2013年11月27日 星期三

Non traditional fibre source notes and reflection


Hemp
Man's oldest cultivated fibre, hemp is a versatile corp where every part has a use.
It has natural strength, UV resistance, thermal properties and suability.
This naturally renewable resource requires little agricultural assistance.
Hemp is now seen in denim and casual sports fabrics, interior and domestic textiles. In non-woven form it is used for the insulation in cars.
Banana fibre
Leaf fibres
A minority area as only a few plants have the necessary commercial attributes for economic fibre production.
Agave, pineapple and banana are sources of supply.
From naturally renewable resources, fibre are hard wearing and strong.
Uses include floor coverings, fibres for paper, accessories, shoes and ropes.
Textile that grows on trees. Bark cloth is the basis for a wide range of textiles and composites which are manufactured with low energy and water consumption, a carbon footprint less than zero.
Based on culturally aligned, socio-economically and ecologically suitable conditions, benefiting local villages in Uganda.
Once the bark is stripped from the tree, new bark grows in its place - a truly sustainable product.
Coir fibre
Seed Hair Fibre
Cotton is a commercial seed hair fibre. These are the more unusual sources.
Kapok has fine, light and silky short fibres, used for insulation and fibre filling.
Coir is hard wearing and abrasion resistant, used for floor coverings, geotextiles and ropes.
They are a natural renewable resource, and often grown in areas of limited agricultural potential.


Peat
Peat fibre is produced from organic plant remains found in Scandinavia peat bogs.
They have good thermal properties. UV resistant, are antistatic with natural antiseptic properties.
Fabrics have a warm woolen felted handle and are produced organically.
Used in woven and knitted fabrics for clothing, blankets, interior products and footwear.

Alginate
Produced from brown sea weed. alginate fibres have natural healing properties from the iodine content.
Blended with cellulose fibres, fabrics are used in underwear that imparts anti-inflammatory and antiseptic benefits to the skin.
In medical applications, non woven alginate fibres hasten blood clotting and encourage healing on damaged skin.
They are used as non-woven hum and skin dressings.



Micrograph of tissue paper
Paper fibre
Paper fibres come from the renewable resources of pine tress, cotton, rice and abaca, a form of banana plant.
Recent developments in Japan have introduced paper content fabrics with a  softer handle.
With a high strength and good light fastness, fibres are recyclable and biodegradable.
Used also for accessories and floor-covrings.

Latex
Latex is considered by some to be a more natural fibre because it is manufactured from the milky white latex fluid collected from the rubber tree.
A rubber tree will produce latex for at least 40 years and yield enough latex to make 10 par of latex gloves per week.
A growing problem is skin sensitivity to naturally derived latex.
Can also be prodded from synthetic material.
Per 1960 used for stretch garments and waterproofs, but is non breathable.

Man- made synthetic polymers
Polyethylene, PVC, polypropylene and polyurethane are all forms of synthetics from non renewable oil-based resources.
All have properties of high strength, can be heat set, and provide a wide variety of different products for industrial, medical, sports, and medical textiles.
Fibre and products can be recycled.

Bio-fibre
Biotechnology is an exciting area, gaining much attention at the moment.
Dextrose from plants can create a fibre with an environmentally acceptable life cycle, new PLA bio-plastic materials.
Starch from plant material such as maize, potatoes or sugar beet can be used.
Thus the fibre has an acceptable cradle to cradle lifecycle and could replace some synthetics.
A silk like fibre produced from the casein in milk
Waste/spoiled milk is used, turning it into a profitable bi-product.
Has good skin-frinedly properties, is absorbent and blends well with other fibres.
Is soft to the touch, with good fluidity and drape.
Creating protein materials that can think, respond and take action.
Silk type fibre from the honey bee is 100x finer than human hair, skin friendly and biodegradable.
Aiming to create dissolvable wound dressings that can sense the state of the wound and respond accordingly.
Linking teams of biologists with textile engineers and medical professionals.

Growing Fabrics
An alternative to exploiting pereo-chenicals or plants as a raw material for textile products.
Bio-couture work investigates the use of microbes to grow a textile /leather type bio material.
The aim is to produce an entire garment to fit a personalized form.
Take dye easily and can be printed
Safe to compost- feel like a vegetable leather.

