Alpaca socks help diabetics with cold feet

This week's blast of snow and cold weather brought many customers into our store in search of warm alpaca socks. I often get to visit with them to understand their needs. A recurring theme I hear from them is cold feet due to diabetes. As a nurse, I witnessed first-hand the toll diabetes takes on my patient's bodies. I also witnessed it in my own family, losing my brother Craig to the disease two years ago.

Diabetes is often associated with DPN, or diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Cold feet are one of the most common side effects of diabetes. People with diabetes can also experience tingling, sharp pains or cramps, sensitivity to touch or numbness of the feet. What is strange is that your feet may seem warm to the touch, but they feel cold to you. Because of decreased circulation, your body gets confused and you may feel like you need to dip your feet in hot water, but this could lead to burned feet or worse, since your nerve endings are not working properly.

There is no easy solution to this problem. My mom has diabetes and for her, a warm pair of alpaca socks worn daily and even at night seems to help keep her feeling warm. Our store in Hayden just received a large shipment of our thick "extreme winter" socks, after selling far more than we planned over the holiday season. If you have cold feet, I hope you can stop in and try a pair. It may make the difference between being cold and staying warm, as the final storms of winter finish for the season.

In case you have not heard about us, Alpaca Direct is a direct merchant of high quality yarn, socks, apparel and gifts. We carry a full line of fiber art accessories, including hundreds of needles and thousands of yarns. Our unique selection of products also includes Peruvian hand-loomed lace scarves, warm alpaca socks and cuddly alpaca teddy bears.

Our building is handicap accessible, with ample parking, and is easy to find. We are located just two blocks west of Highway 95 on Hayden Avenue.

Our store is open 10 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 - your local destination for luxury yarn, socks, apparel and gifts. "Like" us on Facebook and Yelp for exclusive coupons, product spotlights and news!

Kelley Hobart is the owner of Alpaca Direct.