PurelyAlpaca FAQ
- Are your alpaca products Made in the USA?
- Are alpacas harmed to make alpaca garments?
- CATALOG: Do you have a print catalog?
- Is baby alpaca from babies?
- Are alpaca products durable?
- What if I or my gift recipient do not like the alpaca product?
- Will alpaca fade or bleed?
- SIZE CHART: Do you have a size chart for the clothing?
- SHIPPING: How do you ship and how long will it take to receive my alpaca gifts order?
- SHIPPING COST: How much will it cost to ship my order?
- INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: Will you ship to my country? How much will it cost?
- Will my dog eat my alpaca teddy bear?
- Why Buy Alpaca Products?
- Does PurelyAlpaca support Fair Trade?
- CARE: How do I wash alpaca?
- Shrunk your favorite alpaca sweater?
- How can I unfelt an alpaca sweater?
- RETURNS? See the Purely Alpaca PurelyPerfect returns promise!
- WHOLESALE: Do you WHOLESALE alpaca products?
- Where can I find the warmest alpaca socks?
- On Alpaca Blankets and Alpaca Throws, which do you recommend?
- Can you suggest a perfect alpaca gift for me?
- How do I assure your alpaca gloves or alpaca hat will fit?
- Alpaca Repair Service: Can you fix this heirloom alpaca item?
- Does PurelyAlpaca have a Web Affiliate Program?
- Why is my new Alpaca Blanket, Throw, Sweater shedding?
- Does PurelyAlpaca buy alpaca fiber from alpaca farms?
Are your alpaca products made in the USA?
Yes! We have a large number of alpaca items that are made in the USA and we're constantly seeking more! Our American alpaca products come from a wide variety of sources. We're kind of "addicted" to alpaca so we seek out all kinds of items and also produce a lot of items ourselves.
Here are a few of our USA Made Alpaca sources:
We purchase hand-spun/hand-dyed alpaca yarn, children's alpaca clothing, alpaca baby booties, alpaca scarves, artwork, etc. from craft artists in the U.S. See our Artist Showcase link to learn about that program. We offer a consignment service for artists who produce more expensive items such as capes, wraps, some scarves, etc. These items can also be seen in our Artist Showcase.
We purchase yarn, blankets and socks from U.S. mills. We also buy some items from Canada. We have plans which may have us soon purchasing raw alpaca fiber from U.S. farms. We are also currently seeking new sources of commercial American alpaca yarn on commercial quality cones for use in making socks, scarves, etc.
We also buy items directly from Peru's poorest alpaca farmers in Free Trade support of them.
Most of our higher end designer items are designed by American designers but made in Arequipa, Peru, the world's capital for Alpaca clothing with hundreds of years of skill in working with alpaca. It is currently quite difficult for U.S. mills to produce high end sweaters, jackets and coats which can compete with Peruvian in quality and of course price.
We are always seeking new sources of quality U.S. created items. If you learn of items which may fit with our product lines please let us know and/or have the artist check out our Artist Showcase area and contact us.
Are alpacas harmed to make alpaca garments?Goodness No! The great thing about alpacas is you can love them all you like and there's no need to harm them to get their valuable fleece (we don't call it wool).
Each late spring, as it begins to get hot, alpacas are shorn for their annual 'clip'. Alpacas are a domesticated animal. The annual shearing is completely natural for them and the animals are notably more comfortable after their annual 'hair cut'.
CATALOG: Do you have a print alpaca products catalog?Our store is very "dynamic" in that we get in new products all the time and are always seeking new and interesting items which use and promote the use of alpaca! The inventory changes frequently so we found a print catalog would not properly reflect what we have in stock. We no longer print catalogs but maintain all the current inventory on our online www.PurelyAlpaca.com website. Stocks are kept up to date as best as possible so you will always know what is available for purchase at any time.
Is baby alpaca from babies?Sometimes...
