About the Rugs

Detail from 3x5 all natural colored alpaca and llama rug

Every year, when we’ve sheared our sheep, we’ve wondered what we could do to make use of their beautiful wool.  We’ve sent it out to commercial mills to create rovings (from which yarn can be spun), actual yarn (VERY expensive proposition to have done commercially), and bedding (pillows, mattress pads, comforters).  We’ve created cat toys and incredible knitted and crocheted items.  Hmm, what else could we do with this wonderful gift we get from our animals every year?

Last year one of Anne’s shearing clients gave her a woven rug, made from the alpacas in her flock.  It was so beautiful!  Thick and strong and incredibly soft.  We decided to try out this idea.  We sent off 5 enormous boxes of fleeces, and instructed the weaving crew to “just be creative”.  We had no idea what would happen, but when we opened the rolled, heavy, packages on a cold January night, it was a second Christmas.

Original, rustic placemats!

The patterns of the rugs are created by the weavers.  We hand-washed and hand-dyed the fleeces.  While at the moment we are offering standard rug sizes and place mats, in fact, any size can be done:  saddle pads, runners, large room-sized rugs.   No two rugs will ever be alike.  Each one is crafted from the fleece of an animal, whose fleece next year may be a different color and texture (yes, sheep’s wool changes color from year to year!).  Each dye lot comes out just a little differently.  So whatever rug you choose or ask us to make will be your unique creation.