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Rose Gray Alpaca Fiber Study

Rose gray is one of the most mysterious colors present in the alpaca fleece color range. It is a color comprising three shades – light, medium, and dark – which can be imagined as coffee with varying amounts of cream added. The hint of rose is most noticeable in medium rose gray but is a magical characteristic of all three shades. Let’s unravel a bit of this alpaca color mystery with a fiber study!

Light rose gray
Gray predominates in light rose gray. It reminds you of fog or of a ghost, with an otherworldly pink hue. On the animal, it looks like a rusty gray cloud until you open the fleece. When spun into yarn it looks slightly darker, but not in a heavy or unpleasant way.   

Medium rose gray
Jaw-droppingly beautiful, medium rose gray is the pinkest shade of rose gray. The pink blush only becomes more pronounced when spun. Alpacas with medium rose gray fiber often have adorable faces with brown eye patches and gray-white bodies frosted with brown. As a yarn, medium rose gray fiber stands out with an ethereal look. 

Dark rose gray
Dark rose gray is the moodiest and darkest of the rose grays. It has lots of black fibers with sun-kissed tips. On the alpaca, it reminds you of a chocolate truffle, lightly dusted with powdered chocolate on the outside but a midnight black on the inside. Because of its depth, this fiber likes to be the star of its own show as a yarn.   

Raw locks, L-R: Light rose gray, medium rose gray, and dark rose gray. Photo credit: Jacqueline Harp.

Prep tips
If you get a whole alpaca fleece, the color is usually not uniform throughout the fleece, and this is especially true of rose gray.  Do not be afraid to lay out the entire fleece and break it apart according to like colors. You then have more options on blending those portions for your desired outcome. Furthermore, it should be noted that any of the rose grays are easily confused with dark silver gray, but a true rose gray will have brown, white, and black fibers. Dark silver gray will have gray, black, and white, but no brown fibers. 

Can you determine softness by color?
Unfortunately, color does not determine softness. Softness comes from age, genetics, feed, and environmental factors. You cannot trust your eyes when evaluating a fleece for softness. When in doubt, spin a small sample. Test that sample against tender areas of skin, such as wrists or neck. Keep in mind that what may be soft and comfortable for you as yarn may strike someone else differently.   

Handspun yarn samples, L-R: Dark rose gray, medium rose gray, and light rose gray. Photo credit: Jacqueline Harp.

Blending tips
Not only can you blend any or all of the three shades of rose gray together, you can also blend in any other alpaca fiber color to lighten or darken the shade. Because rose grays are so rare, think twice before shifting colors by blending. To brighten your rose gray, add white or brown. To achieve the opposite effect, add gray or black. I always recommend blending in small increments before committing to making a large batch.   

Dyeing tips
Of the three shades of rose gray, light and medium are the most suitable for dyeing. The higher percentage of black fibers in dark rose gray causes colors to be absorbed rather than highlighted. The results are dull, muddy shades. In contrast, light and medium rose gray pop with color and richness when dyed due to the presence of white and brown fibers. Imagine jewel tones, and you will understand how dyeing medium rose gray will look.   

Spinning tips
It is worth diving into all three of the rose gray shades. As with any handspinning colorway, be sure to buy enough for your project. Even if the rose gray comes from the same farm, the shade will vary from animal to animal and year to year. 


Jacqueline Harp is a freelance writer and multimedia fiber artist who spins, felts, weaves, crochets, and knits in every spare moment possible. She is also a former certified Master Sorter of Wool Fibers through the SUNY Cobleskill Sorter-Grader-Classer program. Her Instagram is @foreverfiberarts.  

Sending a special thank you to the folks at Camelid Corner, LLC (https://camelidcorner.etsy.com) for providing fiber samples and beautiful rose gray alpaca pictures for this article. Their dedication and care for alpacas is incredible.   

Alpaca Wool: A Misnomer

How many times have you heard someone selling their alpaca wool? Or touting their alpaca wool scarf? The only problem is that it isn’t wool. Let me explain!

Fibers can be categorized into a few different classes, including hair, wool, and fur (excluding kemp and guard hair for the moment).

Let’s check out Meagan’s handy chart to get us started.


FIBER TYPE
QUALITIES
CUTICLEMEDULATIONGROWTHDENSITYSEBUM
FURScales overlap, forming as many as 10 layersGenerally present and pronouncedReaches a maximum length and then shedsHigher than 60,000 follicles/sq inchLimited quantity of sebum
HAIRScales overlap, forming as many as 10 layersGenerally present and pronouncedContinuous growth, but sheds500 follicles/sq inch 
Only 100-200 active follicles at a time
Limited quantity of sebum
WOOLIn fine wools, scales overlap, usually forming 1-2 layers.
Scales are barbed
Generally absent or almost absentContinuous, if not shearedUp to 60,000 follicles/sq inchLanolin in varying quantities

Alpaca is actually a hair fiber, like our own hair. Like us, they shed a small amount of their fiber, but it continues to grow and get longer if we don’t cut it. Because of this continuous growth, alpacas have to be sheared regularly for their health.

Check out this microscopic view of alpaca fibers. The first thing you might notice is the dark line going down the center of each fiber. This is the hollow medulla.

Air = Warmth

Any time there is air trapped in a fiber, it contributes to it being a warmer fiber. Air is an insulator. Wool does not have a hollow center, which is one of the reasons why alpaca is so much warmer than wool.

The keratin structures in alpaca fiber are different than the structures in high-memory wool. As a result, the fiber has almost no memory. That means it will not return to its original shape once it has been stretched out. This is great for drape, but not great for anything that requires stretch, like socks or mittens. We often blend wool with alpaca to compensate for its lack of stretch.

While it may be tempting to call alpaca wool because it is so squishy and wool-like, there are some fundamental differences that mean that the fibers behave differently. Are the spinning police going to come after you if you call alpaca wool? No way! Still, it is sometimes helpful to have that scientific distinction to help guide your creative process.