Update 2009 May 03 - this page is going to go away. I have learned that one should do those things that one loves to do rather than the things that one thinks one should do. In keeping with that philosophy, I have accepted that I do not love sorting. I love shearing, so I'll be keeping my hand in the NAAFP world by supporting those who do love the sorting with good shearing aimed at making a sorter's life easier.

n October of 2008 I successfully completed the North American Alpaca Fiber Producers' (NAAFP) Fiber Sorter training course. So, now I'm an Apprentice Sorter who needs fleeces to sort. If you are a member of the NAAFP and need your fiber sorted to meet the NAAFP requirements, I can help and you can help me to become a Certified Sorter. But, you don't need to be a member of NAAFP to have your alpaca fiber sorted; the benefits of sorted fiber can acrue to you too.

The purpose of sorting is to classsify, by separation, all of the fiber in your fleeces into groupings of similar textile color, similar fiber diameter, and similar staple length. Doing so increases uniformity which results in superior product. An important byproduct of the sort is a detailed record of each animal's entire fleece. While the side sample that is often taken at shearing can give you rough ideas about your herd's fiber quality, sorting will provide you with much more detailed information because the sort examines all of the fleece. Knowledge of entire fleece qualities will give you a more sound footing from which to assess and implement the fiber aspects of your breeding program.

Because I am only an apprentice, I must submit samples to my mentor from every sort I do until I'm certified. This is to ensure that sorts that I do are consistent with the sorts done by other sorters.