The Finest Fiber in the World.

This is it: the finest and most luxurious fiber in the whole world. Vicuña are the wild ancestors of domesticated alpaca, and their wool is the finest natural fiber in existence. The Average Fiber Diameter (AFD) is only 12 or 13 microns, and many fibers measure only 7, 8, or 9 microns. Touching vicuña fiber is like touching a cloud. We source this unique wool from a mill in South America, and the supply is extremely limited. Most of the annual harvest is bought up by the elite Italian fashion designers, who turn this same fiber into luxurious yarns, scarves, suits, and jackets. We are making raw vicuña fiber available for the very first time for hand-spinners and fiber artists. Please note that wild vicuña fiber has a short staple length; the individual fibers measure between 1 inch and 1.5 inches long, so extra care is required when spinning.

To learn more about vicuña fiber and the vicuña trade, please check out the Frequently Asked Questions on our main vicuña page.

* All Shepherd Textiles vicuña products are imported under license by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Our vicuña is fully traceable to healthy wild populations listed in Appendix II of the treaty. Please note that all sales of vicuña products are final. Also, note that vicuna products cannot be shipped internationally, neither by us nor by third-party shipping consolidators.

A Shepherd Textiles exclusive. Llamas are the largest camelid species native to the New World. They are prized as pack animals and also as guardians of sheep and alpaca. Llama fleeces combine a soft downy fiber, similar to alpaca, with a small number of longer guard hairs that give the finished yarn excellent strength and durability. We imported this gorgeous natural roving direct from the mill in southern Argentina, where enormous herds of llama still graze in Patagonia and the pampas. Rather than having it dehaired like other fiber vendors, we asked the mill to leave the dual coat so we could take advantage of llama’s natural texture. We had it independently tested at a fiber laboratory in California to confirm that the average fiber diameter (AFD) is only 25 microns, with a staple length of 6”. Our llama is softer than well-known sheep breeds like Corriedale or Lincoln, but the dual coat makes it warmer and stronger than wool. Llama is also a superlative felting fiber, wet or dry, with very little effort. This gorgeous roving is versatile enough for any project, whether it needs to be soft, durable, or both at the same time.

Alpaca is one of our favorite fibers to work with. Good alpaca is amazingly soft, and the hollow fibers make it warmer than wool. It is also more durable under tension than merino. That makes it especially enjoyable to spin, and the yarns hold up well during weaving. We wanted to source the very finest alpaca available, so we imported this beautiful baby alpaca roving directly from the mill in Arequipa. “Baby” refers to the fineness of the fibers, not the age of the alpaca, and baby-grade alpaca is as soft as a cloud. Shepherd Textiles Peruvian Baby Alpaca has been independently analyzed by a fiber laboratory in California to confirm that it has a fiber diameter of 20 microns. This roving is wonderfully light and fluffy, and it comes in gorgeous natural tones. This is luxury alpaca fiber from the finest Andean herds. It is unavailable elsewhere in the United States. We hope you enjoy working with it as much as we do.

This beautiful, exceptionally soft merino is the finest grade of wool roving available. At 14.5 microns, it is nearly as soft as cashmere, and it spins into incredibly soft yarns. If you’re cautious about wool because of a bad experience with a prickly sweater, try this merino—it’s an entirely different experience. Only a small fraction of merino fleeces are this fine, and most of them are immediately purchased at auction by designer fashion houses. Our ultra-fine merino roving is the same grade of fiber used to make Super 180s and Super 190s suits, now available for hand-spinning and felting. Dyed in Italy by DHG.

Our Peruvian Royal Alpaca combed top is imported directly from the mill in Arequipa. This is the finest grade of alpaca produced at the most advanced mill in South America. Fewer than 1% of all alpaca fleeces are graded as “royal,” which means the that average fiber diameter (AFD) is only 18 microns. It is only available in white, because only white-fleeced animals have been selectively bred for decades to achieve this degree of softness. And it really is buttery soft, with a hand like cashmere, but it has a good staple length of 4-5” that makes it pleasant to spin. A great choice for super-soft yarns that will be durable enough for weaving, knitting, or dyeing, but also enjoyable for against-the-skin wear.

Product of Peru. Independently analyzed by a fiber laboratory in California to confirm the average fiber diameter (AFD) of 18 microns.

One of our best sellers! Shepherd Textiles Tussah Silk Roving is a gorgeous, high-luster fiber harvested from the cocoons of tussar silk moths. Unlike mulberry silk moths, which have been domesticated and selectively bred for thousands of years, tussar moths still retain their wild form and produce strong, durable silk. Our Tussah Silk Roving is the lightest, fluffiest tussah silk sliver we’ve ever found. With a staple length of 5” and a light, open texture, it is perfect for spinning. Our natural white tussah silk is also popular with soap-makers—a few pinches dissolved in lye and added to homemade soap will give it a luxurious, silky feel. Try this fiber and experience just how soft wild silk can be.

