The fiber processing process is not an easy or quick one! Fiber processing refers to the process that you must go through in order to turn your raw alpaca fiber into yarn. There is always the option of sending it off to a fiber mill to be processed, however the mills usually take a good year to get your fiber back to you. If you have the time, processing the fiber by hand is a fun process and you get the satisfaction of completion once it is finished!
The first step in processing alpaca fiber (if you have alpaca) is to shear the animal. You want to make sure you do this the correct way so you have good fiber to work with. Alpaca shearing happens once a year in the spring-usually sometime in April or May depending on the weather. What most shearers choose to do is stretch the alpaca out on the ground to shear them. Ropes are attached around the ankles of all four legs and the alpaca is pulled gently to the ground with somebody holding the head. Although not the most attractive sight, this does not hurt the alpaca and actually keeps them (and you) safe. Somebody holds down the head and neck of the alpaca while the shearer is shearing so the alpaca cannot get the leverage he needs to flip over. If you have somebody come in to shear your alpaca, he/she will most likely separate the fiber for you into two or three piles. The "firsts" pile will contain all of the fiber from the blanket. Like most livestock, the blanket is the area on the animal's back and sides This is the nicest fiber on the animal and the fiber that is usually turned into the clothing items. The "seconds" pile is the coarser fiber that is not as nice as the firsts. This fiber comes primarily from the alpaca's neck and belly. The last pile is the "thirds" and it is usually referred to as the trash pile. Many people decide to throw this fiber away because it is very coarse and short in length.
Once you have your raw fiber, it is time to clean it. If you are entering it in a judging contest, you will want to keep it in the shape of the animal and simply pick out the pieces of hay, grass, and dirt. This is a tedious process and takes lots of patience, but if you have an award winning animal, it is worth it! If you don't have to worry about entering your fleece in a show, you can clean it in other ways. Personally, I like to use a fiber tumbler. My dad made one for me, but you can purchase them as well. The fiber tumbler consists of an area enclosed by fine mesh that spins and breaks up the fiber. The fiber is gently tossed around and the debris is separated. Most of the junk that you don't want in your fiber is thrown outside of the tumbler while the fiber remains safely inside.
After all of the debris is removed from the fiber, it is time to wash it. Washing is a touchy process because if you are not careful your fiber will felt. Some people put their fiber in an old washing machine and wash it that way, but our fiber is washed in the bathtub. We have screens that we lay our fiber on to wash. First, the fiber soaks in hot water for 30 minutes. The water is then drained off. Add some detergent (Dawn dishwashing soap works well) to another batch of hot water and let the fiber soak for another 30 minutes. After the thirty minutes are up, carefully rinse out as much soap as you can using hot water. Let the fiber soak for thirty more minutes in hot water and then drain. Pat your fiber dry and let it sit out to dry. You want to be sure you use the same temperature water each time so you don't "shock" the fiber and cause it to start felting.
Once it is completely dry you are ready to card your fiber. Carding can be done using hand carders, or a drum carder. The drum carder allows you to card a greater amount of fiber at one time. To card your fiber with the drum carder, insert the fiber in a vertical position making sure all of the strands are facing the same way. This helps make sure your fiber doesn't get stuck on the little drum and will easily transfer to the larger drum. You should insert the fiber evenly across the width and make sure that thick clumps are going through at any point in time. Keep adding the fiber until you are able to pat the large drum and barely feel the spokes. Spin the drum 15-20 more times and then you are ready to take it off! Using the pick, slide it under the fiber where the ridge is and then pull up. You may have to do little sections at a time so you don't break anything. Once the fiber is disconnected, slowly pull the fiber off of the carder taking care to make sure it stays in one piece.
Now that you have a bat of fiber, you are ready to spin and create!