“I’ve had to become braver in terms of medical issues,” says Van Effen. They quickly discovered the realities of full-time farm life. The mill produces approximately two rugs a day and 40 per month. “We show the babies and if they do really well, we may show them the next year,” says Van Effen. Some participate in shows such as Alpacapalooza, an annual event held by the Alpaca Association of Western Washington. Van Effen is on the board of Cross Creek Alpaca Rescue, a Tenino non-profit and at La Vida, the herd is a combination of rescue animals, those born on-site, and animals the couple has bought. If you want something with loft and insulation, you choose huacaya.” “If you want to make a garment that drapes, like a beautiful dress shawl, you choose suri. Each fiber has scales, Van Effen explains, which lends itself to different types of material. They come in two varieties: huacaya, whose fuzzy coats produce a dense, soft, and crimped fiber, and suri, which have soft, shiny, and slightly curly coats. In the Andes where they originate, the animals have long been used for their fiber. Alpacas come in two varieties which yield different types of fiber.
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February 2023
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