An alpaca sweater will not pill, ball or wear thin. Alpaca sweaters are easy to clean through dry cleaning or by gently handwashing in cold water with a mild detergent and blocking to dry. A light iron provides the finishing touch.

The fineness of the fiber determines the quality of the yarn. Baby alpaca which generally comes from the chest of the alpaca is around 22.5 microns and superfine alpaca is 25.5 microns. The microns are a measurement of the diameter of the fiber.