..continued from Page 3 << The First Alpaca Coat I Made by Linda Berol, Farm Manager

Soon after I made my first coat, I began to observe other alpacas, particularly the younger ones. I never noticed any shivering again but I thought perhaps one or two other alpacas acted cold, heads down, sitting a lot, not eating hay; just subtle changes in their behavior.

A coat Linda made, worn by gray alpaca named Zelda

So just in case some of our alpacas needed help, I went to a thrift store to purchase additional old but good quality raincoats. I did the same thing, again and again, improving the design.

I learned by practice, and I adapted sizes, just learning by successful fittings. Now I have four patterns:

a small cria (12- 20 pounds),
a large cria (25 to 45 pounds),
a small adult (45 pounds to 125 pounds)
and a large adult (125 to 190) pounds.

Next >> Cria Needs a Coat

This article is copyright 2011 and beyond, copyright by Linda Berol. Cannot be republished elsewhere without express written permission.