What is the most luxurious wild animal fiber that is not banned? It is none other than Vicuña. Vicuña wool yarn is like soft gold,not fuzzy soft. It has a solid softness that makes it pretty unique. Only a limited amount of vicuña wool is produced every year. A small amount of it is found as yarn in the market. 

As it is a royal item, a lot of people look for information about vicuña wool yarn. But not much information is available online. In this article, we will try to include every single (mostly) detail you need to know about vicuña wool yarn. Different types of vicuña wool yarn, how they are made, and various specifications of vicuña yarn. But what makes us an expert on the topic?

We are team Muslin Dhaka, an expert team with fashion designers, fabric experts, and researchers. Luxury fabrics are our primary zone of work for the past few years. With this much experience in luxury fabrics and fibers, we can certainly satisfy your curiosity. 

Let’s get started!

The glory of Vicuña Wool

Vicuna is a wild camelid that originated from the highlands of Peru. Their wool has been used since the times of Inka. Throughout history, vicuña fiber has always been the wool for the royal. Why?

Vicuñas are wild animals, and they can not be domesticated. They are fast and very hard to catch. It was so rare and expensive that only the aristocrats of that time could get one. Now, they are a bit easy to catch with motorcycles and a well-trained team. But vicuña wool is still a luxury item. The history of Vicuña is fascinating. Learn more about Vicuña wool in our detailed article. We will stick to the Vicuña wool yarn here.

Who Needs the Information?

Vicuña is one of the most interesting types of fiber in the world. That’s why fabric producers and knitters are quite interested in it. If you are looking to make some knitwear or attire with royal vicuña wool, this article will have a lot of important information for you. The source we include can be helpful for the fiber artist who makes accessories and art with fibers. Textile students, fabric learners, and luxury fabric lovers will get great value. Or you can just read for fun and satisfy your curiosity about vicuña wool yarn.

Why is Vicuña fiber so fine?

Vicunas live about 3 to 5 kilometers above sea level, where the temperature drops way below zero degrees Celsius. In those harsh South American mountain weather, vicuñas need extraordinary protection. They grow two types of wool. Overcoat and undercoat. An overcoat protects them from the weather, while an undercoat keeps them warm. To survive in that condition, they evolved with extra fine undercoats. The finer the coat, the more insulative it is. 

How are Vicuña Yarns Made?

Vicuña wool yarn is made from Vicuña wool. In the wool-shedding season, vicuñas are caught by the herd. A team of motorcycles sends a herd of vicuña inside a giant trap. The process is not as easy as it seems. Not everyone is permitted to catch vicuña.

Only a certain group, especially the traditional Vicuña wool producers, have the right skills and permission. Once they are caught, they are shredded with an electric shredder. Vicuñas are very delicate animals, so the process needs to be done very carefully. 

Once the wool is collected, the vicuñas go back into the wild unharmed. Then a sorting process takes place. After cleaning and removing impurities, the valuable vicuña wools are ready to be spun. 

Traditionally, spinners used to make vicuña yarn by hand with simple machines. Although a lot of work is simplified by machines. It requires intense attention and high skills. Most yarns and fabric were produced by local weavers before. But now, most of the Vicuña wool is directly sent to luxury brands, mostly from Italy. It’s so expensive that even traditional vicuña weavers get a very small amount of wool every year. 

So, naturally, vicuña wool yarns have limited availability. But don’t worry, there are still some good sources of vicuña wool. We will include them in the next part of the article.

What is the microscopic Structures of Vicuña Fiber?

Vicuña’s characteristics are very unique and royal. It can be compared with very few natural fibers. It is buttery soft and very very warm. Even a thin sweater vicuña can protect you from a cold winter. But what does it happen? The secret lies in its microscopic structure. 

Under the microscope, vicuña have less uneven spots than other types of wool. However, it is not smoother than cashmere but certainly finer than cashmere. Those two traits contribute to Vicuña’s comfy and cozy character.

What is the specifications of Vicuña Yarn and Fiber?

While working with luxury yarns, fibers and fabrics, you will come across some weird numbers and terms. It makes no sense unless you are a fabric expert! But those indicate some important information about the Vicuña wool yarn. 

Let’s explain here:

Yarn specifications 

With vicuña yarn, you see numbers like 3/36 Nm. The first number indicates how many strands of fiber are used in the yarn. Vicuña wool is made with piling oppositely spun fibers. This creates a stronger bond. 2 strand vicuña yarns are thin, and 3 strand ones are a bit thicker. Those two are the most common.

The second number indicates the yarn count of cashmere fiber. It means 1 gram vicuña yarn  length. The longer the yarn count, the lighter and thinner the yarn is.

So, a 3/36 yarn count indicates that the vicuña yarn is made with 3 strands of fiber, and one gram of the yarn is 36 yards long.

Fineness

Fineness refers to the thickness of vicuña fabric. Usually, you will see numbers below 10 to mostly 12 to 13 microns for vicuña. Here, the micron is one millionth of a meter. A human hair is about 100 micrometers. The lower the fitness, the softer and warmer clothes it makes.

Fiber length

Fiber length is another important metric for vicuña wool and yarn. The best quality of Vicuña wool is not only fine but also long. The length of Vicuña Wool ranges from 2.5 to 3.8 cm. 

Yarn Length

The length of the vicuña yarn indicates just the length. It is measured with a yard or meter. When you are knitting or making something, you need to know the yarn length.

Strength

The strength of a fiber is expressed with tensile strength. For Vicuña, it’s not very common. But still, you can face a few while buying vicuña or another type of yarn.

Types of Vicuña Wool

Vicuña comes with fairly consistent quality, and there are no subtypes of vicuña wool. But depending on the length and grade, there can be 3 types. 

Grade C Vicuña

Grade C is usually short or thicker and not suitable for luxury clothes. But they can be finely used to make different attires.

Grade B Vicuña

Grade B Vicuña is better than grade C. Most expensive vicuña fabrics are produced with grade B vicuña. It’s fine but not the best.

Grade A Vicuña

Grade A vicuña is the best quality of vicuña. Best vicuña brands like Loro Piana, and alpaca collections use grade A vicuña fiber for their collections.

Can Vicuña wool be recycled?

It’s possible to recycle Vicuña wool. As Vicuña is very expensive, a large portion of Vicuña wool is hard to collect for recycling. Also, it is too delicate to damage in the recycling process. So, a careful process must be developed to recycle. The demand for vicuña is ever-growing. But we do not have sustainable ways to get more Vicuña wool every year. Recycling practices can solve a part of this problem.

Where to Buy Vicuña Yarn?

Getting Vicuña yarn offline may not be possible in most cases. But you can get it from some online shops. There are strict trade rules on vicuña, so a very limited amount of vicuña products are available. Here are a few shops that sell high-quality vicuña yarn.

1. PlumCrazyFiberArt
2. Goldenamberfarm

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between vicuña wool and cashmere wool?

Vicuña wool and cashmere wool have a whole different experience. Vicuña wool is solid and soft while cashmere is fuzzy and soft with ultra smoothness.

Are all vicuña yarns the same?

No, there are different qualities of vicuña yarn. Make sure to check specifications while buying.

Wrapping Up

Vicuña wool yarn is available. There is less information online about it. We tried to fill the gap for You as much as possible. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.

Wanna buy vicuña? Read the best vicuña wool brands you must check!