Camel down is a luxurious fiber that comes from the soft, fine inner coat of a Bactrian camel. It can only be collected a few weeks a year when the camel blows its coat, so it is rare and highly prized. Bactrian camel has a gorgeous natural sheen that stands out amongst all the other fine downy fibers. Our baby camel is the finest grade available—most camel fiber on the market has a micron count in the 20s. This is a wonderfully light, fluffy roving with a 3” staple length, which makes it pleasant to work with.

Shepherd Textiles Wild Madder Extract is made from the wild-growing roots of Rubia tinctorum, the true Turkish madder. Historically, madder was the most important of the natural red dyes because it gives deeply saturated, lightfast shades of red. However, raw madder roots are extremely complex: they contain a variety of anthraquinone dye compounds, including yellow, brown, and purple pigments, which can shift the color of the dye bath. Our Wild Madder Extract contains fewer of those compounds and a higher proportion of the red pigment alizarin, which makes it possible to consistently produce beautiful, clear scarlet shades. Just 5% weight-of-fabric (WOF) will produce intense reds on fibers that have been thoroughly mordanted with alum. One ounce of extract will dye up to a pound of fiber to deep red, or up to two pounds to pale pink and peach colors.

Before using, please read our Guide to Dyeing with Wild Madder Extract for color recipes, background, and safety information.

Product of India. Produced by a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified manufacturer.

Shepherd Textiles Cochineal Extract Carmine is produced in Peru at the same farm that supplies us with our dried cochineal grains. More than 4,000 cochineal insects are used to make each ounce of extract and it contains 52% carminic acid by weight. Carmine is the oldest and best-known form of cochineal extract; it is simply carminic acid that has been solidified as a pigment or color lake, often with alum, although a variety of different methods are used. Carmine has been used by dyers since the 17th century when it was chiefly employed for printing calicos and dyeing thin silks. The advantage of carmine is that it expresses the bright red color of cochineal combined with aluminum (pure carminic acid is a dull brown-purple color); the disadvantage of carmine is that, since it is a pigment or lake, it is not entirely soluble except at high pH and it does not perform well on cotton or with other mordants. Nonetheless carmine remains the most common form of cochineal extract in use today and it is widely distributed in food (soft drinks, candies, sausages), cosmetics (lipstick, creams and ointments) and the arts (oil paints, soaps). Use at 3-5% weight-of-fabric on wool mordanted with alum for fuchsias or cherry red. Before using, please read our Guide to Dyeing With Cochineal Extract for color recipes, background, and safety information.

Please note that we have recently released a new form of cochineal extract called Cochineal Extract C.A. Plus™ that contains carminic acid in its most soluble form. Unless you prefer to use traditional carmine for historic reasons or for specific purposes like steam-printing, we recommend using the new Cochineal C.A. Plus™ for dyeing textile fibers.

Product of Peru.

Shepherd Textiles Marigold Extract is made from the edible blossoms of the Aztec Marigold, tagetes erecta. The petals of Aztec Marigolds contain a powerful carotenoid dye called lutein, the same compound that gives egg yolks their color. Lutein has a strong affinity for natural fibers, and it makes an excellent textile dye. Use at 5% weight-of-fabric (WOF) for rich sun yellow shades on fibers mordanted with alum; a copper mordant will shift the color toward ochre, and iron toward olive green. Marigold is substantive to animal fibers like wool and silk and it can be applied without a mordant, although the resulting shades will be a little more pale. Our Marigold Extract is produced sustainably in India from surplus marigolds grown for temple offerings.

Before using, please read our Guide to Dyeing with Marigold Extract for color recipes, background, and safety information.

Product of India. Produced by a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified manufacturer.

Shepherd Textiles Royal Logwood Extract is made from the heartwood of haemotoxylin campechianum, the Campeche Logwood tree. Logwood contains a potent dyestuff called hematein that has a strong affinity for all natural fibers, rapidly dyeing them shades of purple, blue, and black. It dyes equally well on wool, silk, cotton, and linen, and gives deeply saturated shades. Our Royal Logwood Extract is manufactured in the USA from sustainably harvested Mexican logwood. The wood chips are steamed at high heat to extract the hematein, which comes out of the wood as fine reddish-brown crystals. The crystals are carefully collected and ground to a powder to make Royal Logwood Extract. This is the strongest, purest expression of logwood, and it is extremely potent. Use at 2% on alum-mordanted fibers for royal purple; 1% on copper-mordanted fiber for denim blue; or 4%-5% on iron-mordanted fiber for black.

Before using, please read our Guide to Dyeing with Royal Logwood Extract for color recipes, background, and safety information.

Made in the USA.

