to make the tops run on the spinning frames. That’s also
why we went to the small-scale Two Rivers Mill – so that
they could give it their full attention, producing the best
possible product,” Rachel tells us.
“We offer marled 4ply suri yarns, too. These are made
from 100% undyed natural suri in six colourways –
because suri, like huacaya, have different colour fleeces
from white to the fawns, browns, greys and black,” says
Rachel. “This 4ply suri yarn is perfect for making
stunning shawls and lightweight tops.”
Alpacas are known for being lovely animals to farm;
calm, inquisitive and very hardy. As their gestation is
around 11 and a half months, it’s a long wait to see the
results of any breeding decisions – a wait which is made
enjoyable by the friendly nature of the animals. “Today
we have 114 alpacas on the farm, including 39 cria [baby
alpacas] born this summer,” says Rachel. “We have had
alpacas for over 20 years and have never tired of them- they are so interesting to have around!”
The company have really excelled in this venture,
creating a successful and popular range. No one in the UK
had tried to make a large amount of suri yarn before, but
UK Alpaca had bought enough fleece over several years to
give it a go. “We have taken the suri yarns to a number of
shows now, and the reaction has been excellent, with
knitters loving the colours and the handle,” says Rachel.
Crafters who use UK Alpaca yarn, whether suri or
huacaya, have expressed a love for its softness, stitch
definition, warmth and lightness. “They also like the fact
that it is a natural fibre and entirely British – all the fleece
that the yarn is made from comes from alpacas farmed in
Britain,” says Rachel.
The future is looking bright for the business, with
even more exciting projects in the works. “We have just
launched some knitting and crochet kits, packaged
in reusable tins,” says Rachel. “And we have also
commissioned four hand dyers in the South West to come
up with some exciting variegated yarns on our natural
fawn and parchment double-knitting yarns.” We can’t
wait to see the results!http://www.ukalpaca.com1 Suri Alpaca 4ply
comes in seven
flower-inspired dyed
shades 2 ‘Orange
Beauty’ is a pattern
using the new suri
yarn, and is available
from the UK Alpaca
website 3 Chas and
Rachel, on their
farm in Devon 4 The
marled yarns are
created by twisting
together two natural
shades of suri fibreChas and Rachel
have won prizes for
their alpacas2
4
3
The Knitter Issue 144
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