Q&A

HEIRLOOM BUNNIES

Care Instructions: What if my bunny is extremely dir-tay?

If you need to spot clean or wash the whole bunny, please follow these simple steps.  Gently hand dip / wash in cold soapy water (baby shampoo or woolite for example) and rinse by dipping in fresh cold water.  DO NOT wring or twist because agitation will start to felt your bunny.  Then, simply place the bunny between a towel on a flat surface and carefully press to remove excess water as many times as needed with dry towels.  You can re-shape any parts as needed.  It is very IMPORTANT that the polyfill stuffing is completely dry.  I like to leave my bunny in the sun for a full 10-12 hour day. DO NOT put in the dryer.  Sometimes all the fiber needs is a day in the sun with some fresh air. 

What if my bunny accidentally ended up in the washing machine?

It’s not the end of the world.  You now own a quirky looking, perfectly imperfect, felted bunny that may have shrunk depending on the temperature of the water and the wash cycle. Try to re-shape and leave out in the sun to dry for the day.

My cat/dog got ahold of my bunny and some stitching is loose.

It’s ok, just use the tip of something like a needle or small scissors and push the stitch back in.

What are those coarse white hairs on my bunny?

They are NOT cat hairs.  Alpacas have a coat of down with guard hairs that are thicker than that lush fiber associated with the name.  Older alpacas develop wiry, coarser guard hairs.  Before the fiber can be turned into yarn, all the guard hairs and organic plant matter must be removed by hand in a tedious, time consuming process known as carding. We do our best to remove everything but sometimes remnants get missed.

My bunny doesn’t look like the one in the photo.

I do my best to accurately photograph the bunnies, please keep in mind computer monitors can vary.  I hope you find your bunny to be even more beautiful in person.

All the bunnies are SOLD OUT. When will new bunnies be available?

We will continue to list new bunnies as they become available.  You can follow me on instagram where I post updates. 

Why are your bunnies so expensive?

We believe in supporting the artists we collaborate with.  Their time and creativity is just as important as our yarn and the animals.  You are not just buying a “bunny”, you are helping a sanctuary herd and an artist(s) make a living.  Your bunny will be a family heirloom.

Can I custom order a bunny?

No. Each bunny is a one-of-a-kind.

SCARVES & SHAWLS

Care Instructions : What if my scarf / shawl is extremely dir-tay?

Gently hand dip / wash in cold mild soapy water (baby shampoo or woolite for example) and rinse by dipping scarf or shawl in fresh cold water. DO NOT wring or twist because agitation will start to felt your scarf or shawl. Then, simply place scarf or shawl between a towel on a flat surface and carefully press to remove excess water as many times as needed with dry towels. Lay flat until thoroughly air dried.

My scarf is wrinkled.

Just give those wrinkles a few spritzes of water and let hang to dry.

Can I dry clean my scarf?

Of course, we recommend dry cleaning or hand washing only.

Can I put my scarf in the washing machine?

No, we do not recommend using the washing machine. Some experts will tell you it is ok to use the delicate cycle with cold water on low spin.

Personally I cannot recommend this method of cleaning as all machines are different.
If you’re throwing caution to the wind, understand that you could risk damaging your handmade scarf/shawl.

My scarf doesn’t look like the one in the photo.

I do my best to accurately photograph the scarves, please keep in mind computer monitors can vary. 

I hope you find your scarf to be even more beautiful in person.

Why are your scarves so expensive?

We believe in supporting the artists we collaborate with. Their time and creativity is just as important as our yarn and the animals. 

You are not just buying a scarf, you are helping a sanctuary herd and an artist(s) make a living.

All the scarves/shawls are SOLD OUT. When will new ones be available?

We will continually add scarves as fast as they are made, taking a break over spring & summer.

Can I custom order a scarf?

Not at this time. Each scarf is a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

How do I know if my scarf is soft?

As the animals age, their fiber becomes coarser. It is still wonderful to create beautiful works of art, it just might not be as soft as what comes to mind when people think of alpacas. Baby alpaca is some of the softest most luxurious yarn on the market and can command a very high price. We are just a lil sanctuary not an award winning breeding farm. Most of our alpacas are adults with nice fiber. We appreciate your love and support in your decision to purchase a piece sight unseen. These proceeds give back to the herd.

What are those coarse white hairs in my scarf?