High-tech fibre
The fineness and flexibility of fibre optic yarns has allowed a growth in their use in many different area.
Both in woven, and knitted constructions and embroidery.
Can be purely aesthetic with color and pattern change, but also enabling response, interaction and increased functionality.
Can link with other wireless communication.


//reference//
http://us.naturespath.com/sites/default/files/styles/page_main/public/page/hemp_0.jpg
http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/07/41107-004-32AA668A.jpg
http://www.coimbatoregrandexport.com/images/buy_coconut_fibre.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PaperAutofluorescence.jpg
http://sblanchard7.weebly.com/uploads/7/3/4/5/7345784/651313149.jpg
http://students.egfi-k12.org/high-tech-textiles/










The reflection and notes of sustainable fabrics

This week we had a really serious issue in this course - sustainability. 
  In order of coping with the big amount of consumption in modern life,  the entire manufacturers have to use the chemicals to decrease the time of whole process of making textiles and also lower the price of textiles . For example, using too much pesticide during cropping, dying fabric with chemicals and making water pollution , wasting the energies from process and transportations, and the rest of the fabrics can't be treated with a sustainable way. So, this is really urgent to think and monitor the details of the whole manufacture procedure. 
 There are some methods that can be recognized as sustainable textiles design.There are 6 R's in textile design- recycle, reuse, reduce, refuse, rethink, and repair. First, Up to 90% of products environmental impact is decide at the design stage.Using a considerable method like using the most or entire of fabrics to low down the wastes of fabrics .Second, reusing the unwanted textiles by reproducing them. There are some cases like Natalie Chanin, Marcia Ganem and Anita Ahuja from three different continents- three textile designers that are creating a sustainable business in local communities by using traditional methods- hand-stitch or nature dye and recomposing the unwanted fabrics to high-priced products again. I think these three cases are more close to real life that they can insist in sustainable design and gain more profits from low price materials. Third, finding and using the new materials is an another option such as spider silk, soya bean fibre, sweetcorn fibre and wood pulp. Although biofibres are made from new plant materials and animals and completely sustainable, they are hard to produce massively in a short time. We should put more efforts on those fibre. Forth, Veronika kapsali, a London- based designer , creates a new method by observing natures and makes the her biomimetic fabrics have its own temperature adaptive system to human body. Fifth, from the idea cradle to cradle, recycling the clothing and textiles is a good way to encourage every people to do. Cotton, hemp, wool, those traditional materials are easily recyclable. In the other hand, the synthetic fibre can be reproduced by heat and transferred the look again. What's more, recycling plastic can also make into fibre but it is difficult to keep the whole fabrics into a color.
  There are some more fantastic works are made for sustainability.This issue should be urgently raised up in society and invent more metrologies to address the massively produce in a short time but a environmental protection's way.
// reference//
Sustainable Textile Design by Ridgwell Press
Textile Futures fashion, design and technology by Bradley Quinn
Textile Visionaries Innovation and Sustainability in Textile Desing by Bradley Quinn
Textile Innovation interactive, contemporary and traditional materials by Ros Hibbert 

2013年11月26日 星期二

Sustainable fabrics --- Biomimetic fabrics

   



Veronika kapsali, a London- based textile designer , she has a different view to think about sustainable fabrics. Her inspirations came from observing pine cone and using technologies to emulate the ideas to her textiles. She especially focuses on adaptive textile which inspired by the way that water can change the shape of plants in many types. She found that the textile which made of  traditional materials do the totally opposite way to those plants. When the materials such as cotton and wool swell as they absorb moisture , they decrease the porosity of the textiles they have at the same time. So, She tried hard to make a system which can become more porous as it absorb moisture. Surprisingly, the result of these textiles can be used in applications like sportswear which can help to remove moisture from skin quickly by the network of fabrics to expand and open.
 As previous mention that her was inspired by the pine cone, which opens to release its seeds during dry conditions to allow the wind it spray the seeds away; if they were dispersed in damp environments, they would easily germinate too close to the seed-breading tree and have to rival with it for the resources.  From this view point , she wants to make a adaptive textile which can adjust 
itself naturally and make people always comfortable at any temperatures. When the weather is hot and people start sweating and making textiles wet, the textiles will absorb them and start to open the porous of fabrics and vice versa. 

  It is really an interesting project that analyze the nature and develop from a plants growing features. I don't exactly know what is the structure inside the textiles but they are woven textiles and made of cotton and wool. First, it is obviously a sustainable design which using the traditional materials and techniques that wouldn't use any chemicals during the whole process. The most important part of this project is creating the right structure of fabrics. Second, it would be naturally transferred by temperature without any other technologic devices or energies. This means they also save the energies at the same time.

