Although called wool, the fibre is more like hair - fine, soft and much warmer and durable than either lamb's wool or mohair. Although white alpaca wool is the most common, the natural greys, browns and blacks of this range of knitwear provide an unlimited number of colour combinations. The animals themselves are herded in the highest altitudes around the Peru-Bolivia border. Economic difficulties in debt-ridden Bolivia, and the harsh environment, mean peasant farmers depend on the sale of such craft to supplement their income from the land just to survive. Trade Aid helps by way of regular and increasing orders, paying a fair price for their products and forward payments.
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