The alpacas came to Ribbon Circus yesterday, culminating children from 1 year to 72 years old getting rather excited... and I was one of them. I've been stocking alpaca yarn from a local herd for a few months, but I was so lucky when I suggested they bring the alpacas to the shop for a day, Julie and Shuan didn't bat an eyelid, didn't even suggest this was a strange request, just asked "When shall we do it?"
And so 4 beautiful camelids arrived on Saturday morning and enchanted Hebden Bridge, making people late for work, creating a few parking tickets and causing a hub-bub as people debated which was their favourite baby alpaca (how could you choose?) If you've got a spare half an hour or so on a Saturday morning, I can highly recommend sinking your hand into the soft fleece of an alpaca. Oh! the joy.
The history of the alpaca in Yorkshire goes back to the Victorian era, as the wealth of Saltaire was founded on the animal when Titus Salt bought some cheap bales of their fleece, and then discovered what an amazing cloth it created. Now, knitters go mad for alpaca yarn... not only is it incredibly soft, but because it's hollow, the yarn is light and warm. Interestingly, even people allergic to sheep's wool can wear alpaca. Why aren't we all alpaca mad?
