We visited Yellow Point Alpacas recently during a studio tour for the Cedar and Yellow Point area, an hour and a half north of Victoria. Lenie and Peter have been raising alpacas for years and they really love and care for their herd of 21. Their alpacas look amazing! Lenie told us of the great lengths they go to give them only the best food and care. Alpacas have sensitive gums and teeth so the quality of the cut grasses they eat can really affect them. Lenie and Peter give their alpacas grasses that are third cuts from fields and find this really helps keep them healthy and their fleece top quality.
Sharon ended up buying two and a quarter pounds of the best quality part of the fleece called the blanket. Once the fleece had gone through five washings, it was wonderfully soft and ready for carding. There was virtually no waste. Over the next few days some of the fleece will be carded with merino, pulled sari silk and angora to produce a lustrously soft batt for spinning.