Naturales Fibers
Soft, comfortable, and luxuriously light.
Natural fibers are characterized by breathing naturally, a quality that generates that they serve as thermal insulators:
Warm in winter and cool in summer.
They are more resistant to wrinkles and more durable since they are elastic fibers.
South American Camelids
Safe and elegant: these fibers are naturally flame retardant. They are also lightweight and insulating fibers that help regulate body temperature. They are presented in natural tones, typical of the animal.
In Argentina (as in other parts oflatin America) we have three indigenous groups of South American camelids: Vicuña, Guanaco and Llama.
Each group has its own unique characteristics, which translate into benefits in each case. These animals inhabit very highterrains with extreme climates so the fibers have insulating and thermal qualities due to their ability to adapt to their environment. Due to their docility, they can be mixed with other types of fibers such as sheep’s wool, silk or cotton, obtaining mixtures that improve their properties.
Considered by the Incas, since before Columbus arrived in America, as the gold of the Andes, it is the finest and most expensive fiber in the world. The vicuña is a wild species that inhabits the Andean highlands (more than 3200mts above sea level). They are located in northwestern Argentina, western Bolivia, northeastern Chile, sectors of the Andes of Ecuador and in the Andean highlands of Peru. It is protected by numerous laws, our treatment is very careful.
The vicuña is the smallest of the camelids, native to the South American region, it develops in total harmony in its original habitat. Their color is beige or light reddish brown on the back, white in the central area and legs, with variations depending on the geographical areas where they live.
Its fiber is characterized by being naturally light, warm and exceptionally soft to the touch. The fineness of its fiber gives it a great power of coverage in its garments, being ableto reach 12 microns. Its yarn is precious, because only 200 grams of fiber can be obtained from the shearing of each animal.
The Llama is the heaviest and longest of the South American camelids. Coming from the Andes, it is found in greater quantity in the Puna Argentina and el Altiplano in Bolivia, but it is native to the entire Andean region. The Llama grows and develops in its totally natural environment, away from any contamination. Being an animal native to the South American region, it develops in total harmony in its original habitat.
It is a naturally hypoallergenic fi bra, very light, silky, and able to regulate bodytemperature. It has greater thermal capacity than sheep’s wool. It gives us a wide range of natural colors: black, gray, brown, beige, raw and painted.
The llama was created by the native Andean peoples by artificial selection from wild guanacos that were domesticated. This has been historically, the main companion and ally for our native peoples of the Puna Argentina for hundreds of years. She helped them survive in their climate, extremely arid and hotduring the day, and extremely cold at night. The flame provided them with fibers to spin, and thus constituted their fabrics and crafts, so characteristic of their culture. Their skins served as a coat and with their leathers they made shoes, bags and ropes. They fed on their meats, sweet in taste and rich in protein. From their fats and body fluids they extracted medicines, and even their manure was used as fuel, to light their campfires, due to the absence of trees in the river. The Llama also warned them of the dangers of predators of the Puno fauna, such as foxes and pumas. In addition, the llama was used as a pack animal, to transport the products through long expeditions through the Puna.
In Argentina we have a special genotype that is called Antofalla´s or Argentine´s Llama, which differs from the rest of its neighbors, by having a finer and softer fiber. In short, it ends up being the best Llama fiber.
The first classification and selection of our fibers is done by hand. After washing, it undergoes a dehairing process, which finishes separating the thickest fiber. Leaving the fine fiber lends itself to spinning. Once the Llama fiber is classified, it has a wide range of finesse (from 20 to 40 microns), which allows them to be applied in the most varied uses (From sweaters to carpets).
Although it is an animal native to South America, since the arrival of the white man to the continent until today, there were several crueldades that reduced the guanaco to live in the wild, predominantly in the Argentine Patagonia, where 97% of its population lives. Its coat is longer than that of the vicuña but shorter than that of the alpaca; it is also of excellent quality.
It has a very precious fiber, for its fineness and softness, comparable to cashmere for its softness. Its color can vary from beige to light brown, with reddish tints.
Its fiber is very light, because, unlike sheep’s wool and like camelids, it is hollow. In Chulengos (young guanacos) the average fineness of the fiber is 15 microns. In adult guanacos, the average fineness of the fleece is 17 microns. This generates a yarn of extreme softness, luster and comfort. This fibra is extremely precious because only 600 grams are obtained after the shearing of an animal. Its careful classification allows the garments made with this yarn to go in direct contact with the skin.
