Urcuchillay combines the magical fibres of three animals to create quality and luxury products in an ethical, professional and friendly way.
We believe that each of our three fibre-producing species brings a special quality to the end products and that combining the three fibres brings out the unique qualities of each one.
After much experimentation we now have our unique blend of alpaca, mohair and sheep fibre to produce an end product that is exquisite, but also functional.
The alpaca fibre with its low micron and high comfort factor brings the luxury to the wool with the fibre being soft, warm and light. With over 16 recognised colours our harvest gives us some beautiful natural shades to work with.
The Shetland fibre puts some elasticity, structure and bounce into our blend, and with over eleven recognised colours many shades and variants in between, as well as thirty different recognised markings. We are spoilt for choice when creating our matches.
The Angora fibre, otherwise known as the “diamond fibre” because of its strength and shine adds those exact qualities to our blend. It has a brilliant dying capacity that absorbs colour and shines, bringing lustre to the end product.
Using our elite core herd of champion genetics from all over the world all of our fibre animals have been chosen for their genetics, show results and fine fleeces. Our very selective breeding programme is well planned focusing on achieving fleeces with low micron count, high comfort factor, density and structure.
We don’t just throw all our fleeces in and hope for the best. Every single alpaca fleece is micron tested and batched according to micron and colour. Our strict rules are any fleeces 16-20 micron become 4ply, 21-24 micron becomes double knit, 25-29 is chunky or Aran and anything over 30 is carpet!
The fibre of our animals is hand processed on the farm in small quantities for a rustic, artisan effect or sent away to be processed at a commercial mill. We have a mixture of wool for sale from a mini mill with a semi-worsted finish and from a commercial mill with a woollen finish.
We do not cut costs by sending our wool away to be processed or buy in cheaper, inferior products from overseas. It is important to us to support British breeders and British mills.
At Urcuchillay we have to farm smart. Combining the different species onto a twenty acre site is challenging, but exceptionally rewarding, as we have had to learn about all three species’ behaviours, husbandry and paddock requirements.
Whilst we recognise we are running a business and animals must earn their keep, we always try at all times to act responsibly and let our humanity shine. For these reasons we:
These products are now for sale via our website www.fibreofthegods.co.uk or in the shop here at the farm. Have a read of our opening times or refer to FAQs for further details about all three species, as well as our strict bio security management…
