My husband has a pair of alpaca hiking socks. He was happy with them until we got sweaty and he changed socks and hung the alpaca socks on his pack for a bit. My wool socks dried completely within an hour and his alpaca socks were still SOAKED the NEXT day. :eek::eek::eek:
Not pleased. Not at all. If you don’t plan on sweating though, you’ll be fine. 
Thanks for all the opinions. Re the price: I am in the great white north, land of Timmies and HST. So the $30 will be plus HST, 13%!
The socks appeared to be machine made, not hand knitted, so i’m assuming they send the wool (hair? fur?) off somewhere to be manufactured into socks, hence the high price.
But sounding as if they are worth it…I cannot stand cold feet!
My sister gave me a pair and I do love them. If I were ever to start wearing tall boots again with socks like these, I might want a boot a half size larger. I found that having a little extra room in my boots keep my feet warmer.
A local alpaca farm usually has a booth at the farmer’s market. I bought some of their yarn and made some nice warm and very soft scarves as Christmas presents. They did have socks already made, but I like to knit my own. I would check to see what other fibers are with the socks to be sure they will hold up to wear. Just alpaca wool would be too soft. I have made socks from an alpaca, wool combo with probably a little nylon it in (can’t remember as it has been a couple of years since I made those). Sock yarn is fairly expensive so I don’t think $30 price is that bad. I have paid anywhere from #12-$25 for sock yarn and then still have to knit the socks.
I’ve worn alpaca (socks, gloves, hats & scarves) during the winter here (lots of snow, down to -30F, high wind), and they’re the best! They keep me warm, and they hold up very nicely. My favorite manufacturer is Red Maple. Some of their socks CAN go through the dryer without shrinking, while others can’t. Most of my socks are 2 years old, and they still look and wear great! I have found that I need a silk sock liner on the coldest days, but I love my alpaca clothing almost as much as I love my alpacas (I have 30!)!
As long as the fiber isn’t extremely fine, alpaca is very durable. Alpaca is usually 20-30 microns. Once it starts getting under 20 microns, it can be less durable.
Part of what drives up the price of US made alpaca yarn is the fact that there are no large fiber mills in the US. All fiber processing is done either by hand or in mini mills. The advantage is that you can get yarn from an individual animal, but the small run size does result in increased cost.
Its called fiber or fleece. Some people do call it wool, but that isn’t correct since wool comes from sheep. I haven’t noticed any increased drying time for any of my alpaca garments.
Puddin Pie- Yes, right now most of the money is to be made in selling alpacas themselves. It is possible to make some money in the fiber, but not as much as with the animals.
partlycloudy- Feel free to PM me with any questions you have about raising alpacas. They are wonderful animals and don’t require as much daily care as horses. Just feeding & poop removal daily. Toenail trims can be monthly or a couple times a year, and you can do them yourself (no farrier/trimmer!). Then monthly herd health (shots, weighing & body scoring), and annual shearing and vaccinations.
Use spray deodorant like AridXX. I had the same issue as you and was MISERABLE for years until someone on this board shared the tip. Total game changer!!
Aww shit tricked by a spammer who brought up a zombie thread grrrrr
Good to know about the AridXX, but what does this post mean?
The mods deleted it already, but check the dates. It is an old old OLD thread that was resurrected by a spammer pimping their brand of socks, and I fell for it and thought it was a current thread.
and yes, the AridXX works great.
As a professional alpaca shearer who works with a LOT of alpaca fiber, I can say that alpaca socks are amazing. A little softer than cashmere, a little warmer than wool. I love my alpaca socks!
Best,
Jeffrey
https://www.alpaca-shearing.com/
My engine runs hot… so i’m disinclined to wear alpaca sox. My SO has a few pairs, she’s not physically very active and her feet are always cold and they work for her. The way i trudge around on pastures and hills, i doubt the heels would last 10 wearings. Plus, my feet would sweat too much.
Heck, at lesson yesterday i had to take off my alpaca sweater because i got too hot (50 degrees). HA! and when i took off my sweater and one of my horses was interested in it i thought: Hey guys! Let’s Play: Pretend there’s a barn fire game:
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