An excerpt of the SAABS May 2019 Newsletter
as well as input from the Mukuti Stud Team
A number of us were kindly invited by Lorna Ramsden of Willowbrook Alpacas to join in and share National Alpaca Day celebrations at her lovely Ohio Farm in Noordhoek, Cape Town. Lorna is on the main Noordhoek road en route for Chapman’s Peak Drive – a well used tourist route.
Most of us familiarised ourselves with the layout on Friday afternoon and dropped off our katundu before returning at crack of dawn on the Saturday / Sunday to set up our tables before the first punters arrived.
Well advertised via social media, local papers, posters, word of mouth and any other way, this whole weekend event was well attended. I think Lorna has given up counting cars now but suffice to say that cars were parked shoulder to shoulder in her large roadside field.
Yarns, garments and other alpaca related products were displayed for sale by Quenti Mill & Cape Alpacas, Stonehill Originals, Helderstroom Alpacas . Manfred and Verena Hinsch of Mukuti Stud presented some lovely yarns, beanies, gloves, soaps and a hanging rail of enticing knitwear.
Volunteers of the Cape Guild of Weavers were there to demonstrate weaving on traditional hand looms and hand spinning on wheels and drop spindles.
The weather couldn’t have been kinder to us as the crowds poured through.
A public event of this size takes a huge amount of organising and our thanks go to Lorna and her team at Ohio for generously inviting us all to show off what we enjoy most.
We had a fabulous time interacting with crafters, people interested in our home-grown products and the alpacas, as well as meeting and greeting ‘old’ friends … and making new ones.
Our gratitude goes to Lorna for giving us the opportunity to participate in this big Alpaca event; thanks also goes to all ‘behind the scenes’ – last, but certainly not least, we thank all who visited our stand, chatted, exchanged ideas and supported us.