Baby alpaca is an industry term, which relates to the fineness of the fibers that went into that particular garment or product. There are several fineness grades of alpaca fiber. The grade of fineness is not necessarily related to the age of the animal from which the fleece came. Baby alpacas (called crias) typically do have very fine fleeces. As alpacas age, the fineness of their fiber tends to decrease. Through selective breeding, there are adult alpacas that continually produce fiber, which grades at baby or finer. As alpaca producers this is a quality that we strive to produce.
Royal baby is the finest grade of alpaca fleece. Products made from royal baby are very expensive because there are only small amounts of this grade of fiber produced in the world. Baby is the next finest grade. It is very fine and feels wonderful in garments worn next to the skin. Superfine is the third grade and is not quite as fine as baby alpaca, but is still very soft and luxurious. There is a large supply of alpaca produced in this fineness grade. Many of our luxurious garments are made from superfine alpaca. The coarser grades of alpaca fiber are called adult or coarse and are used primarily for rugs, outerwear and other products not worn next to the skin. Some inexpensive alpaca products may actually be produced from the coarser grades of alpaca. Adult alpaca is still nice and has all of the wonderful qualities of the finer grades of alpaca. It just isn't as soft and may feel a bit prickly if worn next to the skin. The durability of the coarser fibers is superior to the finer fibers.
Are alpaca products durable?Yes. Alpaca is stronger than cashmere. It is resistant to pilling and will not shrink if proper care is given. Many people find that with correct care their alpaca garments last for years and years.
What if I or my gift recipient do not like the alpaca product?
No problem! We offer a "PurelyPerfect" return promise. We give a 100% return guarantee. No questions asked except do please tell us if you found anything physically wrong with an item. But again, you do not need an excuse to return an item.
We ask that you please include a note of what we should do when we receive your return and make sure we know who you are! :) Other than that, just send it back and we'll take care of your return with an exchange or refund per your instructions.
Will alpaca fade or bleed?Alpaca fiber comes officially in 22 beautiful colors. These will be extremely resistant to fade or bleed, as it is the natural color of the fiber.
Dyed garments will have some chance of bleed but since alpaca fiber takes dying better than most other fibers your garment, with proper care, should retain its beauty for many many years.
SIZE CHART: Do you have a size chart for the clothing?
http://purelyalpaca.com/pages/size-chart
Please let us know if you have additional questions. We'll help you find the right item at the right size.
We ship nearly all orders with USPS Mail which usually takes 3-5 business days of travel time once your order is shipped. During the busy fall we ship out products daily. The rest of the year we ship out less frequently but typically 2x/week. Do let us know if you have a strict deadline. If your alpaca gift order needs to be rushed, we offer Express USPS mail service. The extra cost depends upon the weight of the package but $19-22 extra is typical. Request USPS EXPRESS during checkout. When orders are shipped we will email you with tracking info.
The PurelyAlpaca shopping cart calculates shipping based on your order. As you checkout, but before approving the purchase, the cart will present the shipping cost for review.
We ship to many countries. The best thing to do it to put a test item in the cart and click to go to checkout. You will see where we currently ship and a calculated shipping cost.
Will my dog eat my alpaca teddy bear?
Maybe! Some dogs just love the scent of our natural alpaca teddy bears. Dogs have been known to love shredding them! Not sure about cats. Be careful as we've had to replace a few teddy bears after a family pet got a hold of them! :)
Why Buy Alpaca Products?
Alpaca is a relatively unknown specialty fiber which is extremely rare and of natural excellent quality. It is sought the world over for its luxurious characteristics and beautiful natural look.
Alpaca fiber is stronger, lighter and more resilient than wool. Finer than cashmere and equal or superior in warmth to Gortex. And of course it is 100% natural and good for the environment. Unlike wool, harsh toxic chemicals are not needed to process alpaca as it contains no lanolin oils.
Meet someone who has owned a quality alpaca sweater and they will tell you about its unique comfort, encasing warmth, breathability and soothing softness.
Alpaca fiber comes NATURALLY in 22 different colors! It also dyes very well, hold its color and blends superbly with silk and other fibers.
