From Peru with love
Kelley Hobart | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 8 months AGO
Handcrafted Teddy Bears and stuffed Alpacas create a one-of-a-kind gift for that special person
When we started our journey into alpacas 9 years ago we did not know much about the animals or the country of Peru where they originate from. Our daughter Lauren who was 10 at the time had been riding her bike down the road in front of our ranch and noticed a sign at a neighbors house advertising "Baby Alpacas for Sale." She was active in 4H and was raising bunnies for the county fair when she came running through the door that afternoon excited and saying "Mom... I want to raise an Alpaca for my 4H project!"
We always thought alpacas were cute but had never considered raising them until that day. I took her down to the neighbors house and we were able to pet the two baby alpacas. We immediately fell in love with them. My husband agreed to let her have an alpaca to raise for 4H but we discovered that they are herd animals and you need at least two or they will die of stress from being alone. So we came home with two baby Alpacas named "Lightning" and "Keeshon" and began our journey into raising Alpacas and selling alpaca products around the world.
As we grew our herd, we learned to shear the animals and work with mills to turn their fiber into artisan Alpaca Yarn. We now carry many yarns beyond alpaca and have the largest selection of yarns in North Idaho. We then made many trips down to Lima Peru to find other products we could import beyond what we could produce on our ranch as demand from our website AlpacaDirect.com far exceeded what we could produce.
During these trips to Peru we met many wonderful people who take great pride in the artisanal products they create. One of our favorite discoveries was finding quality Teddy Bears and Alpacas made from super soft Alpaca fur. Each one is handcrafted in small artisan shops by Peruvian families. We work closely with them to maintain the quality of the final product. The fur animals appeal to all ages who end up wanting a collection of them that they can name and play with. Each bear or alpaca has it's own unique look and personality.
Our partnership and connection with our suppliers in Peru goes beyond our sales. Our own herd of Alpacas has become somewhat of a trademark for Alpaca Direct and we are proudly carrying on the tradition of offering quality products to our customers at reasonable prices. We hope you can come by our store and hold one of the Teddy Bears or Stuffed Alpacas to see and feel the quality for yourself.
In case you have not heard about us, Alpaca Direct is a direct merchant of high quality yarn, apparel, gifts and socks. We stock 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 & 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 for 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 in Hayden.
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.