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.

For those of you battling the cold, we have the perfect gift to keep your loved ones warm this winter…Alpaca Socks from Alpaca Direct.

What makes Alpaca socks so special? There are a variety of factors that go into making our socks the warmest you can buy. First, Alpaca is a rare hollow-core fiber so it is naturally insulating with tubes of warm air inside each strand of fiber…kind of like a radiator wrapped around your foot. We blend this fiber with other natural and synthetic fibers to create unique wicking channels designed to transport moisture away from your feet, keeping them warm and dry. Once you try our socks on a cold winter day you’ll be amazed at how your toes stay warm and how being outside can actually be fun! We offer Alpaca Socks in a variety of styles and colors so swing by our store or visit our website and try a pair for yourself or give them to someone who could use a little warmth in their boots. For those who need a formal looking sock at the office, ask for our new line dress casual socks. We love this new sock and you will too. In addition to socks you will find unique gifts like our Handmade stuffed Alpacas, stuffed Teddy Bears or Alpaca scarves and shawls.

We are also a full service yarn shop and encourage our “knitting, crochet, and spinning family” to join us on Tuesday evening from 6-8 p.m. and Thursday afternoon 1-3 p.m. where we offer free Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa and a warm place to share the wonders of our crafting with each other. We have expert crafters on hand to help with any questions you may have and offer classes throughout the year.

Our building is handicap accessible, with ample parking and is easy to find. You can find us on Hayden Avenue, just two blocks west of Highway 95 at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. in Hayden. Our phone is (208) 209-7079 or online at www.AlpacaDirect.com.