They are NOT cat hairs. Alpacas have a coat of down with guard hairs that are thicker than that lush fiber associated with the name. Older alpacas develop wiry, coarser guard hairs. Before the fiber can be turned into yarn, all the guard hairs and organic plant matter must be removed by hand in a tedious, time consuming process known as carding. We do our best to remove everything but sometimes remnants get missed.

TABLE RUNNERS

Care Instructions: What if my table runner is trashed from my dinner party?

Gently hand dip / wash in cold mild soapy water (baby shampoo or woolite for example) and rinse by dipping table runner in fresh cold water. DO NOT wring or twist because agitation will start to felt your table runner. Then, simply place table runner between a towel on a flat surface and carefully press to remove excess water as many times as needed with dry towels. Lay flat until thoroughly air dried. You can try the spot method using this protocol. But, if it was a really, really crazy dinner party and your runner is really dir-tay, then I would recommend letting a professional reputable dry cleaning company take care of getting your piece back in tip top condition and ready for the next shindig.

My runner is wrinkled from shipping.

You can set a book on your runner to re-train the fiber to lay flat. Stubborn wrinkles, just spritz with lil water and let hang to dry.

Can I dry clean my table runner?

Of course, we recommend dry cleaning or hand washing for spot cleaning (see care instructions).

Can I put my table runner in the washing machine?

No, do NOT put in the washing machine.

My runner doesn’t look like the one in the photo.

I do my best to accurately photograph each piece, please keep in mind computer monitors can vary.  I truly hope you find it to be even more beautiful in person.

Why are your table runners so expensive?

We believe in supporting the artists we collaborate with. Their time and creativity is just as important as our yarn and the animals. You are not just buying a “table runner,” you are helping a sanctuary herd and an artist(s) make a living.

All the table runners are SOLD OUT. When will new ones be available?

We will look into processing more core spun yarn in the future if these turn out to be a popular seller.

Can I custom order a table runner?

No. Each piece is a one-of-a-kind.

What are those coarse white hairs in my runner?

They are NOT cat hairs. Alpacas have a coat of down with guard hairs that are thicker than that lush fiber associated with the name. Older alpacas develop wiry, coarser guard hairs. Before the fiber can be turned into yarn, all the guard hairs and organic plant matter must be removed by hand in a tedious, time consuming process known as carding. We do our best to remove everything but sometimes remnants get missed.

HATS

Care Instructions: What if my hat is extremely dir-tay?

Gently hand dip / wash in cold mild soapy water (baby shampoo or woolite for example) and rinse by dipping hat in fresh cold water. DO NOT wring or twist because agitation will start to felt your hat. Then, simply place hat between a towel on a flat surface and carefully press to remove excess water as many times as needed with dry towels. Lay flat until thoroughly air dried.

All the hats are SOLD OUT. When will new hats be available?

Tom makes each hat lovingly by hand in between his FT time job. He’s working as fast as he can to keep them in stock year round. You can join our email list to be notified when a batch of new hats becomes available.

What if my hat accidentally ended up in the washing machine?

Congratulations, you now own a felted hat. It will still be beautiful and soft – just a little shorter and tighter depending on water temp and machine cycle used. Try to stretch in shape and lay flat to dry.

What is the difference between lightweight, medium, and heavy-weight hats?

Alpaca fiber is warm.  I love using a lightweight hat for working outside or going out on a windy / fall day or sunny cold winter day.

I personally consider Medium Weight best for solid winter protection or evening outdoor shenanigans  – this is the work horse hat weight i prefer when i am out chopping ice and doing chores all day.  If you live in the teens or below zero zones, a med-heavy/heavy weight is probably a better choice. I occasionally wear a heavy weight here in Texas during our freaky winter storms but then again i am always cold and the wind really bothers me.  Tom never wears a heavy weight because it’s just too hot. It comes down to personal preference so i can’t really give you a “perfect” answer here.

My hat doesn't look like the one in the photo.

I do my best to accurately photograph the hats, please keep in mind computer monitors can vary. I hope you find your hat to be even more beautiful in person.

How do you know which size to buy?

We do our best to list accurate measurements. Everyone has a different head shape and personal preference on how they like to wear beanies. I consider myself to have a smaller head so i prefer to buy a 8-9” hat for ear coverage. I can usually get a small roll in a beanie that is 10.5” tall covering a little bit of my ears. Our long hats 11” – 12”  can be folded or worn slouchy. Most of our hats fall into the 9-10” range.

Will you be making other sizes?

We will be making kid hats in the future and possibly shorter adult hats.

Can I custom order a hat?

No.