   In the other hand, I would say that the limitation of this fabrics probably is hard to have massive production. Moreover, without dying , it can only be white color. In order to have diversities look of this textiles for the commercial purposes , dying fabrics could be another issue to work on.
 In  conclusion, this project is still an amazing work which provides me another way to be inspired and think about sustainable textiles. Thinking about other physical factors which can transfer textiles like temperatures or light is another start point to redefine fabrics.

//Reference//
Textile Visionaries - innovation and sustainability in textile desing p.198
Interrogating biomimicry : can biomimetic principles really create a sustainable future for textile design or is nature's ingenuity unachievable for designers? / Natasha Wodzynski.p. 58
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p019glbb
http://www.inotektextiles.com/technology/

//Picture//
Both of them are from Textile Visionaries - innovation and sustainability in textile desing p.198 & p. 201



 

2013年11月21日 星期四

Sustainable fabrics Soy bean fibre



Soya bean protein fiber is a variety of regenerative plant fibre.
The fibre is made by liquefying protein then wet spinning it into long continuous fibre that are cut and processed.
Soy bean yarn can be mixed with wool, linen, silk and elastane and made into textiles such as underwear, towels, baby clothes and quilts. It is an eco-friendly fibre because it comes from a renewable natural resource.

In order to overcome the fatal weaknesses of chemical fibers efforts will mainly be made in three aspects
1. adopting natural resources from agriculture animals and forestry which are abundant and cheap 
2.using production processes which must be clean and friendly to the environment 
3. being more comfortable to the skin of the human body

China is the first country to achieve the industrial production of the soybean protein fibers in the world

Soybean fiber is a kind of a reproducible plant protein fiber and it’s the only botanic protein fiber known until now.






The good features of it:

1.cashmere feeling
knitting fabrics of it is really sore and

2.dry and comfortable
the moisture absorption is similar to cotton but the ventilation of it is more superior than cotton

3. luxurious appearance 
similar to silk

4.function of healthy
soy bean protein contains 18 kind of active materials which are required by human's body

5. easy to dye
the original color of it is light yellow and it can be dyed by acid dyestuff and active dye

6. good physical property
Breaking strength of the single soybean protein fiber is over 3.0cNdtex, which is higher than that of wool, cotton and silk and only lower than that of polyester fiber of high intension. By now, 1.27dtex fiber can be spun into 6dtex yarn with high quality, which can be used for high-quality and high-density fabrics. Because initial modulus of soybean protein fiber is on the high side and boiling water shrinkage is low, fabric size is stable and you will not have to worry about the shrinkage of fabric under natural washing conditions. Also, fabric of soybean protein fiber has outstanding anti-crease, easy-wash and fast-dry property.



//reference//
Sustainable Textile Design by Amy Schofiled p.39
http://www.swicofil.com/soybeanproteinfiberproperties.html
http://dc179.4shared.com/doc/Xghu4OSl/preview.html
http://baopeng.en.made-in-china.com/product/CqgxkJuKaXYE/China-Raw-White-and-Bleach-Soybean-Fiber-Yarn-Soybean-Protein-Yarn.html

The reflection and notes of functional fabrics


This week introduced a lots of informations about functional fabrics, what are their features, what are they made of and so on. This is a great improvements for me to know more about textiles. It is a bit complicated but I got a lots of notes from this lecture.
Moisture management
Now expected in everyday clothing and essential for outdoor sports clothing and equipment.
Intelligent solution and nano technology play a part.
100% cotton pure wool can be naturally water resistant depending on the fibre type and construction of the fabric.
Breathable laminates such as Gore-tex are lightweight and breathable.
Ventile is a 100% cotton fabric dating back to WW11 create to reduce loss of life from harsh conditions,
Made from one long staple cotton fibres in a very tight plain weave construction, the fibres swell when in contact with water,
With no additional coating, laminating or other treatments, the fabric sheds water and is being used more extensively today.
Working closely with weatherproof and thermal regulation areas.
Important for sportswear.
underwear, socks and shoes, bed linen and sports equipment.
Keeping the skin dry during  and after physical activity.
Garments can be quick to dry and are breathable.
Engineered fibres such as Coolmax, and layered membrane protection keep skin dry and comfortable.