Dehairing process
Among the different ways in which we sell the majestic natural fibers (dirty, clean, waxed, etc.) stands out those dehairing for their special process that gives an exquisite result. We prepare the fibers for spinning through a series of previous processes.
After shearing, the fleece is classified according to the sector of the animal that comes, also by the tone. These batches account for the origin and fineness of the fiber by sector. This data allows us to establish the traceability of each batch.
The first selection of the fibers is made manually. Within the natural fibers, the Llama contains bristles, which are thicker and crimped fibers, with characteristics different from the rest. They translate into an itchy sensation in the final product. To avoid this, we work on a more exhaustive selection, where the bristles are discarded and the more subtle fiber is extracted. A spinning-ready fiber is obtained: 20 microns or less for Llama fiber, 15 to 12 microns for guanaco fiber, and 13 to 11 micrones (or less) for vicuña fiber.
This process is called dehairing process.
We are constantly working on the development of a technology applied to the treatment and preparation of Natural South American fibers that allows us to differentiate our final products. In addition to the fact that very few companies carry out this process in Sudamérica.
The Creole sheep breed occupies a prominent place in the current Argentine sheep heritage. It is distributed in almost all provinces and ranks third in number of animals, after the Patagonian Merino and the Corriedale Correntina. In addition to being present in the Chilean Patagonian region.
The Andean sheep is considered the regional wool par excellence. It has remained until today due to the progressive miscegenation with the Spanish merino sheep brought from Europe in colonial times, being able to adapt to the different environments of our country. It is mostly found in the NOA. It has demonstrated great productive advantages valued by small and medium-sized local producers in the different regions.
We value the authenticity of these wools that were initially rejected by the fashion system. Together with goats and camelids they constitute the raw material of the local handicrafts of northern Argentina
There is no developed classification system for wool produced in the Puna de Jujuy. They are classified into different batches, since they do not present genetic homogeneity in the fiber. We can find wonderful lots of 21 microns in some regions. Its colors have the particularity of not being pure, since they ambianby region, all the colors appear nuanced with black fibrils, the tones go from the raw spotted to the brown, until reaching an intense black. It also comes in shades of mixed gray.
Its origin is unknow, although it is believed to come from Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. It is the most widespread in Argentina, and in other South American countries such as Uruguay, with just over six million animals. It is geographically located in the Argentine Patagonia.
The Merino Precoz is the current local cross in Argentina. It is the most chosen sheep for its fineness and quality of wool. Its fleece is closed and of a diameter that varies between 16 and 24 microns. Its wool production varies from 3.5 to 5kg per animal. Its fiber has a great thermal capacity and works as a temperature regulator.
In garments it is highly valued for being soft on contact with the skin and does not retain sweat, as it is naturally anti-bacterial and protects from UV rays.
Also called Patagonian Cashmere, these goats inhabit the north of Argentine and Chilean Patagonia.
The producers in the area work under a transhumance scheme, which consists of taking the goats to the highest area of the steppe during the summer and lowering them in the winter. This aging results in the possibility of obtaining a very thin and long strand, similar to that of cashmere. Then we work this strand through the process of dehairing to enhance its fineness and softness (16 to 19 microns).
While South Africa is the world’s largest producer of mohair, Argentina has a stable and growing population in the province of Neuquén.
It is one of the most noble, silky and resistant natural fibers. It also has the quality of reflecting color, which makes it extremely bright.
Mohair is the fleece of the angora goat, and is one of the most beautiful sustainable natural fibers in the world. It is flammable and responsive. Due to its flexibility, mohair israted as one of the most durable fibers.
Cotton
The word cotton means fine fabric, and it is the most widely used natural fiber in the world. Argentina and other South American countries have large cotton productions for essential products.
This fiber allows air to flow freely, allowing the skin to breathe and absorb sweat. In turn, it is naturally hypoallergenic and mild.
Being a cellulosic fiber, it is adaptable in its shape and versatile, although it is considered a short fiber.
Cotton garments are highly resistant and durable.
Yarn
Conditioned yarns for fabrics in rectilinear machines and flat loom. It is sold in cone. We offer two yarns:
Nm2/28
50% Dehairing Llama
50% Merino Wool
gg12 to 1cabo | gg7 to 2cabos
Nm2/16
50% Dehairing Llama
50% Lana Merino
gg7 to 1cabo | gg5 to 2cabos
