analyze someone’s fingerprints, but with no
database to compare it to). Still, the CITES Treaty protects all Vicuña crosses up to the fourth generation and treats them as if they were 100% Vicuña. But again, there is no way of telling just how much or how little Vicuña blood is in these Paco-Vicuñas.
Anyhow, in order not to repeat the failure of Father Cabrera and
others, a special registry with strict criteria was set up in order to
ensure that these “special Alpacas” were never bred back to “typical
Alpacas”, thus diluting the possible Vicuña genetics locked somewhere away in their DNA. (It should be noted that all are individually registered with the Paco-Vicuña
Registry, and cannot hold dual registry with any Alpaca registry. They
are also individually photographed, microchipped, and DNA tested to
track paternity and avoid inbreeding). From a fiber lover’s point of
view, “the finer the fiber created the better”, but from a breeder’s
point of view…well that could go either way. If you’re breeding
irresponsibly with no regard to improving fiber fineness and increased
fleece weight - like the “Alpaca mills” that bred animals just to sell
them during the Alpaca craze in the 90’s, with no regard to fleece
characteristics in determining their value from one to the next …then,
they could care less. But for many responsible breeder’s (Alpaca, Llama,
and Paco-Vicuña
breeders alike) who take pride in producing as fine of a fleece as
possible, the breeder’s bubble had bust and the value of their animals
went down as well. So those that bought into the Alpaca craze prior to
there being a North American market for the fiber - beyond individual
crafters, are having to either sell off their herds after the economy
went south, or realize that they now have to develop a fiber industry
that can compete with the volume and low cost of fiber that can be
obtained from South America. That hasn’t happened yet, despite fiber
co-op attempts - got to love those Alpaca socks though. Anyway, back to Paco-Vicuñas.
Call it foresight or plain common sense, but as a business, if you
can’t compete in numbers you have to find a market niche - in this case
quality and fineness. Enter the Paco-Vicuña.
Now, as a fiber alone you can’t deny that they are better than the
average Alpaca - that’s why we have micron and fiber analysis, so we can
avoid buying into the hype of bloodlines and blue ribbons, as I too
think all camelids are adorable with great individual personalities and
amazing intelligence, but they’re not all herd sire quality or
foundation worthy females. Here’s the problem, Vicuña
happens to be the finest fiber in the world and ranges from 8 to 13
microns with the majority falling into the 12’s, but they only produce
about a pound of fiber every 2-4 years when they are sheared in a
capture and release roundup called a Chacu - which has saved them from
poachers and still allows for wonderful high-end fiber production and
luxury garments. Alpacas on the other hand typically fall into the 18 to
mid-30’s on the micron scale. That is a BIG quality range, especially
since we know from archeologists that the Alpacas which existed during
the time of the Incas averaged 17 microns well into adulthood - again,
this was mainly due to the decimation of the herds and uncontrolled
breeding. But, what Alpacas lack in fineness they make up for in fleece
weight - and even at its worst it is still preferable to the scaling of
all but the finest of sheep wool. For all camelid species though, the
general characteristic is that slower growing fiber is finer fiber. For Vicuña
this keeps prices high since they are limited in numbers (though making
a wonderful comeback) and again, can only be sheared every two to four
years - selling at $250-300 a finished ounce. In comparison, Alpaca
fiber sells for $3-5 an ounce for some of the best raw clean fiber.
That’s a huge difference; hence the attempts at commercial establishment
of the Paco-Vicuña in the U.S. and South America.
In South America, the government is trying to establish the large scale production of Paco-Vicuña as another income avenue for the country, but there are concerns about its impact upon the protected Vicuña and has not received official government backing yet. What they are talking about is intentionally crossing a wild Vicuña
directly with a domesticated Alpaca. That’s not the case in the U.S.
