Ruukin Kehräämö's Alpaca Royal collection is one of a kind

Passion for Slow Fashion

Ruukin Kehräämö’s collection of alpaca knitwear was born from a burning desire to create beautiful, long-lasting knitwear. Our goal is to make garments that are so comfortable and versatile that you will find yourself wearing them day after day, year after year. When our knitwear becomes your favorite garment, we know we have succeeded.

Shifting away from disposable fashion requires more than just timeless design. It is only possible if the garment remains in excellent condition during use. This is why premium-quality material is the key for us. The Ruukin Kehräämö Alpaca Royal collection is a tribute to the luxurious Royal alpaca fiber and its superior properties.

Photo: Alpaca Farm Tienda Molino

Warm yet breathable

Alpacas graze high in the Andes mountains in highly variable weather conditions. Snowy peaks and freezing winds are no problem for alpacas, as alpaca wool is exceptionally warm. In addition to cold and wind, alpacas also tolerate scorching heat. The excellent thermal regulation of alpaca wool is due to the structure of the fiber. Thanks to the crimp of the fiber, microscopic air pockets form between the fibers, which act like a thermostat. The medullated structure of the alpaca fiber has also been suggested as a reason for its superior thermal insulation properties compared to non-medullated wool fibers. In literature, alpaca fiber has been described as up to seven times warmer than sheep's wool (Atav & Türkmen, 2015). Alpaca wool regulates body temperature like a thermostat. Alpaca knitwear is warm in cold weather, but feels cool in warm weather. Alpaca fiber also wicks moisture away from the skin very effectively.

The thinner the alpaca fiber is, the more of it there is in the yarn by quantity, and the higher the quality of the yarn. Royal-grade alpaca fiber is the finest and softest alpaca fiber available for industrial-scale garment production. This exceptionally thin fiber is 18 microns or even thinner. Baby Alpaca, more commonly used in clothing, is 4 microns coarser.

Luxuriously soft

Alpacas are bred to produce the thinnest and most uniform wool possible. Genetics determine the quality of the wool. Thin Royal-grade fiber is rare, as only 10% of alpacas produce such fine wool. For this reason, every piece of knitwear in the Alpaca Royal collection is truly a rare collector's item—practical luxury for everyday life.

The superior softness of Ruukin Kehräämö’s Alpaca Royal products is due to both the fineness of the fiber and its long, smooth-surfaced structure. The knit feels luxuriously soft against the skin, and this softness only increases with use. Alpaca wool is naturally hypoallergenic, and because of their softness, Ruukin Kehräämö’s Alpaca Royal products are suitable for most people with sensitive skin. Thanks to the fiber's excellent thermal regulation, the knitwear does not need to be made thick, but can instead be designed to be comfortably thin and beautifully draped. The densely crimped structure of Royal-grade alpaca fiber makes the yarn flexible and lightweight. Thanks to the flexible yarn, the knitwear holds its shape well. Any indentations or stretching can easily be straightened out by steaming.

Water and dirt repellent

In the event of rain, an alpaca only gets wet on the surface of its fleece, as alpaca wool repels water. An alpaca knit is therefore the best possible garment for outdoor activities. Droplets left by a light drizzle can simply be shaken off, and even a soaked garment feels warm and comfortable to wear.

Royal alpaca is an antibacterial fiber and naturally repels dirt. It also does not build up static electricity in the same way as synthetic fibers. Cleaning knitwear from the Alpaca Royal collection is easy, and it needs to be washed only very rarely. This further extends the lifespan of the knitwear. Often, airing it out is enough to freshen up the garment, and small stains can be removed locally. If necessary, alpaca knitwear can be washed on the washing machine's hand-wash cycle or by hand in lukewarm water. Drying should be done on a flat surface so that the garment does not stretch.

Royal-grade alpaca knitwear does not pill, thanks to the long and smooth-surfaced structure of the fiber. It remains neat even with repeated use, and with small maintenance measures, it will become a trusted friend for years to come.

Renewable natural fiber

In Peru, alpacas are raised mainly on high natural pastures in the Andes, which are characterized by demanding climatic conditions and limited opportunities for other agricultural production. Alpacas have adapted to these harsh mountain conditions and use the area's natural vegetation as food (Kern et al., 2026). Instead of hooves, alpacas have soft pads, which means that their grazing puts less strain on the soil surface and vegetation than the grazing of hoofed animals. While grazing, alpacas eat vegetation without pulling plants up by the roots, which helps to preserve the pasture's vegetation. (Pilarczyk et al., 2025.)

