Author: Becky

It is no surprise that folks frequently stop by to try on our hats. When you think of warm alpaca fiber, you immediately conjure images of luxurious winter wear. While it’s true we have sophisticated winter fashions, we also have a number of artisan alpaca hats that look great year round.

Which ever season your hat is best suited for, we’re offering a 10% discount on hats in store. Unfortunately, this special offer does not extend to our hats on consignment.

These hand knit, lacy hats are an excellent example of how alpaca can be light and fun. This scalloped pattern is featured on hats and scarves and is worked up with Abbott Yarns and the Eastport collection. The hat is a lighter layer that can add a pop of color to an outfit. You can wear this hat with a slouch, or you can pull it down over your ears to protect you from the autumn chill.

Other hats that are similar to this pattern are our layering leaves hat and our ribbed edge beret, which is not featured on our web store.

Many of these items are one of a kind. While there might be multiples of a design, each will be a different color. A lot of natural variation can occur with handmade items as well. For this reason, we recommend stopping by to try on our apparel. You’ll be sure to find the right style and color combination, as well as the perfect fit.

If you’re looking for something a little sturdier, or perhaps just a bit more masculine, we’ve got you covered there, too! Pictured above, you’ll see our Men’s Classic Beanies. These beanies are more tightly knit with your warmth in mind, with a double-layer band around the brim. You can find this style in two sizes.

Of course, you can always find our favored yak hat style in a multitude of colors. Right now, this particular style is available knit in soft pastels or crocheted in brighter colors. It is also available in children’s sizes.

Stop in and take a walk around the shop! We’re sure we can find you something that fits your head and your personality.

 

It took only a few, short hours for the air to turn crisp, signaling the beginning of Autumn. It’s time to reach into the back of your closet and pull out sweaters, scarves and hats. If you could use a few new accessories to update your wardrobe, consider adding PacaNaturals to your shopping itinerary! This week, our alpaca scarves are featured as our special offer; you can score a 10% discount.

These colors remind us of the leaves changing. Bright oranges and rich reds match the atmosphere of this season and will offer a nice contrast to neutral colors. The scarves pictured above are hand knit with a dropped stitch pattern. The yarn used is Abbott Yarn, an 80% domestic fiber and 20% fine wool blend.

Alpaca fiber is naturally light, and it will keep you warm without weighing you down. But if a thick scarf is what you seek, we have those too! Some garments are double knit, offering a bonus layer of warmth and comfort. Of course, we also have a few yarn collections that are a bit thicker which can add desired weight as the days get cooler.

This is the Diamonds and Purls Scarf, machine knit with the Springvale collection (a yarn blend featuring alpaca with lambs wool and silk). This pattern features a diamond created with tuck stitches. You can learn more about this scarf on our web store. Unfortunately, this week’s special offer is only available in store, so you’ll have to stop by if you want one of these beautiful scarves for 10% off.

Our special offer does apply to all scarves not on consignment, so stop by and browse our collection. We currently have more than 100 scarves in dozens of colors on display. We’re confident there is an alpaca scarf for every alpaca lover out there, but first you have to swing by and start trying on as many styles as you can grab!

Take advantage of this offer while it lasts. Scarves will be discounted 10% all week long, through Saturday, September 13th.

Have you seen these felted alpacas hanging out in our window display or cuddling up to our baby blankets? They are fuzzy, adorable, and ready to find a new home on your shelf or in someone’s crib. This soft companion is a unique gift for alpaca lovers of all ages. And this week, they are discounted 10%!

The miniature felted alpacas are needle felted by hand. They are created here in Portland with fiber grown on our farm. If you’re looking for a special gift that its 100% made in Maine, consider a needle felted alpaca.

These alpacas have some stellar hair. You might think this full head of hair sticking straight up is a detail added for comical effect, but truly, it’s not uncommon to see some funky hair styles on these camelids. Just check out this list of “25 Alpacas with the Most Amazing Hair Ever“. Another sweet detail is the heart shaped nose adorning each face. The artist exercised some creative liberty with this feature, but you can’t deny the overwhelming urge to rub noses when you notice it. Each animal also wears a unique “collar” and a tiny bell charm.

For reference, each animal is about six inches long and 3.5″ tall.

Our alpacas aren’t the only felted critters in our store. We also have a small selection of sheep and KeithFelts that are also discounted 10% this week. Each animal is one of a kind and hand made here in Maine. These critters are a unique keepsake for fans of fiber and alpacas alike.

Unfortunately, this item isn’t available online. Stop by our store to hold an alpaca in your hand!

This week, we’re shining the spotlight on our “made in Maine soap”. Each bar of soap is molded by hand using goat’s milk sourced from local farms. Your skin will feel smooth from the superior moisture provided by our Maine soap. Essential oils offer a light fragrance that keep you smelling fresh all day long. Scents vary from floral and line to sweet and decedent, allowing you to express your personal style.

Our soaps are sourced from three Maine businesses: Falling Star Farm, Liv with Roz Farm, and Sisters Soap. PacaNaturals is proud to support these local businesses, because each one likes to support our local businesses, too. We love finding products that help breathe life in our great state’s economy.

This week, you can enjoy a 15% discount on all of our soaps.

