As the ancestor of the modern-day alpaca & close cousin to the guanaco, vicunas are known as the "bearers of the golden fleece" for good reason. Vicuna is the rarest & finest hair fiber available in the world, & these animals live only in the upper altitudes of the Andes Mountains. Since each animal produces only about 4 ounces of harvestable fiber each year, that also adds to its rarity.
Vicuna fiber is amazingly soft and since the fiber is sensitive to chemical treatment, vicuna yarn is left in its natural color -- a spicy cinnamon shade. Also vicunas were nearly hunted to extinction because of their fleeces, but in 2002 a certification process was developed to insure that vicuna fiber was legally obtained by which vicunas are rounded up, sheared alive, returned to the wild & then not sheared again for at least another two years.
Windy Valley's vicuna is imported from Peru following these strict guidelines & meets all certification standards.
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