Temperature Regulaiton
Keeping warm and stain cool are vital, particularly in extremes of temperature.
Individually adjustable systems such as Airvantage use air chamber in the garment to regulate temperature.
Cooling jackets using Aerogel take inspiration from astronauts clothing.
Phase change technology developed for aerospace, is now used in sports clothing workwear and bedding.
Microencapsulated elements absorb, store and release heat in response to temperature change.
Incorporated into fibres or a fabric surface as a finish, the function assists an optimal skin temperature to be maintained.
Buoyancy and Inflatable
Inflatable textiles can save lives and protect the body against sudden impact,
Air trapping areas can be integrated into garments for sailing and riding.
Cushioning motorcycle clothing can be automatically activated by sudden movement.
Temporary inflatable textile constructions can be used for display and protection.
Static electricity can cause minor discomfort, or serious fire and explosions.
By adding a metal content to a fabric or a protective finish, the danger can be reduced.
Safety issues over potentially harmful emissions from mobile phones and electrical equipment have raised concerns.
Important for interior textile floor coverings and upholstery.

Reflctive textiles
Providing safety through higher visibility at night.
Use in emergency services's uniform, sportswear and  accessories.
A biomimetic color shift property originally found in a hog berry plant from South American.
Multiple layers of cells interfere with light waves, as in a soap bubble.
A rainbow of colors can be achieved when the firbre comes under pressure.
Potential use in sportswear that changes in response to muscle tension, pressure or heat.

Phosphorescence
Phosphorescence fibre trap and store energy from light and emit it as a glow.
It is non toxic and can be incorporated into most synthetic fibres.
Permalight uses zine sulphide and is commercially available as a printing ink.
Eletroluminescence uses trapped phosphor powder which is excited by an electric current.
This marmot jacket use EL for display light panels.

Fibre optics
Plastic optical fibre carries pulses of light along its length. powered by a small battery.
Textiles could incorporate changing text or pattern in soft woven or knitted digital displays.
Certain colored light are beneficial to heath and are used in medical world.
Fibre optic camouflage would enable color, light and pattern to blend with the surrounding and the weather to disappear.

Chromatic Properities
Certain dyes are able to change their color in response to an external stimuli, such as heat water or UV light.
Thermochromic inks can be activated by conductive thread and a power source, creating a textile display that change color.
Color change can signal when external temperatures are too high, for firefighter's clothing and military, or in a wound dressing.

Easy-care
Treatments that assist in keeping a garment clean and reduce the time spent caring for it.
Important with the popularity of paler colts all year round, lower laundry temperatures and lighter, finer fabrics.
Nano technology and Teflon treatments impart stain resistant qualities.
Non-iron and easy care in shirting and bed linen areas.
Self- cleaning clothes could be on their way.

Comfort and ease
Comfort fit, ease of movement and crease recovery are imparted by stretch fibre.
Lycra and Dow XLA are branded elastic fibres.
Mechanical crimped yard from synthetic fibres provide a gentler comfort stretch.
Power stretch for sportswear assists performance.
Medical applications include assisting blood flow and reducing burn scanning.

Aromatic agents
Antibacterail fibres and finishes assist in protecting the health of the user.
Also found in cosmetics and washing powder,
Useful in textiles for underwear, bedding, footwear, sports, medical and catering products.
Could reduce laundry.
Naturally derived function is found i silver,tea tree and aloe vera, plus crustacean shells.

Insect repellancy
Fabric treatments can assist in reducing  the harmful effects of insects such as dust miles, particularly in bedding.
Important for young babies before their own immune system develops
Anti-mosquito and insect repellent clothing use micro-encapsulation or surface coating of an active insecticide similar to naturally derived permethrin.

Catalictic Clothing
Fibre and finishes can assist in reducing the harmful effects of air pollution.
Helen Storey's work to harnesses the power of photocatalyst is delivered to the surface of the clothing during laundry as an additive in a product such as a fabric conditioner.
Although one single person's clothes won't make a difference. Dr. Storey suggests that a greater number acting together can produce a notable reduction.
Pollen protection textiles have smooth surfaces that shed pollen more easily and less static electricity to attracts pollen particles.

Health and cosmetic benefits
Textile are next to the skin 24/7.
Treatments assist in moisturizing skin and delivering active health benefits.
Moisturising capsules are trapped onto the fib re's surface via micro encapsulation.
Anti-cellulite benefit claims have been made by Miss Sixty and Victoria's Secret.

