PurelyAlpaca BLOG

New Alpaca Photo Shoots

We've been updating our look at Purely Alpaca and are working on new outdoor and studio shots of exciting new alpaca products coming this year.

Here's a sneak peak!

       

 

Making the Switch from Wool To Alpaca!

They Will Beat a Comfortable Path to Your Door

Perhaps you have heard of Reflexology, the act of applying pressure to the feet (and hands) to affect the health of the body? The idea is with the proper stimulation, you can effect beneficial and healthy change in the individual. Not having tried it, I don’t know about how well Reflexology works but I see a strong analogy between Reflexology and the humble alpaca sock.

Alpaca socks do for the alpaca owner (and alpaca industry) what Reflexology purports to do for the body, bringing healthy positive change and new awareness. With their superior qualities of comfort, warmth, strength, breathability, odor control and hypoallergenic nature, alpaca socks can be thought of as little ambassadors of good on a mission. Alpaca socks introduce the wonder of alpaca fiber in a simple yet soundly convincing manner.

Having sold alpaca retail products for a number of years I always smile with anticipation at the prospect of an enthusiastic sale when a customer says, “Someone gave me an alpaca ( ) once”. This customer already gets it! They are converts to the luxury and pleasure of alpaca fiber. They are quite pleased to have found a source for products made from this still exclusive material. They understand the value, the price and are most willing to buy.

If you are like most alpaca breeders you wish to promote your alpacas and the alpaca industry as a whole. You ache to tell stories of fine comfort, warmth and the special feel that only alpaca brings. One simple and cost effective method for delivering that message is the humble alpaca sock. With its many fine characteristics, alpaca socks open the door to your customers to think of alpaca the way we do, as a highly useful, luxurious and renewable natural fiber that is perfect for our age.

Getting your prospects into a pair of alpaca socks will get then feeling and thinking about the alpaca industry, its unique nature and your farm. If you have a farm store (or chest of goodies) it will likely lead to sales of more socks, hats, gloves, scarves and larger items. The socks will surely help your prospects to see what this alpaca thing is all about, making your animal sale prospects that much easier.

In an age when advertising can be so expensive, referrals from happy advocates of your business are nothing short of golden. With a little creativity and small expense, the simple alpaca sock can be leveraged to bring you lots of business for your farm store and farm. How do you do it? Find some talkers! Seek out pleasant people who like to chat, perhaps to a fault! Perhaps your hairdresser/barber, your favorite waitress or barista talk away the hours of their work day with friendly conversations. They stand most of the day and appreciate comfortable feet. Find people who are around lots of people and friendly. GIVE them a pair of your favorite alpaca socks! These talkers could easily be raving fans of your socks. They will also promote your farm at the same time as they promote their new happy feet!

Perhaps a family Dentist chats away, or your doctor or someone at your local grocery store that you like. Maybe it’s a fire fighter, EMT or police officer, a person who works outside and works with a lot of other people. Maybe your pastor or mail carrier or kid’s teacher would be a good candidate. Perhaps the gabbiest person in your walking or hiking club, the list of possible candidates is endless. If they know people and spend time on their feet you could have a raving fan that will tell countless people about you, the great exclusive socks you have and your farm of alpacas.

When giving away socks, it is best to pick those that can be easily washed and dried unless the recipient knows they are getting specialty (aka hand wash/no dryer) socks. If your recipient has a family or co-workers, etc,. be sure that you give only ONE pair! The others around them get to hear how wonderful the socks are and can come to you to purchase theirs.

With alpaca socks you have a fun and profitable way to promote your business, one pair of feet at a time.




Brian Schieber owns http://www.purelyalpaca.com/, an alpaca specific clothing and gift business since 2002. He’s a raving fan of alpaca products to all who will listen.

Wear the Eco-Friendly Label

We all care about the environment to some extent. Each of us has our own ways of showing it, but most of us would like to show that we care to ourselves if not also others. There are different ways of demonstrating your eco-friendliness. Maybe you separate your recycling or purchase eco-friendly groceries with non-polluting packaging. Perhaps you help your employer with their Adopt-a-Highway efforts every year, or have your own stretch of clean highway? Maybe you donate to the Audubon Society or other groups and enjoy the membership.

However you otherwise choose to give back, consider becoming a more eco-friendly clothing shopper. Not only can you help the Earth with your eco-friendly shopping, you can help yourself to become a healthier person.

What is Eco-Friendly Shopping?
Eco-friendly shopping doesn't mean that you have to stop buying meat, or live an austere life in order to save the planet. In most cases, it doesn't involve anything more than a slight shift in shopping habits, and in turn you help your family to live a healthier lifestyle.

Eco-Friendly Clothing
One way of becoming a more eco-aware shopper is to buy eco-aware clothing. Consider the many benefits of alpaca. Alpaca fiber is an awesome eco-friendly material that everyday people use and love, perhaps without completely realizing the scope of its personal and environmental healthy difference. Alpaca sweaters, alpaca scarves, and alpaca wool socks keep people warm in winter throughout the world. Luxurious alpaca blankets adorn many a bed and living room couch. Alpaca coats and wraps give one the look of fashionable comfort. They are beautiful quality products from one of the most earth-friendly animals out there.

Why the Alpaca?
What makes the alpaca so Earth friendly? The alpaca is a natural when it comes to conservation, pollution reduction and sustainability. First and foremost, the alpaca produces a pollution free fiber which they will gladly share with you as they are shorn (without harm) annually.

