Alpacas
Alpacas are members of the camelid family along with camels, llamas, vicunas and guanacos. There are two different breeds of alpacas – Huacayas (on the left) and Suris (on the right). Both are bred for their fibre. The fleece on Suris hangs flat in ringlets and has a silky texture. Huacaya fleece has a distinctive crimp to it similar to sheeps wool. We use both types of fleece in our yarns. Alpacas come in a wide range of colours from pure white, creams, fawns, browns, grey and jet black.
Cashmere Goats
Cashmere goats have a coarse outer coat and a soft fine downy undercoat. The fibre is harvested by combing their undercoat. It then needs to be washed and de-haired. These goats belong to Kate at Lakeland Valley Goats.
Bluefaced Leicester Sheep
Many farmers in the North West keep a small flock of Blue Faced Leicester sheep in addition to their main breed of Swaledales or Rough Fells. The wool is long, curly and very fine.
Shetland Sheep
Shetland are small, primitive sheep. They come in a wide range of colours and markings. Their fleece is fine, but is often short.