Go natural with Alpaca socks, yarn, gifts
Kelley Hobart | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 11 months AGO
Wow... the summer heat is upon us and thankfully our Alpacas have had their annual shearing to harvest their fiber and protect them from the heat. Our family business has three main components that work in unison to bring Alpaca and other natural fibers to consumers. First we have our herd of 17 alpacas. They are shorn once per year and this usually takes place right after the last rains and before the intense summer heat arrives. The alpacas don't like being shorn but they do appreciate the fiber being removed before the summer heat sets in. We have a number of chores to complete before the shearer arrives. We give them their annual vaccines, clip their nails and medicate them for worms. The fiber is then processed and turned into products. This year we are working with Pendleton mills to create luxurious Alpaca blankets.
The second component of our business is our website (www.AlpacaDirect.com) where we ship more than 4,000 products to customers worldwide from our warehouse in Hayden.
With the tourist season in full swing it is great to meet many of our online customers from distant locales as they visit the area and also shop at our store. This third component of our business allows us to connect with our local customers while offering our yarns, socks and apparel with a personal touch. Many customers ask us what it is like to raise Alpacas. I think of them as friendly deer. If you go into their pen and crouch down they will gather around you watching what you're doing as long as you don't look at them directly. They are sweet and rarely will spit at you but instead spit at each other to enforce their place in the herd. They are smart and easy to train. They weigh about 110-160 pounds per animal, are easy on the land, and you can have up to 10 per acre. They do not test fences and eat 1-2 flakes of hay per day. We have some wonderful Alpacas for sale so give us a call if you're interested and have a great (and safe) Fourth of July!
In case you have not heard about us, Alpaca Direct is a direct merchant of high quality yarn, apparel, gifts and socks. We carry a full line of fiber art accessories, including hundreds of needles and thousands of yarns. Our unique selection of products also includes Peruvian alpaca sweaters, hand-loomed lace scarves, performance alpaca socks, cuddly alpaca teddy bears and unique international jewelry.
Our building is handicap accessible, with ample parking and is easy to find. We are located on Hayden Avenue, just two blocks west of Highway 95 at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. in Hayden.
Our Alpaca fiber experts are on call 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visit us at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. or online at www.AlpacaDirect.com - your local destination for luxury yarn, apparel and gifts. "Like" us on Facebook and Yelp for exclusive coupons, product spotlights and news!
Kelley Hobart is the owner of Alpaca Direct.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES
ARTICLES BY KELLEY HOBART
Give the gift of warmth
As the old saying goes, "Cold feet, warm heart," but when your feet get cold, it's hard to feel jolly this time of year. For most of my life, I’ve struggled with staying warm when the weather turns cold. I remember always wearing jackets growing up and still being constantly cold until about 11 years ago when I discovered Alpaca. This was life changing for me. Finally… I was warm! I was determined to introduce the wonders of alpaca fiber to others and we had just started raising alpacas for my daughter’s 4H project. I wanted everyone to experience the warmth of alpaca apparel, but it had to be high quality and reasonably priced. My husband suggested we launch a website and a few months later “AlpacaDirect.com” was born.
Knitting for those who serve our country
At Alpaca Direct, we are always looking for ways to give back to our community. I can not think of anyone more deserving than those who keep our country safe so we can enjoy our freedom.
Elderly people give us joy and wisdom
Last Saturday we loaded up our Alpaca socks, scarves, yarn and teddy bears from our store in Hayden to attend the Home and Garden show featured at the Garden Plaza independent living retirement center in Post Falls. Our host Beverly was very gracious to allow us to be part of this very special event. They have quite a facility for our elderly community members! The best way to describe it is a town within a town. It's much like the Hilton in that you have a top notch place to live with all the amenities (Post office, gym, spa, hair salon, restaurants, activities) which are located inside of the living center area. I noticed how the guests were part of a close knit community since they live within walking distance of their neighbors and do not have to bother going outside or driving. Spending the day with these folks brought back fond memories of times earlier in my life where I spent a large part of my time with the elderly.