Spinning is one of the things that most people ask about when talking about alpaca fiber and it can be a positive experience, especially when spinning fiber from your own alpacas. The spinner comes to understand the fiber more completely after spinning each alpaca's fiber and knows the strengths and weaknesses of the fiber.
Although there are various types of spinning wheels, I chose an Ashford portable electric spinner after watching a friend spin with one. My friend told me than you can use an adapter for the spinner in order to spin while traveling in the car. Since I haven't figured out how to spin and drive at the same time, it is not something I have tried. However, it does travel well since it is portable and I occasionally take it on trips with me when I want to do additional spinning.
Alpaca is different from wool and I believe it is easier to spin although other spinners may have a different option. I prefer spinning alpaca to wool and enjoy blending it, at times, with other fibers such as tencel which can add sheen to the fiber and help the alpaca retain its shape.
If you are just beginning to work with natural fibers, I'd recommend that you learn to spin and would love to hear from other spinners.
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