PLEASE NOTE
Due to covid-19 rules laid out by the government, only one family bubble is allowed in the shop at any one time, and you must wear a mask and use hand sanitising gel provided.
Come and visit our Alpaca shop which is open every Weekend from 10am to 4pm. and in the week by appointment only.
You will find a large selection of quality alpaca clothing from baby clothes to adult Jumpers scarfs and hats etc.
They have made the farm their home, and use the large barn to accommodate all Joanna’s needs to process the alpaca fleece from shearing to selling it.
Either as raw fleece, hand-spun yarn or finished products such as knitted garments and soft toys, all of which are sold in the on-site farm shop.
Alpaca fibre is one of the world’s most luxurious fibres. It grows in 22 officially recognised colours and every shade in between and of course can be blended or plyed (twisted) during processing to produce further variations. Alpaca fibre is harvested once a year at shearing.
Good quality alpaca has inherent qualities – it is soft to the touch (known as handle), should be bright (lustrous for suri) and should not feel dry, rather well nourished. Alpaca fibre has fewer and lower scales on each individual fibre compared to sheep’s wool adding to the good handle & softness. Suri fibre has fewer and a lower scale profile compare to huacaya fibre. A staple length of 3+inches is most suited to commercial processing and up to approximately 9” locks of suri.
Joanna hand-knits many of the items for sale in the shop and can also give personal instruction on spinning techniques if you’re struggling.
From field to wardrobe
We stock a large range of products made from our own
fleeces, which include:
– Filled pillows
– Machine and hand—knitted garments and accessories
– Raw Alpaca fibre for spinning
Roving for spinning
Felt Mats
Felt & pre felt bats/sheets from £10
Small bags of Alpaca fleece from £2
Special offer
Large sack of Alpaca fleece at £10 each.
What is needle felting?
Felting is the process of compressing and matting fibres together to create a dense form and is one of the oldest known fibre crafts. Thousands of years ago our ancestors felted wool to create basic footwear, blankets, clothing and yurts. Traditionally, felt is made through a process called wet felting which requires wool, hot water and soap. In this process the wool is placed down in layers with the fibres running in alternate directions and hot water and soap are added. The wool is then agitated, the more it is agitated the tighter the final fabric. Wool fibres have tiny scales which interlock during the felting process.
Equipment
Felt Tools
We have a range of needle felting equipment available in the shop which include:
Needles
Needle Felt Tool
Mat
Books
