Keep kids warm with alpaca knitwear
Kelley Hobart | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 3 months AGO
Winter is almost upon us, and I hear that it is going to be colder than last year with a more than average snowfall. For those of us with little ones in our lives, this gives us a chance to help keep them warm through the winter.
One of our wonderful employees just welcomed another grandchild into her family. She has been working diligently at knitting the cutest baby blanket made from machine washable merino wool. Since she is a beginning knitter, I agreed to knit her new granddaughter a bonnet and hat with matching booties. The hat is made from royal alpaca (which means that it is even softer than baby alpaca and less than 20 microns in diameter) and the bonnet is made from superwash wool and an alpaca cotton blend. What lovely yarns for the little ones to keep them warm!
The alpaca products must be hand-washed, but are well worth the extra care due to the properties of alpaca. It is one of the only natural hollow core fibers in the world. The hollow core means the air is trapped inside the fiber and is self-insulating - think of a down comforter and you will get the idea. I could go on and on about the benefits of alpaca, but suffice to say that your alpaca garment will be the warmest one you own.
For the little ones, I designed a matching hat and booties set for a newborn with just one skein of silky soft alpaca yarn. Stop by our store in Hayden as we have many new yarns arriving each week, and samples to inspire you. We have many projects in the works that make great gift ideas. One project is a stylish hat and cowl set to match your favorite team colors for the chilly nights on the sports field. We are here for you if you get stuck - we can help get you back on track to complete your project. If you aren't knitting now for Christmas, you should be! So come on over and let our friendly staff get you started on a project now, then join our Open Knitting groups for some uninterrupted knitting time so that you can get them finished. I wish you all many enjoyable hours knitting and creating heirlooms to cherish!
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 and cuddly alpaca teddy bears.
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 in Hayden.
Our store is open 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.
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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.