Development of Knitwear Containing Alpaca Fiber with High Added Value as an Alternative to Wool Knitwear

In recent years, fashion trends have been changing very rapidly and in order to maintain competitive power in the market, it is of great importance to be able to respond quickly to the changing demands of customers. At this point, the survival chances of companies that can offer innovative products to the market are increasing. One of the ways that can be used in developing innovative products is to use different fibers. Mixing different fibers is a very common practice in the spinning industry. Blending is done to improve the properties of the resulting fiber mixture. In cases where fibers of a single species are not optimally suitable for certain areas of use, blending with a second fiber type can provide the necessary properties. In addition, the product obtained with the superior properties of the fibers added to the mixture can also have unique properties. For this reason, the number of products made from blended yarns is constantly increasing. Within the scope of this study, the potential use of alpaca fibers in knitwear production was studied. The fibers obtained from alpaca (Lama pacos), which belongs to the Lama family, are called "alpaca". The most important feature of alpaca is its silky, soft touch. Other features that make alpaca valuable include its brightness, durability, warm-keeping property, drapability, taking dye very well and not tending to pilling. These fibers are found in specific regions covering a very narrow area in the world and are produced in very small quantities. All these factors cause the products made from these fibers to be expensive and therefore these fibers are described as “Luxury Fibers”. In the study, 2 different content yarns were used, namely 100% Wool and 70% Wool / 30% Alpaca from Nm 15 yarn. The yarns were tested for bursting strength, elongation at break, yarn irregularity, thin places, thick places and neps. Then, knitted fabrics were produced from the yarns in question. The color yield and CIEL*a*b* values ​​of the dyed fabrics were measured and the fastness, handle and comfort properties of the fabrics were compared. As it is known, there are already quite comprehensive studies in the literature on both the fiber properties of alpaca fibers and the properties of the yarns produced from them. However, it can be said that there is still a gap in the literature regarding the production of blended fabrics containing alpaca fiber and the determination of their performance properties. In order for any fiber to be used in the textile sector and especially in the clothing sector, comprehensive studies must be conducted on that fiber. From this perspective, it can be said that this study, which examines alpaca fibers starting from the yarn stage and then their properties in fabric form in comparison with 100% wool, is innovative and original. When the literature and also the commercial products are examined, the fact that there is no product concept using alpaca fiber in this way in knitwears, which is the main production area of ​​our company, makes this study important and innovative for the company. On the other hand, the R&D vision and brand power mission in the study, the contribution to the use of alpaca blended fabrics, the increase in awareness of different raw material alternatives and the development of alternative fabrics to conventional knitwear make the study innovative and original in the international sense.