Alpacas, which have been determined to be the world’s oldest domestic livestock, are happy to give up their thick annual growth of dense, warm and luxuriously soft fiber as spring turns into summer. Picture how uncomfortable you would be wearing the equivalent of 3-4 heavy winter coats in mid summer! The newly naked alpaca will be bounding with springtime joy and energy after their thick fleece has been claimed for a new alpaca sweater, scarf or socks.

Alpacas are South American in origin and are very distant relatives to camels. You’ll notice this when you see their unusual running style, their “cush” sitting position, and more. It’s also evident in the lower amount of water they consume. The 160 lb average alpaca eats less per pound and their efficient 3-stomach digestive system metabolizes grass and hay more efficiently than nearly all other livestock.

Alpacas actually “cut” the grass with their unusual front incisor teeth rather than chewing it, and the roots, out of the ground like some other livestock.

Their lightweight, soft two toed foot (no hoof) is soft on the ground which reduces soil damage. Also, the other alpaca byproduct, “PacaPOO” is pH balanced and an excellent, natural, slow-release low-odor fertilizer.

The conservation continues even more so after the fiber is shorn from the alpaca. Unlike sheep wool which contains the allergen oil lanolin, alpacas are lanolin free. Lanolin is a type of thick oil which causes skin irritation in many people. It requires a harsh multi-stage detergent wash (read pollution) to remove it during processing. Not only do alpacas lack lanolin naturally, the fine and smooth nature of their resilient hollow-core fiber keeps prickly barbs from poking your skin.

Alpaca fiber comes in a whole array of colors naturally, and many alpaca products are available in natural colors. Alpaca also dyes very well and takes color nicely from plant and other natural dyes so you don't have to worry about artificial dyes irritating delicate skin or causing more pollution.

Finally, one other key factor to consider is economic as well as environmental sustainability. Tens of thousands of alpacas are raised by thousands of small family farms and ranches throughout the country. Your alpaca apparel purchases support those family farms, the products industry they serve as they raise some of the cutest, most colorful livestock you will ever see.

With all this going for them you could say, “Alpacas are Saving the Earth, One Sweater at a Time!”

See matching items HERE

By Brian Schieber
Brian Schieber is the owner of PurelyAlpaca.com, an online and catalog boutique of “Naturally Unique Clothing and Gifts” which are all about alpaca.

PURELYALPACA.COM UPDATES WEBSITE WITH NEW ALPACA PRODUCTS

PurelyAlpaca.com Sets the Spotlight on Ecuadorian Partner

La Jolla, California-2 December 2013. Significant moves within a business deserves recognition and for PurelyAlpaca.com, it’s the high time to highlight one of its milestones by setting the spotlight on its Ecuadorian Partner, INGA Alpaca.

Brian Schieber, the significant person behind the company and self-identified adventurer, excitedly reports, “Our website just expanded as we recently added alpaca products made by INGA Alpaca, one of the recent manufacturers we promoted on our page. Although this event may sound insignificant for some people, we consider having their products a milestone for our business and in promoting alpaca wool to everyone ordering from our store.” To browse for INGA Alpaca’s products, log on to http://purelyalpaca.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=inga&x=0&y=0.

INGA Alpaca

INGA Alpaca is an Ecuador-based, family-operated alpaca farm and alpaca merchandise manufacturer. The small business supply several of the new products offered in PurelyAlpaca.com with designs that certainly catch on with today’s fashionable consumers.

According to Schieber’s report, the company started as a cattle farm and currently raises alpacas despite the harsh environmental surroundings. The farm, which is situated at the mountain called “El Inga”, continued to care for alpacas the organic way.

An advocacy for tradition

Schieber says, “What we like about INGA Alpaca is how it retained tradition in making their products. Here at PurelyAlpaca, we strongly believe some traditions are irreplaceable by technology, regardless of its efficiency and the modern world where we live in right now. Among them Alpaca yarn manufacturing and knitting. Alpaca products made through traditional techniques showcase rare appeal.”

Schieber also proudly introduced how INGA Alpaca made their products. First, they obtain 100% pure Alpaca wool by handpicking superior fleece. They then manufacture them into yarns and knit the products. Instead of utilizing high-end knitting machines and techniques, local artisans made their products using ancestral techniques passed on from generation to generation since the Incan empire. Furthermore, local experts don’t treat or dye the wool. “It’s 100% pure alpaca wool from start to the end,” says Schieber.

The good thing about INGA Alpaca is its tie with the artisans. It works closely with the local experts, supporting them in practicing their traditions. Aside from maintaining traditions, the brand also support family communities located at a distance through its tie-ups with the artisans.

“We are proud and humbled at the same time with INGA Alpaca’s commitment,” states Schieber. “Therefore, we also want every buyer to learn more about our partner by promoting its products on our page. Furthermore, I also compiled several pictures of my spring adventure in Ecuador and shared it on my Google Plus page. The set consists of photos of the locality, environment, and knitting facilities, highlighting the wonderful tradition and INGA’s devotion.” You can check Schieber’s Google Plus profile here.

If you’re in search for the finest alpaca items for the holidays or outdoor activities, visit the company’s official website at http://purelyalpaca.com.

About PurelyAlpaca.com:
Established in 2002, PurelyAlpaca.com is an online store selling the family-owned alpaca products to adventurous individuals who love the outdoors deeply. The company aims to promote the comfort ideal for outdoor setting while ensuring protection against varying weather conditions.

Contact:
Office Address:
PO BOX 8598 La Jolla, CA 92038
Phone: 877-PURELYA
Email: info@purelyalpaca.com
Website: http://purelyalpaca.com/index.php