Alpaca is naturally hypoallergenic. It lacks the lanolin and other oils seen in other fleeces. Its fineness will be noticed as you don't feel the scratchiness felt with wool. Most people who are allergic to the itchiness or get a rash from wool will cherish being able to wear alpaca!
Alpaca garments are strong and resilient. Expect to keep your quality garment for years if you take good simple care of it. Most alpaca fine garments DO NOT need to be dry-cleaned. A simple washing in baby shampoo will do just fine.
Perhaps you, like many others can pass your alpaca item down as a family heirloom. Alpaca garments dating back over 2000 years in Peru are still in good condition!
Alpaca is the true standard of clothing luxury. Still relatively rare and expensive (from $3 to $6 an ounce for quality raw fleece), the products made from alpaca are a breed apart.
Enjoy your alpaca garment and all it represents.
Does PurelyAlpaca support Fair Trade?Most assuredly! We only work with suppliers who operate in this manner. The majority of our suppliers have family in Peru and are very concerned about proper treatment of the local workers.
We also shop directly in Peru and buy at fair prices from the local artisans there.
See more information in our articles section and this link in particular.
CARE: How do I wash alpaca?Congratulations on your purchase of a fine alpaca product!
The information below discusses how to clean your alpaca clothing.
You will find that with proper care, your valuable alpaca garment will become a personal favorite or perhaps even a family heirloom!
Here are some tips, gleaned from experts, on the best ways to keep your fine alpaca garment clean and in good shape for many years...
First, think of your alpaca sweater, socks, etc as fine yet strong hair, which is what it essentially is.
Care for SOCKS:
Socks are mostly pretty durable unless they are a fine loose knit variety. They can be gently machine washed and rinsed in the same cold of room temp water, perhaps use a laundry mesh bag for added security, then AIR DRY. The dryer is harder on real wool fibers than the washer. You don't want to felt or SHRINK the socks but if you do, see elsewhere in this FAQ for a fix.
On the road, alpaca is essentially hair, so you can wash them just fine in the sink with your shampoo! Then roll up in a towel to absorb most of the water then sit out where they can get some air to air dry. They should be ready to go by morning!
For Fine Garments and Accessories:
Cleaning any natural animal fiber garment can be done in a washing machine with regular laundry detergent, as long as there is no agitation at all, but we don't recommend it for anything larger than socks. Felting can occur in the spin cycle, every bit as easily as agitation. The finer the fibers, the less handling it can take before felting.
Temperature changes between the wash and rinse water tends to be the most common cause of shrinkage. Make sure the water stays the same temperature. Lukewarm is best, about 100 to 105 degrees. Don't use extremely hot or cold water.
Laundry soap and dishwashing liquid can be too harsh for some fibers. We recommend baby or other mild shampoo to our customers (skip the stuff with lots of fragrance or conditioners added - cheap stuff is just fine). After all, these products are designed for gently cleaning hair fibers, thus it's fabulous for alpaca garments.
Swish your garment very, very gently in a (clean!) sink with the shampoo, let sit for just two or three minutes, and rinse in same temp water. Be sure to think in advance about how you'll get the same temperature water for washing and rinsing. Maybe a bucket transferred from the tub once the temperature is set. Try to handle the item as little as possible.
Leave it in the sink for a few minutes for it to drain, gently squeeze just enough water out so you don't soak the floor when taking the garment out of the sink. Lay it out on a towel and GENTLY roll up in the towel. Don't squeeze or press hard- you only want to have the towel absorb more water. Leave it in the towel for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a dry towel and let air dry. Turn over and place on fresh, dry towel every few hours (drying time is highly controlled by room temperature and humidity). Another nice, simple and inexpensive drying method is to use a sweater dryer rack. These allow you to lay out the sweater and provide good air flow around the garment. They typically cost around $10 at Wal-Mart type stores or online (search for: sweater drying rack).
Whatever you do, don't use Woolite! Even the "gentle" formula can be too harsh for some fine clothing.
Structured coats, jackets, finely woven or intricately detailed garments should be dry-cleaned.