There are also advantages in the processing of alpaca fiber. The fat content of the raw fiber is low and the washing yield is high, so there is relatively little material to be removed during washing. Less detergent can be used when washing alpaca fiber than when washing greasy sheep's wool, and the high washing yield also reduces the load on washing wastewater (Wang et al., 2003). In the usage phase of the finished alpaca knitwear, water consumption can be reduced through gentle care. The knitwear does not need to be washed after every use; often airing it out is enough. Less frequent washing saves water and energy and helps to extend the lifespan of the knitwear.

The alpaca yarns used by Ruukin Kehräämö have the Fair Trade Peru Good Practices certificate. The breeders, who belong to indigenous Peruvian peoples, take care of their small herds with respect for nature, and the well-being of the animals is of primary importance to them. Breeders receive approximately double the price for Royal alpaca fiber compared to coarser-quality Baby alpaca.

Fine and high-quality Royal alpaca fiber enables the production of thin and uniform yarn. Therefore, the knitwear in Ruukin Kehräämö’s Alpaca Royal collection is exceptionally long-lasting. The garments remain neat and structured even with heavy use. The most ecological garment is the one that is used a lot. Our repair service professionally services damaged alpaca knitwear, and when a garment reaches the end of its life cycle, the fiber continues its life through our recycling service. Alpaca fiber is biodegradable, and knitwear can also be recycled into new fiber.

A promise of quality

You will notice the superiority of Royal alpaca fiber as a clothing material the moment you try it yourself. Once you have experienced its softness and warmth against your skin, you probably won't want to wear anything else. One can happily wear products from Ruukin Kehräämö’s Alpaca Royal collection every day, and they only get better and softer with use. High-quality alpaca knitwear is like a second skin. It feels that natural and pleasant to wear.

Alpacas appear in nature in nearly 30 different colors. Our Alpaca Royal collection’s color palette follows this magnificent natural color chart. We have selected the most beautiful and practical shades of brown and gray, from light to dark. Also included is a perennial favorite, a deep shade of black, as well as a soft natural white. We always use Royal alpaca fiber as unprocessed as possible. Royal-grade alpaca fiber does not require softening finishing treatments like many wool fibers. We use available color shades undyed, and some of the yarns are dyed. The alpaca yarns we use in the Alpaca Royal collection are OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certified.

Ruukin Kehräämö’s knitwear is designed with warmth and professional skill in Mathildedahl. Depending on the product type, the products are manufactured either in Finland or Lithuania. Each piece of knitwear in our Alpaca Royal collection is a carefully finished, unique product. You can see and feel this in the end result. Ruukin Kehräämö is the only Finnish company to have been awarded the prestigious Golden Alpaca mark by the International Alpaca Association (IAA). This recognition, which guarantees extremely high quality, has been granted to only three clothing brands in Europe. Only a few companies in the whole world sell alpaca knitwear made from 100% Royal-grade alpaca fiber, and no one else in Finland besides us. We can therefore sincerely state that our products are very unique.

Sources:

Atav, R., & Türkmen, F. (2015). Investigation of the dyeing characteristics of alpaca fibers (Huacaya and Suri) in comparison with wool. Textile Research Journal, 85(13), 1331-1339. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/investigation-dyeing-characteristics-alpaca/docview/1681977130/se-2

Kern, T., Wurzinger, M., Gutierrez, G., Zollitsch, W., & Kral, I. (2026). Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a Peruvian alpaca sweater with a focus on improvement pathways for the alpaca farm phase. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 31, Article 157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-026-02730-0

Pilarczyk, R., Bąkowska, M., Pilarczyk, B., Tomza-Marciniak, A., Seremak, B., Udała, J., Matusevičius, P., & Mišeikienė, R. (2025). Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) husbandry and their welfare. Animals, 15(21), 3092. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15213092

Wang, X., Wang, L., & Liu, X. (2003). The quality and processing performance of alpaca fibres. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. https://agrifutures.com.au/product/the-quality-and-processing-performance-of-alpaca-fibres/