From Peru with love
Handcrafted Teddy Bears and stuffed Alpacas create a one-of-a-kind gift for that special person
When we started our journey into alpacas 9 years ago we did not know much about the animals or the country of Peru where they originate from. Our daughter Lauren who was 10 at the time had been riding her bike down the road in front of our ranch and noticed a sign at a neighbors house advertising "Baby Alpacas for Sale." She was active in 4H and was raising bunnies for the county fair when she came running through the door that afternoon excited and saying "Mom... I want to raise an Alpaca for my 4H project!"
We always thought alpacas were cute but had never considered raising them until that day. I took her down to the neighbors house and we were able to pet the two baby alpacas. We immediately fell in love with them. My husband agreed to let her have an alpaca to raise for 4H but we discovered that they are herd animals and you need at least two or they will die of stress from being alone. So we came home with two baby Alpacas named "Lightning" and "Keeshon" and began our journey into raising Alpacas and selling alpaca products around the world.
As we grew our herd, we learned to shear the animals and work with mills to turn their fiber into artisan Alpaca Yarn. We now carry many yarns beyond alpaca and have the largest selection of yarns in North Idaho. We then made many trips down to Lima Peru to find other products we could import beyond what we could produce on our ranch as demand from our website AlpacaDirect.com far exceeded what we could produce.
During these trips to Peru we met many wonderful people who take great pride in the artisanal products they create. One of our favorite discoveries was finding quality Teddy Bears and Alpacas made from super soft Alpaca fur. Each one is handcrafted in small artisan shops by Peruvian families. We work closely with them to maintain the quality of the final product. The fur animals appeal to all ages who end up wanting a collection of them that they can name and play with. Each bear or alpaca has it's own unique look and personality.
Our partnership and connection with our suppliers in Peru goes beyond our sales. Our own herd of Alpacas has become somewhat of a trademark for Alpaca Direct and we are proudly carrying on the tradition of offering quality products to our customers at reasonable prices. We hope you can come by our store and hold one of the Teddy Bears or Stuffed Alpacas to see and feel the quality for yourself.
In case you have not heard about us, Alpaca Direct is a direct merchant of high quality yarn, apparel, gifts and socks. We stock a full line of fiber art accessories, including hundreds of needles and thousands of yarns. Our unique selection of products also includes Peruvian alpaca sweaters, hand-loomed lace scarves, performance alpaca socks, cuddly alpaca teddy bears & unique international jewelry.
Our building is handicap accessible, with ample parking and is easy to find. We are located on Hayden Avenue, just two blocks west of Highway 95 at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. in Hayden.
Our Alpaca fiber experts are on call 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visit us at 1016 W. Hayden Ave. or online at www.AlpacaDirect.com for your local destination for luxury yarn, apparel and gifts. "Like" us on Facebook and Yelp for exclusive coupons, product spotlights and news!
Kelley Hobart is the owner of Alpaca Direct in Hayden.