Though not as susceptible as wool items, during the summer months, your alpaca garments should be stored away from possible moth infestation. We recommend using a sealed cedar chest, closed bag, or another moth protected environment.
Cleaning before storage is recommended as fresh stains that may not yet be visible could oxidize and become fixed during storage.
With proper care, your alpaca garment will give you many years of soft warm enjoyment and you too will have an alpaca heirloom!
If you have further questions about the care of your fine alpaca item, feel free to talk with us at:
1-877-PURELYA info@purelyalpaca.com
Shrunk your favorite alpaca sweater?Follow these steps to re-stretch your alpaca sweater (or alpaca socks, etc.):
1) Soak the garment in a sink or tub of gentle hair conditioner and room temperature (not cold) water for an hour. Dissolve about 2x the amount of conditioner you'd use on your hair. Too much won't matter.
2) Rinse the item gently in the same room temperature water. This might be tricky if you're using a sink or tub because they will likely put our COLD water when you turn it back on after an hour. Rinsing in COLD water may shrink the sweater. Find a way to capture the cold water until at least room temperature water starts coming out.
2) Do not wring the sweater, but after draining the tub used, press the sweater against the side of the tub to drain the excess water. Be gentle.
3) Remove the garment from the tub. To avoid stretching it, maybe roll it into any towel and pick it up that way. Lay it flat on a very thick, very absorbent clean towel that won't possibly bleed color onto your item!
4) Use another towel to blot away the excess water. Alpaca does not hold water so you should be able to get it really pretty dried with the towel(s).
5) Gently pull the sweater into the desired shape
6) Let the sweater air dry flat. A sweater drying rack ($10 online or Walmart) is ideal but any way you can find to let the item air dry could work.
7) Let us know how it turned out!
See above for proper care of your alpaca garment to prevent shrinking.
Asking if you can unfelt an sweater or other loose-knit item which was washed in hot water then dryer dried? The answer is MAYBE. We cannot guarantee it will work but get asked this a lot online so we found some instructions HERE. Fingers crossed!
RETURNS? See the Purely Alpaca PurelyPerfect returns promise!
Surely, PurelyAlpaca is happy to take returns. We want your purchase to be PurelyPerfect! If it's not, send it back with a note, simple. We want you to be happy and shop with us again, tell your friends, and so on!
All we ask is that you send a note of instructions (refund, exchange, questions).
Please return unwanted items within 30 days.
Orders made during the Christmas season (after Thanksgiving) have an extension on the return deadline to January 31st.
Please be sure to tell us if there is an actual problem or flaw with the item so we do not restock it... though you do not need a "reason" to return.
A copy of the receipt is appreciated by not required but do
** Please include a reminder note of what we should do when we receive your return.
Return to:
Purely Alpaca 1444 Main St #308 Ramona, CA 92065
WHOLESALE: Do you WHOLESALE alpaca products?
Yes, we wholesale alpaca clothing, alpaca accessories and gifts. We'll sort of... our sister store, www.ChoiceAlpacaProducts.com offers a growing number of "Choice" alpaca products, all at wholesale pricing. This site is only for established alpaca farms and small businesses with a business license.
Reasonable minimum purchases apply for wholesale orders. We have a set of regular high quality alpaca products which we offer year after year as well as an array of unique alpaca items we offer from time to time. All of our wholesale alpaca products are focused on the small store and are designed to be good sellers for alpaca farms and alpaca boutiques. We also have many small business customers that are outside of the alpaca industry which have had great success with our products.
Stores that are successfully offering our alpaca products to their customers include:
- Alpaca Farm Stores and Boutiques
- Outdoors Stores
- Outdoor Market Vendors
- Bird Specialty Shops
- Motorcycle Shops
- Sporting Good Stores
- and others.
Wholesale alpaca minimums are reasonable and allow for small stores to test out our wholesale products in their business.
