March 2016

We’ve been in a spin at the Coco Alpacas shop in the past few weeks- but in the nicest possible way!

We welcomed Fiona Nisbet to the shop to give us a spinning demonstration on February 18th and quite a few people came in to watch. Fiona brought her own Joy 2 double treadle spinning wheel, which folds up and is easy to carry around: she spun some alpaca fleece that she had carded and hand dyed.

There was an opportunity for the audience to join in and try their hand at spinning too. If you missed out on this brilliant demo I have a spinning wheel in the shop, and you are welcome to pop in and give it a spin yourself! I’m an Ashford dealer so I can order spinning wheels and any accessories if you want to pursue your interest further.

Moving on to the animals.

I’m pleased to report that all of my alpacas are fine. Little Heather, the cria born last year, is acquiring an incredibly thick fleece to keep her nice and warm. I’ve also been to visit Alfie and Asterix who went on loan to South Staffordshire College last August so that the students could learn all about alpacas, including how to handle them safely.
The boys seemed to have settled in well and have two other alpacas for company in their enclosure. They are surrounded by a menagerie of different animals, including sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys and ponies, so there’s a lot going on- but Alfie and Asterix adore the hustle and bustle.

Alpaca World Magazine

If you want to know the intriguing tale of how I acquired my alpacas and launched my business, we have just been featured in Alpaca World, a full-colour glossy magazine with an international focus, so now the news is travelling far and wide. Click on this link to read the story of Coco Alpacas http://www.alpacaworldmagazine.com/latest-issue/

National Alpaca Show – Telford

If you really love alpacas, then why not pay a visit to the British Alpacas National Show this weekend (March 5-6) in Telford? www.basnationalshow.co.uk.  I’ve decided not to exhibit there this year as I’m too busy with the shop, but I shall enjoy going along to see the animals.

Finally, here are some dates for your diary:

On four Wednesdays (9th, 16th, 23rd , 30th) Knitting/Crochet taster sessions will take place in the shop between 12.30 and 2.30pm. You can learn the basic skills of knitting or crochet at a cost of £15.00 for a two hour-long session.
Our sock workshop on Friday 18th March is already fully booked.

Easter Opening Hours are as follows:

Good Friday 10am – 5pm
Easter Saturday 10am – 5pm
Easter Sunday 11am – 5pm
Easter Monday 10am – 5pm

Enjoy the season as Winter makes way for Spring- something we are all looking forward to!
All the best,
Jane.