Blankets made of alpaca and merino are high-quality products made without the use of dyes and chemicals. They are designed for use for a very long time.
Plaid of alpaca wool
Alpaca is an animal that is considered a relative of a lama and lives in Peru , the Andes, Ecuador and Bolivia. Products made of alpaca wool are very expensive, which is facilitated by a number of factors:
- the livestock of animals is very limited;
- from one alpaca very little wool is cut off - about 5 kg per year;
- pastures are far from the factories where they manufacture products, so transport costs are high.
Advantages and disadvantages of plaid from alpaca
Products made of alpaca wool have a number of advantages in comparison with plaids made from the wool of other animals:
- special thermoregulatory properties - allow you to feel comfortable under a blanket in the cold and in the heat. These rugs keep the heat better than the sheep's wool, seven times;
- lightness - they are lighter than plaids made of camel or sheep's wool, three times;
- smoothness and silkiness of the fabric, which is due to the structure of the coat;
- they do not contain lanolin, so they do not cause allergies;
- Do not be attacked by dust mites.
The disadvantages are the high price and the possibility of damage to the moth.
Merino plaids - advantages and disadvantages
Merinos are fine-fleeced sheep, which are grown in Asia and Australia.
The advantages of merino wool are:
- woolen fibers soft, long and fluffy;
- has medicinal properties for people with joint diseases;
- good hygroscopicity of the tissue.
As a minus, you can call a high cost, the ability to cause some people allergies, the possibility of damage to the moth.
Plaids are of such sizes:
- children's (100 by 150 cm);
- one-and-a-half (150 by 200 cm);
- double (180 by 200 cm);
- euros (200 by 220 cm).
There are plaids of merino as large as possible - 220 by 260 cm.
In order to reduce the cost of alpaca products, a mixed plaid of alpaca and merino wool is made.
The process of making plaids from alpaca and merino
Manufacture of products includes such stages:
- technical fleece;
- manual processing (the wool is picked and the pieces that are cut off are removed);
- color, which is a very complex procedure, as a result of coloring, you can get a tissue of gentle pastel tones;
- the creation of various compositions by mixing the fibers of the tissue;
- multiple combing of woolen masses in order to obtain a uniform raw material;
- spinning.
Recommendations for the care of plaids from alpaca and merino
To make the product serve a long time, you should:
- wash at a temperature of no higher than 35 ° C;
- when washing, use delicate powders;
- Do not use bleach;
- wash separately from other things;
- when spots appear, it is better to immediately wash them in warm water;
- in the washing machine set the mode of delicate washing.
The most famous producers of plaids from alpaca and merino are: Paters, IngalPak, DIVA Peruano, Runo.
Despite the fact that plaids of alpaca and merino are very expensive, it is still recommended to give preference to these products. In winter, they can reliably protect you from the cold, and in summer provide the necessary comfort.