Conductivity
Conductivity is an essential element in interactive textiles.
It can be imparted nu the use of metal fibres, a teal content coating or printing ink. The solution will depend on the product's use and desired functionality.
Gorix is a branded carbonised fibre with electrical conductive properties used for heard car seat, motorbike, clothing and heated diving suits.

Soft interfaces
Traditional computer technology is presented in hard containers.
Using textile as a corner, ambulant technology products for the home will be sore and tactile.
Everyday objects, such as a Tv remoter joy stick, can be made form textiles.
Furniture can memories personnel preferences and adapt accordingly.

Communication and interaction
Invisibility clothing and optical camouflage.
Metamaterials are created using nanotechnology and have the possibility to divert light wavelengths.
They cage light from positive negative refraction rendering the object invisible.
The Portable light project enables people in the developing world to create and own solar textiles.
Flexible PV material, LED lighting and USB power are embedded into a textile created bu local communities using local materials.
The soft kit directly creates jobs for weaver and tailors while the resulting products provide light to enable education, work , mobility and social interaction.

Fashion
Wearable electronic developments uniquely bring together textile and garment designers with electronic and digital technology experts.
Real integration builds interactivity invisibly into garments, accessories or jewellery.
Electronic functions can also bring aesthetic interest, and allow the cloths in your wardrobe to talk to you.

//reference//
Textile innovation : interactive, contemporary and traditional materials / Ros Hibbert. p.56



Reflection of main materials of textile

     According to many different materials' features, human can use their imaginations and find different purposes and usages of them. No matter they are traditional or technologic textiles, I think they still have many possibilities to improve and develop as long as we keep focusing them. There are some main purposes for different textile like clothing, transportation, agriculture, geo textile, architect , active sport, domestic textiles, interior textiles, commercial textiles and medical care.  

There are three different type of textile:  woven , knitted and non-woven textiles. 

1. Cotton
-sustainable products
no harmful chemicals used during manufacture
-usage 
clothing( sportswear, jean, knitwear)
household textile and curtain fabrics

cotton
multiple colors cotton thread

2.Flax- Linen
-can be mixed with different fibre 
-use clothing textiles, motor vehicle insulation and geotextile
mummy linen
                                 
linen processing
wax linen thread

3.Silk
-animal based fibre
-inbuilt colors
-made into luxury textiles with the lightness texture



silk tassels
4.Wool
-recyclable fibre
-high nature fire resistance
-regenerable resource
-warm clothing, knitwear, woven textile , interior textile and geotextile..etc..
original wool
nature dyed alpaca thread



5.Luxury hair fibre
-naturally fire resistance
-luxurious appearance
-renewable resource
-expensive interior textiles or luxurious and warm coats


6.Acrylic
- made from a polymer
- also be called as artificial silk
-can be mixed with other fibre
-uses in  socks, hats, gloves, scarves, sweaters, home furnishing fabrics, and awnings.



7.polyamide/nylon
- easy care
-strong when wet
-can be mixed with other fibres
-use in lightweight clothing textiles( active sport, socks, tights and underwear)
            seat belts, rope ,tyre cords



8.polyester
-recyclable fibre
-pleating
-many different types yarn
-use in garment textiles, interior textiles , carpets, sewing thread,and medical applicants etc


//Reference//
http://kangaroothreads.com/product.html
http://about.hm.com/content/dam/hm/about/images/en/Editorial%20images/Top%20images/cotton.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.web.648.486.png
http://lejpt.academicdirect.org/A05/37_52_files/image001.gif
http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/100/files/2013/10/20131014_MummyLinen.jpg
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2061/2100734637_be197cbfc0_z.jpg
http://www.classactfabrics.com/newsletters/Alverna%20L,%20flax%20stems,%20line,%20thread.jpg
http://img.izismile.com/img/img2/20090702/silk_making_12.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Silk_raw_01a.jpg
http://static.made.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Wool1.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P921g573b0U/Ts6wLuIQ64I/AAAAAAAAAPo/j5fgzr4paEk/s1600/June+2011+Pre-orders.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-An8RLNSCoNg/UPyCiaLinQI/AAAAAAAABJU/4ibolxE7fW0/s1600/11.box+of+natural+dyed+alpaca.jpg
http://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/gucci-fall-2011.jpeg
http://www.cytrap.eu/files/ComMetrics/2008/image/2008-03-02-MilanFashion.jpg
http://www.lbang.com/uploadfile/20120229/20120229132632914.jpg
http://www.keelingskrafts.com/catalog/images/IMG_0337.JPG
http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00SjkEzOuBEtqn/Polyamide-Fiber-Rope-Nylon-Rope.jpg
http://image.made-in-china.com/4f0j00bMotsUORAucd/Polyester-Fibre-PET-.jpg
http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00HvNaBMUzZFku/Color-Polyester-Fiber-HM007-.jpg