though, as what’s been “created” or “preserved” if you will from early
imports has taken a few decades to refine, and that is an animal that
embodies the best of both the Vicuña and the Alpaca without threatening or directly impacting the recovery of the protected Vicuña
population. That seems like the best way to me; wanting to be
ecologically responsible and still have a superior product. Again, the
Cites Treaty only covers up until the fourth generation, at which point
an arbitrary cutoff recognizes them as more domesticated and unable to
be released into the Vicuña herds. Now, there are some who ignorantly say that any suspected Vicuña
crosses should be released back to the wilds of South America; which is
like saying you should let your domesticated German Shepherd go back to
the wilds of the Alaskan tundra because it is visibly similar and more
recently descended from the protected Timber Wolf, than say your
Pomeranian. But let’s not get into statements of time immemorial that
can’t be substantiated aside from saying that scientists are finding
links which lead them to believe and strongly assert that the Alpaca is
the domesticated descendant of the Vicuña,
and the Llama is the domesticated descendant of the Guanaco (another
wild camelid) and that those genes are in there and will occasionally
“throwback” in a cria every so often anyhow - either in looks or
fineness, and or both. (I did in fact find online just the other day a
12.8 micron Alpaca in Australia that looked very much like any other
Alpaca with a heavy white fleece and registered pedigree - only with a
superb low micron and standard deviation). We could then of course also
get into discussing former land bridges with Asia and trace all camelids
in the Americas back to the Camels of the Middle East, and that they
are all mixes anyhow when it comes down to it, but that doesn’t do us
any good.
So what have we learned? Vicuñas are the finest fiber producing
animals; Alpacas need to be improved to return them to their former and
consistent fineness (U.S. breeders are now doing a great job of it by
the way, but will take quite a bit longer to achieve); and Paco-Vicuñas
may very well be the profitable middle ground for U.S. breeders (but as
a separate breed, not by breeding them back to the Alpaca - which
neither Paco-Vicuña or Alpaca breeders want). It’s also important to note that Paco-Vicuña breeders would never want to breed to a full Vicuña
either, as it has taken generations to produce an animal that
consistently gives birth to offspring with fine fiber and double the
staple length of the Vicuña that can be shorn every year or every two years.
As for us fiber lovers…don’t be skeptical of Paco-Vicuña fiber. It is better/finer. It is an actual breed and name, and more
than just a really fine Alpaca. And you are not being taken when a finer
product costs more than one that is not as fine. Remember the saying,
“You get what you pay for”. But don’t be naive, ask for the micron count
and histogram to back it up, as there are several different grades of Paco-Vicuña fiber ranging from 20 microns for the “worst/coarsest” to 11 and 12
microns for the best, with most falling into the 14-15 micron range.
While a few microns difference doesn’t seem like that big of a
difference to substantiate the prices they command from $30-100 a raw
ounce; when you do find fiber at these low microns it is exceptionally
rare, as any breeder of Paco-Vicuña
or Alpacas will attest. Some P-Vs are even commanding the same $250-300
an ounce as Vicuña when they fall into the same micron range. After
all, you are paying for the quality of the product and not the hype of
the advertising …RIGHT? (Hope that helps some people - and yes, as a
disclaimer I do own one, along with a really fine registered Llama with a
22.3 micron at 15 years of age! I’m not trying to sell you my fiber, or
tout the superiority of my animals, but these are things that good
breeders should be concerned with and want to educate others about. Too
often terms and explanations are “dumbed down” for the masses, which I
don’t agree with - even if it takes a few extra paragraphs to explain it
to people. I, for one, think you can handle it. Thanks for reading and
sticking with me to the end :-)
P-V fiber does come in a range of colors.
Staple length can vary from 1" up to 4".
Below is a sample where the staple was a medium length,
but don't let that stop you from getting your hands on some.
This is
unbelievable fiber!!
Micron counts can be as low as 12-13, 14-18 is average though.
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Can you see the guard hairs? They resemble human hair and must be separated out from the finer
fibers.
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Uh huh...they like to roll in the dirt!
Washing
I use lingerie bags and weigh out one ounce per bag.
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Using only warm water and a small amount of Joy,
I fill a tub half way and add the bag.
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It doesn't sink like wool, so it has to be pushed gently down into the water.
I
leave it to soak for about half an hour. Then gently rolled and squeeze
it to get the water out. Just one wash, but two rinses(or more)...see
below!
Soaking it the wash.
Yes, they like to roll around in the dust like most camelids, so there was a fair amount of 'muddy' water after it was done soaking in the wash water.
On the drying rack.
Combing
Once washed and dry, I carefully pull it apart and add it to the combs(I used
Valkyrie Superfines). One of the combs is stationary and one is used to comb the fibers.
It gets two combing passes...combed off the stationary, put back on the stationary and
combed off again before putting back on for dizzing from the hackle.
I started out only combing once, but was getting too much 'stuff'(vm. neps, etc...) left in it. One learns from doing...
Some of the 'top' being dizzed off the hackle.
A whole pile of gorgeous combed top of Paco-Vicuña!!
The final product...handspun lace yarn :)
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