Pictured above is some of our felted soaps, courtesy of Falling Star Farm. Each bar is wet felted with alpaca fiber. Why the fiber? It takes the place of your wash cloth! Simply wet the soap as is, and soon you’ll have a suds dispenser that stays evenly lathered while bathing. The fiber feels soft and delicate on your skin, but it is actually helping you exfoliate by efficiently removing dead skin cells. You might also notice a few blemishes clearing up, too! Felted soap stay cleaner than loofahs do, preventing unnecessary break outs.

In addition to Falling Star Farm’s version of felted soap, we also have a few felted bars from Sisters Soap (pictured below). These round, colorful beauties are created with the same combination of goat’s milk and essential oils, but they are felted with fiber from the alpacas on our farm! How exciting is that?

Don’t forget to give the “German Chocolate Cake” soap a whiff! It smells so sweet and delicious, you might want to eat it. We recommend you don’t ingest any of our Maine soaps, though, even if your mouth does need a good washing.

All of our soaps are on special now through Saturday, August 30th. Stop by our store to find a scent that suits you, or grab a couple bars to keep on hand for gift giving in a pinch.

Who remembers these luxurious throws that were in our back when we first opened our doors? These blankets were the result of a collaboration between 28 alpaca farms located right here in Maine. Each farm donated a fiber from their annual clip to help create these woven throws that measure 6 feet by 6 feet. Three styles were created using the natural colors found on alpacas: one solid (pictured), one striped (also picture), and one “ombre” (not pictured).

Alpaca enthusiasts would stop in to purchase one of the blankets for themselves, and then come back a week later to get another as a gift for a friend. Our store sold out of these throws ages ago, but fans kept wanting more. We acquired a few spares from farms that hadn’t sold out yet. We also got to thinking.

Because this first run was such a success, why not do it again?

Keep reading for details about this fall’s 2014 Maine Alpaca Blanket Project.

THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW

After a successful initial run, our farm is reintroducing the Maine Alpaca Blanket Project which will create a blanket made with alpaca fiber sourced entirely from Maine farms. In June, we set up shop at the Maine Mall to collect and sort fleece. Nearly 600lbs of fiber was collected from eighteen farms, which was sent to a Maine facility to be rinsed with cool water and no harsh chemicals. We delivered that clean fiber to a mill a couple of weeks ago. It will be spun into yarn and then shipped to Brunswick, Maine to be woven into the final product.

Right now, we’re anxious to feel the yarn we’re having made. We’re designing a two-tone throw that is elegant and worthy of the fine fiber we collected. We hope to begin weaving by October 1st so that the first few blankets might be in our hands by November 1st, but we won’t have an official ETA until the yarn is with the weavers. You’ll just have to stay tuned to learn more details!

One thing we’re doing differently: this blanket will not be 100% alpaca fiber. The yarn will be a blend of the alpaca fleece and fine wool. The wool is still domestically sourced and will add extra durability to each blanket. This will be a warm throw you keep for many, many years.

WANT TO RESERVE A BLANKET?

Farms that donated to the 2014 Maine Alpaca Blanket Project will have first dibs on these unique throws, but we’ll keep a limited number of throws for sale at PacaNaturals. These blankets are available on a first come, first serve basis. Are you interested in getting on that list? Give us a call!

Are you too anxious to wait for our new blankets arriving late this fall? Head on over to our web store to purchase one of the blankets remaining from the first run.

As the spinning and weaving process unfolds, we’ll keep posting. We’re very excited to share this accomplishment with the world. It just goes to show you what we Mainahs can do when we work together.

This Week’s Special Offer

This week, PacaNaturals wants to reward all of the fashionistas out there.

The best part of any shopping spree is mixing and matching outfits. It’s no fun to try on just a pair of pants with the same shirt you put on at home. You figure, “If I’m going to stand in that small stall with poor lighting and cheap mirrors, I’m at least going to see myself looking fabulous from head to toe.” If you’re the type of person to grab several separates for the fitting room, then you’ll love this week’s special offer.

All week long, we’re giving a 15% discount on coordinated hat and scarf sets.

Stylish Scarves, Hip Hats

Most of the unique alpaca apparel in our store is created with alpaca yarn collections that are almost exclusively used for our artisan apparel. It’s easy to create a matching set that expresses your personal style. You might grab a beret knit with Abbott Yarns, then find a dozen different scarves made with the same color.

Take this lacy set for example. The Layering Leaves Hat is a hand knit alpaca hat that features an elegant yarn over pattern appropriate for all seasons. That same pattern can be found on our Layering Leaves Scarf. Put these two together, and you have a lovely hat and scarf set that is sure to fetch you some compliments.

But maybe you prefer your hair to have less flair. With this week’s special offer, you can grab our Layering Leaves Scarf and pair it with this Rolled Bihm Beanie, which is a hand knit alpaca hat worked in a simple stockinette stitch.

 

More About This Offer

This special offer applies to our entire collection of hats and scarves, with the exception of any items that are currently in our store on consignment. A matching set can be put together by coordinating your favorite color or mixing-and-matching a particular style. If you like the layering leaves pattern but hate having too much of one color, then grab a hat in Natural Abbott White and the scarf in Scarlet Red.

If you’re hoping to take advantage of our special offer this week, stop in any day we’re open! PacaNaturals is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM, as well as Saturdays from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

Unfortunately, this special offer is available only in stores and is not available online.

If you have any questions or just want to share a picture of you looking snazzy in some of our artisan apparel, send us an e-mail at info@pacanaturals.com!