Presentation 1 - luxury wool


 This course introduced a lots of differences of materials of feathures and what kind of fabrics can use in different purpose. There are main purpose for textile : transportatio,argriculture, geo textil, medical, architecture, active sports, domestic, interiors, commercial fibre sources. In the other hand, I started to know there are some main materail in textile as weel, for exmaple, cotton, lilen, silk, wool, luxury hair fibres, man made cellulosics, acrylic,polyamide, polyester and stretch fibres.


I'm especially interested in wool in Peru and Chile.

There are some incredible animals with their beautiful wool: 
llama, alpaca, vicuña and guanaco. 
Basically , they are all live in high altitude places.
The adverge price for these wool :
llama:$ 5 USD per kg
alpaca:$ 50 USD per kg
vicuña:$ 1000 USD per kg

But, the prices normally should depend on breeding history, sex, and color.
guanaco price is between vicuña and alpaca. 
Alpaca and Ilama both exist only as domesticated animals.
//1// llama (Lama glama)
  Compared to Alpace, llama hair is shorter.  So, this animal don't provide good quality of wool. The wool of they come in many different colors ranging from white or grey to reddish-brown, brown, dark brown and black.



//2// alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

1) pretty unbreakable fabrics

2) It is really healthy and comfortable to wear

.The absence of lanolin and other oils in the fleece and its extraordinary fineness of handle mean that alpaca garments are both hypoallergenic and luxuriously soft on your skin. 
3)alpacas produce fleece in more than 22 different colors. 

4) Alpaca fiber can easily recycle.


5) The improvement of diet , high-quality veterinary care, and scientific selective breeding will make better quality of alpaca wool in the future.


*There are two type of alpaca : Huacaya and Suri


Suri, , prized for their longer and silkier fibers.The Suri is thought to be rarer, most likely because the breed was reserved for royalty during Incan times. Suris are often said to be less cold hardy than Huacaya, but both breeds are successfully raised in more extreme climates they were developed in South America.

Suri



Suri


 Huacaya, produce a dense, soft, crimpy sheep-like fiber.


 Huacaya





I'm especially interested in wool in Peru and Chile.
There are some incredible animals with their beautiful wool: 
llama, alpaca, vicuña and guanaco. 
Basically , they are all live in high altitude places.
The adverge price for these wool :
llama:$ 5 USD per kg
alpaca:$ 50 USD per kg
vicuña:$ 1000 USD per kg

guanaco's price is between vicuña and alpaca.

But, the prices normally should depend on breeding history, sex, and color.


Vicuña and Guanaco live in wild.


//1//vicuña (Vicugna)

They apparently have tall and skinny body and the wool of they is popular due to its warmth and it is also the finest and the most expensive wool in the world. A single vicuña produces a pound of wool every year which, under Peru’s labeling system, can only be harvested every three years.






//2//guanaco(or huanaco) (Lama guanicoe)

They have obvious black face.
 Guanaco fiber is particularly  soft, warm feel and is found in luxury fabric. The guanaco's soft wool is valued second only to that of the vicuña. The pelts, particularly from the calves, are sometimes used as a substitute for red fox pelts, because the texture is difficult to differentiate. Like their domestic descendant, the llama, the guanaco is double coated with a coarse guard hair and soft undercoat, which is about 16-18 µ in diameter and comparable to the best cashmere.


  • Color varies with region
    • Light brown, brownish yellow, or brownish red on back and neck
    • White belly, rump and backs of legs
    • Head, ears, and nape of neck are gray






 Reference:

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca
https://www.google.com.tw/search?q=alpaca&espv=210&es_sm=91&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=zh-TW&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=I1lpUpfGCuWs0QWd1oCoBA
http://alpaca.com/alpacafiber.cfm