May 2017
Get your knitting needles out and your creative hats on- this Saturday (May 6th) is Yarn Shop Day, a great opportunity for us to celebrate the great British wool shop.
Knitters and crocheters are invited to join us at the Coco Alpacas shop (9, High Street, Church Stretton) for oodles of fun and creativity. You will be able to crochet a mermaid, create a unicorn, or knit a hat for an Innocent Smoothie bottle in aid of Age UK (more information on the day). The patterns you need for these projects will be available on Saturday, and will include a stunning blanket designed by Debbie Bliss.
We will also be selling West Yorkshire Spinners’ award-winning Signature 4-ply yarn, a vibrant self-striping print. This is a strictly limited edition to celebrate Yarn Shop Day and will only be available from participating shops, so don’t miss out! We took part Yarn Shop Day last year and everyone had a great time.
During the day, there will be special offers and discounts on all of our yarns, felted gifts, alpaca socks and knitting and crochet accessories.
A celebration event of this type reminds us that independent wool shops are an important part of our national heritage and need your support all year round. In a brick-and-mortar wool shop (instead of a virtual one) customers can see and feel the quality of different knitting yarns and receive free-of-charge, personal advice on their creative projects- it’s a great way to pick up handy knitting tips while you shop.
Pretty Muddy Obstacle Race
On the same day (May 6th), a small team from Coco Alpacas will be taking part in the Pretty Muddy 5K Obstacle Race at Weston Park, Shropshire, in aid of Cancer Research UK. If you feel like supporting the team then please follow the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rachel-Finch-Lees
Annual toenail trim (not for humans!)
All the alpacas had a bit of an MOT in April – they were wormed, weighed and had their toenails trimmed. I’m happy to say they all passed the test, much to the alpacas’ relief as well as ours. Some alpacas are better than others at having their toenails trimmed – certain individuals don’t like it at all whereas others are very good!
Shearing is booked for the end of June which is not long now. It will be a great day for some of the alpacas who have very long fleeces. While the cooler temperatures we’ve had recently are perfect for alpacas, the weather will soon be getting warmer and it can be very uncomfortable under a fleece in baking temperatures.
Learn to crochet with us!
We are holding a basic crochet workshop at the shop on Sunday, May 7th from 1pm until 4pm. This session is suitable for complete beginners. By the end of the workshop you will know how to do basic stitches – chain, slip, double and treble.
Learn to Weave
On Wednesday, May 31st, we are going to have a weaving day at Coco Alpacas for everyone to try out their weaving skills on different looms. This event is suitable for beginner and novice weavers.
Dates for the Diary
Friday May 5th – Shrewsbury Market in the town centre, 9am – 4pm
Saturday May 6th – Yarn Shop Day
Sunday May 7th – Basic Crochet Workshop held at the shop 1pm – 4pm
Thursday May 11th – Visit our stall at Ludlow Market, Castle Square, from 9am – 2pm
Wednesday May 31st – Weaving Day