ABBERLEY ALPACAS

Hi, we're Iain and Anne,  owners of Abberley Alpacas.  We began our alpaca adventure back in 2015, some seven or so years after the start of Iain's secret obsession with these animals, following a conversation whilst on holiday in a hotel bar with a family who bred alpacas.   From this point Iain decided we needed alpacas and so when we relocated to Worcestershire for Iain’s job, the prerequisites for a new home included sufficient land for grazing. 

We debated starting with a few boys as pets, but instead we ended up buying four pregnant females and have gradually increased our numbers to 12 (7 girls and 5 boys).  Having arranged various ‘dates’ for our girls this Summer, we hope to expand next year if the matings have been successful and continue to term.

As well as trying to learn as much as possible about alpaca care and husbandry, I have also been learning to use their beautiful fibre.  I joined our local guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, and after the first meeting came home with the Guild’s spinning wheel on loan and spent the next few months attempting to create some decent yarn from their fleece.  I then got a Rigid Heddle Loom for my birthday and, after having the fibre processed into yarn at a mill (I am never going to make a dent in our fleece mountain spinning by hand!) I am enjoying exploring the creative potential of this simple loom, and have also started hand dyeing the yarn to add colour to the beautiful natural shades.