Aymara

After 30 years in the food import business Stephen and Linda Nessworthy wanted something a little different; a bit more authentic; a little more in touch with the earth. They found a 300 year old derelict farmhouse on a lovely piece of land, nestled between vineyards and mountains, just an hour’s drive from Cape Town.

They imported a small herd of alpaca from Chile, drawn to their gentle beauty and luxurious fleece and filled with ideas and excitement about all the beautiful things they would make. And so began a wonderful journey of learning – how to care for them, how to breed for volumes of long super-fine fibre and how to make yarn. Their old mill machinery has come from all over Europe, carefully reconditioned and set just right for their extremely low micron fibres. Their ‘girls’ give birth to beautiful cria in spring and autumn, and for fun they name each animal. They shear in early spring and with great delight and anticipation, grade and batch the fibre whilst imagining the finished shades of yarn and planning the end products.

Their alpaca are gently nurtured and the Nessworthys know which has contributed to each batch of yarn. They sort and wash and card and spin right there on the farm. Much of the knitting, weaving and finishing is done there too.

Great care and attention is devoted to each and every item. They hope your purchase gives many years of comfort and warmth and perhaps a little extra pleasure knowing a bit about its journey.