Our open wholesale product return promise is rarely needed by our alpaca retailer customers the easy return promise which allows them to purchase larger orders, knowing unsold items can be returned with no problem. Take a look at www.ChoiceAlpacaProducts.com for more info on wholesale alpaca offerings.
Our open wholesale product return promise is rarely needed by our alpaca retailer customers the easy return promise which allows them to purchase larger orders, knowing unsold items can be returned with no problem. Take a look at www.ChoiceAlpacaProducts.com for more info on wholesale alpaca offerings.
Where can I find the warmest alpaca socks?
You're in the right place for the warmest alpaca socks! Our own designs, the Choice brand Superwarm Heavy Extreme Alpaca Socks are very warm and comfortable. The Superwarm Heavy Extreme Alpaca Socks feature an inner insulation design which produces an excellent layer to warmth around the foot. The shear size of the socks gives you plenty of alpaca warmth for even the coldest conditions. The Superwarm Heavy Extreme Alpaca Socks are the heaviest, warmest and most comfortable extreme weather socks out there! On Alpaca Blankets and Alpaca Throws, which do you recommend?
We have a lot of alpaca blankets and alpaca throws to choose from. Picking the best for your needs can be a challenge! Please take a look at all of the blanket and throws offering in our Alpaca Throws and Blankets (http://purelyalpaca.com/collections/alpaca-throws-and-blankets) section. We offer a wide variety of alpaca blankets and throws, from thin and lofty to heavily woven. Boucle, loose weave, tight weave and lots of other options in weight, color and texture of our alpaca items. There are all kinds of options available. Each item will describe the weight, thickness and dimensions of the item. If you have additional questions, feel free to email or call us with your questions. We'll be happy to help!
Can you suggest a perfect alpaca gift for me?
Sure we can! We've been at this for many years. We know our products well and will be happy to help you find the right gift. Just contact us and let us know the kind of gift you are after and we'll have some suggestions for you. Please also be sure to look over the various alpaca shopping categories we have on PurelyAlpaca.com We have specific categories to help with gift shopping, some very specific like: Alpaca Stocking Stuffers Alpaca Gift Cards Small Alpaca Gifts Alpaca Lover Gifts Alpaca Home Decor Alpaca Luxury Alpaca For Kids ...and many more. We also will be happy to help you find an item even if we don't carry it. We're big fans of the movie, "Miracle on 34th Street". We'll be happy to recommend other stores with an item you're looking for if we don't have it. Send us and email, chat with us via Facebook or call us (877-PURELYA). We're happy to help!
How do I assure your alpaca gloves or alpaca hat will fit?
We know it can be hard to shop on the internet for clothing. Although we have a very easy return promise we realize you want to get it right the first time. For accessory items like alpaca gloves and alpaca hats, check the size description shown but note that most of our alpaca accessories are knit items and have a natural "give" that will let them fit a wide range. We'll be happy to help you with any questions on our products!
Alpaca Repair Service: Can you fix this heirloom alpaca item?
Need an alpaca knit repair? Click here
Does Purely Alpaca have a Web Affiliate Program?
Yes we do! And it's very professionally managed.
Do you have an active, popular website?
Help us promote alpaca while at the same time earning money with the PurelyAlpaca Affiliate Program. Many of our affiliates with popular websites earn a very respectable amount by promoting our alpaca products. You can too!
Our program is managed by the Share-A-Sale service. Click Here to see details.
Why is my new Alpaca Blanket, Throw, Sweater shedding?
Initially some fiber abundant alpaca items may shed loose fibers. Typically we only see this in thick blankets and thick woven capes, not in knit items. A small amount of shedding is normal for a new woven alpaca item and will decrease with time. If desired, you can “fix” the fibers to the item quickly using a gentle machine or hand wash and rinse in cold water using light detergent. Line/air dry. Drying in dryer for 5-10 minutes will add to fluff and could be used for a blanket.
Does PurelyAlpaca buy alpaca fiber from alpaca farms?
Yes, we do! We support the American alpaca farm industry in multiple ways, including the purchase of USA grown alpaca for a number of different USA made alpaca products. Click Here to see details.
