A Trip to an Alpaca Farm

A couple years ago I took a drop-spindle spinning class at Knit Purl. The class itself was a lot of fun, and I loved learning how to spin yarn, but since that time I haven't made a big effort to continue learning. The majority of my crafty hobbies have fallen to the wayside since I returned to school in 2007. What did develop from my original interest in spinning yarn though, is an interest in the animals wool comes from. Specifically, alpacas and sheep. Because I had never seen either of these animals up close, I decided to plan a trip to a local farm.

Yesterday afternoon my Aunt and I drove out to Hillsboro, Oregon to visit the Easy Go Farm. Easy Go is owned by the wonderful Linda and Barry Bolewicz, who were nice enough to take time out of their afternoon to introduce us to their alpacas. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this encounter, as quite a few people had mentioned to me that alpacas spit at people, similar to their Camelid cousins, the camel. What I learned is, alpacas will spit, but only when they are angry, and very rarely will they spit at people. They are very shy, curious animals, and are a bit jumpy if you try to touch them without first being shown they want you to. My favorite bit was learning that an alpaca will introduce herself to you by touching her nose to yours, and after this has happened she will allow you to pet her neck or side, but not her head.

My visit to Easy Go Farm was a success, and I am very glad I made the effort to meet some alpacas in person. Linda and Barry sell fiber products from their alpacas and sheep, which can be viewed on their website, and they are also members of the Alpaca Fiber Co-op of North America.