Glossary

Alpaca Wool - Alpaca wool is the natural fiber sheered from an alpaca. It is light or heavy in weight, depending on how it is spun. It is a soft, durable, luxurious and silky natural fiber. While similar to sheep’s wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and has no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. Alpaca is naturally water-repellent and difficult to ignite.

Baby Alpaca Wool - the softest and finest alpaca fiber is produced from the first sheering of the alpaca baby; results in the smallest quantity of fiber

Bouclé - The yarn is made from a length of loops of similar size which can range from tiny circlets to large curls. Bouclé is also the name of the fabric made from this type of yarn, especially fabric that maintains the looped appearance.

Brushed Finish - a brushing process to raise the nap and give a softer, warmer finish.

Hand-Crochet - needlework done with a needle having a small hook at one end for drawing the thread or yarn through intertwined loops.

Hand-Framed / Hand-Loomed - a manual process, utilizing a hand-knitting machine or loom, that produces a garment

Hand-knit - a garment knit by hand using two knitting needles; a time-consuming process that produces unique characteristics in each, individual garment.

Heathered Yarns - interwoven yarns of mixed colors producing flecks of an alternate color. It is typically used to mix multiple shades of grey or grey with another color to produce a muted shade, but any two colors can be mixed, including bright colors.

Intarsia Knit - a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colors. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colors and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, but are in fact all separate pieces, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Interlock Knit - interlock fabric is a variation of rib knit construction. Similar to a jersey knit except both front and back of the fabric look identical. Double knit construction makes this a thicker knit fabric. Interlock is the tightest weave, gives the smoothest surface and the finest hand. The fabric is extremely soft, firm and absorbent.t.

Jacquard Knit - a fabric with an elaborately woven pattern produced on a jacquard loom

Jersey Knit - Jersey fabric is a type of knit textile which can be made with many different fibers-such as cotton, hemp or wool. The fabric is warm, flexible, stretchy, and very insulating, making it a popular choice for the layer worn closest to the body

Merino Wool - a very fine, high-quality wool from the Merino breed of sheep, raised extensively in Uruguay. Mixed with Alpaca wool in our coats to help keep the shape.

Organza - a thin, plain weave, sheer fabric traditionally made from silk

Pima Cotton - Pima cotton, also known as extra long staple (ELS) cotton as it generally has a staple of at least 1 3/8" or longer, is a species of cotton plant

Piqué - Piqué, or marcella, refers to a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or fine ribbing. Piques may be constructed in various patterns such as cord, waffle, honeycomb and birdseye piques.

Pile - the raised surface or nap of a fabric, which is made of upright loops or strands of yarn. In particular "pile length" or "pile depth" refer to the length of the yarn strands (half-length of the loops).

Plied Yarns - plying is a process used to create a strong, balanced yarn. It is done by taking two or more strands of yarn that each have a twist to them and putting them together. The strands are twisted together, in the direction opposite that in which they were spun.

Reembroider - to outline a design (as on lace) with embroidery stitching

Silk - Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin. The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles.

Tangüis Cotton - Tangüis cotton grows in Canete’s valley (south of Lima) and in the Central Coast of Peru. The seeds produce a plant that [has] a 40% longer and thicker fiber.

Tweed - Tweed is a rough, unfinished woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is made in either plain or twill weave and may have a check or herringbone pattern. Subdued, interesting colour effects (heather mixtures) are obtained by twisting together differently coloured woollen strands into a two- or three-ply yarn.

Vicuña - One of two wild South American camelids which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes, the other being the guanaco. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their coats. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every three years, and has to be caught from the wild. When knitted together, the product of the vicuña's wool is very soft and warm. The Inca valued vicuñas highly for their wool, and it was against the law for anyone but royalty to wear vicuña garments.

Wool - the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, angora from rabbits, and other types of wool from camelids. It is crimped, it is elastic, and it grows in staples (clusters). Wool fabrics have greater bulk than other textiles, and they hold air, which causes the fabric to retain heat.

Definition Sources: Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, Merriam Webster, Organic Cotton Plus