Shepherd Textiles Gum Arabic Extract is made from the bark of the Egyptian acacia, acacia nilotica. The tree is more commonly known as the Gum Arabic tree because of the sticky resin the tree exudes. Gum Arabic is widely used as a food additive and stabilizer, as well as a binder for paints and even as incense. The bark of the Gum Arabic tree is also rich in natural tannins, and it has been used for thousands of years for tanning leather. When used as a fabric dye, it gives pleasant, light-fast tans and chestnut browns. Because it is so rich in tannins it is substantive to all natural fibers, and can be used without a mordant for less saturated shades. Gum Arabic can produce softer, more neutral browns than the related species cutch (acacia catechu), which makes it useful for tanning cotton before mordanting it and dyeing it with other colors. Use at 5% weight-of-fabric (WOF) for sandy tans; add a little iron near the end of dyeing to shift the color to chocolate. Use at 2%-3% weight-of-fabric to tan cotton before mordanting. Our Gum Arabic Extract is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and is appropriate for use on fibers that will be labeled “organic.”

Before using, please read our Guide to Dyeing with Gum Arabic Extract for color recipes, background, and safety information.

Product of India.

Shepherd Textiles Mulberry Leaf Extract is made from the natural chlorophyll found in the leaves of morus alba, the common mulberry tree. Chlorophyll itself is a poor textile dye because it is insoluble in water and turns brown when heated or exposed to sunlight. However, when dried mulberry leaves are cooked in a weak mordant bath of copper sulfate, the chlorophyll bonds with the copper to create stable sodium copper chlorophyllin. Chlorophyllin made from mulberry leaves is a dark green powder with a strong smell of green tea. It dissolves easily in water and keeps its brilliant green hue, even when heated. Chlorophyllin binds quickly to fibers that have been well-mordanted with alum. Use at 5% weight-of-fabric for medium hunter greens, or 2% for pale jade greens and lime greens.

Before using, please read our Guide to Dyeing with Mulberry Leaf Extract for color recipes, background, and safety information.

Product of India. Produced by a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified manufacturer.

Shepherd Textiles Sappanwood Extract Natural Dye is made from the heartwood of the sappanwood tree, caesalpinia sappan. Sappanwood contains a powerful dyestuff called brazilin that produces beautiful shades of candy red and dark mulberry wine. Europeans first encountered brazilin in a related species, the brazilwood (paubrasilia echinata). However, the dye was so highly coveted for the beautiful reds it produces that South America’s forests were almost totally cleared of brazilwood by the beginning of the 19th century. Sappanwood contains the same dyestuff, but it is managed and harvested more sustainably in South Asia. Our extract is a concentrated form of the heartwood and is very strong. Use at 5% weight-of-fabric (WOF) on fiber mordanted with alum for medium reds, or 10% for very dark shades. Adding an alkaline modifier to the dyebath will shift the color toward purple, and an iron mordant toward ruddy purple-reds.

Before using, please read our Guide to Dyeing with Sappanwood Extract for color recipes, background, and safety information.

Product of India. Produced by a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified manufacturer.

In partnership with the Mujeres Tejedores weaving cooperative in San Pedro la Laguna, Guatemala, Shepherd Textiles is proud to offer this line of naturally dyed Mayan cotton yarns. These yarns are spun entirely by hand on a drop spindle, directly from local cotton bolls. Each skein is then dyed using fruits and plants indigenous to the mountains and lowlands of central Guatemala. The colors come from coffee husks (dark brown), guava seeds (mauve), indigo leaves (blue), eucalyptus bark (grey), Campeche logwood (purple), mint and chilca (green), and cochineal (red and pink). Each skein takes hours of work to spin, ply, and dye. These are the very same yarns, made in the very same way, that Mayan artisans have been using for thousands of years. This is a very thin yarn (40/2) intended for hand-weaving, and it is suitable for both warp and weft. We buy these to use for our own weaving projects, and we are making the yarn available as well. Each mini-skein weighs 22g. Sold in sets of 3 (66g/2.35oz. total).

This soft cotton fabric was woven on my Macomber floor loom. It is tightly woven, durable, and will stand up to repeated washings and dryings. You will receive a pair of 12” x 16” cotton hand towels, cut to order from the main bolt and professionally hemmed. Add a touch of spring color to your home with these unique hand towels.

Handwoven on a Glimakra wooden loom. This beautiful, soft, 100% wool blanket was made using sport-weight 3/8 yarn sourced from a mill in Maine. The colors were inspired by the wild berries on my family’s old property in Freeport, where blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries grow abundantly every spring. The color-block design was woven in twill to create an elegant plaid pattern. This wool blanket is the perfect size for wrapping up on the sofa while you read a book or watch TV, and it will keep you warm on cool nights. 5’ wide by 6’ long—the fringes add another 6” on each side. Weighs 3 lb, 2 oz. Machine wash on delicate (cold water, low spin) and hang up to dry.