How to Skirt an Alpaca Fleece

Skirting means removing the dirty, coarse or contaminated parts of a fleece and sorting the rest by quality. Mills and handspinners pay more — and produce better yarn — from well-skirted fiber.

Set up a skirting table

A skirting table has a mesh or slatted top (about 3 × 5 ft) so dirt, second cuts and short bits fall through. Work in good light.

Step-by-step

1. Lay the blanket out cut-side down, as it came off the animal.
2. Remove the edges: belly fiber, leg fiber and the coarse “britch” near the tail often carry more guard hair and debris.
3. Shake out second cuts — short snippets created when the shearer goes over an area twice.
4. Pick out vegetable matter (VM): hay, seeds, burrs. Heavily contaminated sections go to the seconds bag.
5. Check for tender fiber: take a lock and tug both ends sharply. If it snaps at the same point, the fleece has a weak spot (often from illness or stress) and is less suitable for spinning.
6. Look for guard hair: coarse, straight, often shiny hairs. Remove obvious patches.
7. Sort by grade: fineness varies across the body. Keep the finest (usually the mid-side) separate if you want premium yarn. See fiber grades.
8. Weigh and label each bag: animal, color, date, weight, grade.

Grades of fleece from one animal

Storage

• Store in breathable bags (paper, cotton, pillowcases) — plastic traps moisture.
• Keep away from moths: add cedar or lavender sachets and inspect periodically.
• Label clearly; if you’re sending to a mill, check their requirements first.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to skirt before sending fiber to a mill? Most mills require at least basic skirting and charge more (or reject fiber) with heavy VM.

What can I do with the seconds and thirds? Felt, rugs, dryer balls, garden mulch, bird-nesting material — nothing needs to be wasted.