SOAP

What in the world is felted soap?

It is basically soap that is encased in multiple layers of fiber. If you are old enough to remember, it is kind of like using soap in a washcloth but even cooler because alpaca fibers are HYPOALLERGENIC, ANTIMICROBIAL and ANTIBACTERIAL.  As you use your soap, the fibers will continue to felt together and the bar will shrink.

How do you use it?

Wet and use in place of a washcloth or loofah. Scrub Scrub away.  Felting helps conserve the soap allowing it to last up to 2.5 times longer than just a regular bar of soap.

Does it get moldy?

NO, but …. Do not leave in standing water. Use common sense folks.  Alpaca fiber is highly breathable so your soap will probably dry out between use depending on how often you shower.

Why is my soap mushy?

It doesn’t take much water to start a lather with natural soap so you could be drowning your bar. Nothing wrong with squishy soap in my opinion except if you don’t like the texture. Try standing the bar up instead of laying flat.

Is it itchy?

I personally don’t feel like it is itchy – Similar to any other items you could purchase to exfoliate.

What do I do with it when the soap is all gone?

You can cut a slit in the felt and insert small slivers of soap and continue using. I personally don’t have slivers of soap lying around so this is what I do : I live in the country, love birds and gardening so once the soap is completely gone, I will cut the felt up in little pieces and toss out in the garden or in my planter box for compost or in the backyard for nest building material – NO waste, environmentally friendly.

Why is it always out of stock?

We are not in the business of selling soap. We can only produce so many bars from what we call the seconds from shearing. We only have 20 animals so that gives us about 150+/- bars of soap available around late fall to early winter. You can join our email list to be notified when soap is restocked.

Will you have other scents or fragrances available?

We believe in clean ingredients. Therefore, we do not use any fragrance in our soaps.  The base (listed on the bar) contains saponified oils of coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, kaolin clays, bentonite clay, goats milk and premium grade essential oils. I will be working on creating signature scents in the future. For now some of the scents that we have carried are Geranium Orange, Lavender, Eucalyptus Mint, Cedarwood Sage and Plain. These may change depending on demand.

DRYER BALLS

What are alpaca dryer balls?

Instead of using dryer sheets, balls create better air circulation and help prevent laundry from sticking together reducing drying times by 20-30%. Less wrinkles and softer clothes. Reusable, Natural, Eco-Friendly – sign me up!

What is the difference between wool and alpaca dryer balls?

Wool dryer balls absorb moisture and alpaca fiber wicks and pulls water away during the drying process. Tom and I have always had wool dryer balls and it wasn’t until we started using alpaca balls that we noticed a huge difference in drying time. This is my personal experience and also feedback from customers. Alpaca dryer balls are 100% hypoallergenic so they are safe and natural for everyone.  Sheep’s wool can have allergy contamination in the fiber so if this is your preference buy from a reputable company. Alpaca balls are maintenance free and never need to be washed unlike wool dryer balls they do not absorb moisture so they stay fresh and clean. We might be a bit biased now but research shows that using alpaca dryer balls is beneficial to your overall health and the wellbeing of the planet – 100% Pure, Naturally Hypoallergenic and ZERO Micro Plastics.

Do you use all three hairy balls in the dryer at the same time?

Yes. More doesn’t speed up drying time.

Why are my hairy balls different sizes and colors?

Each Dryer ball is handmade from the seconds. The seconds are all different colors. They might not be perfectly round and vary a bit in size. We try our best to make them all similar. I randomly select the dryer balls to create a perfect set of 3. Colors will vary. We can not take color requests.

My dog chewed up one of my hairy balls, do you sell singles?

We have such a limited supply of dryer hairy balls. It is just not feasible for us to sell singles at this time.

Will colored balls affect my clothes?

Nope! Color doesn’t matter at all. Loose fibers end up in the lint trap not on your clothes.

Do I need to trim my hairy balls?

Nope. Alpaca balls can start to look a little scrappy but that just means they are doing their job. They won’t fall apart like wool balls. Less attractive doesn’t mean less effective.

How long will my hairy balls last?

This depends on usage.  They can last a year or even longer.  Tom and i have been using ours for a year and a half and they are still going strong.

I'm experiencing static!

If you are over drying your clothes, you are increasing static with or without dryer balls.

Can I use essential oils on my hairy balls to scent my laundry?

Do your own research on this one folks. Personally, I do not. If i were to use essential oil I would research how to infuse your dryer balls instead of applying them directly onto the ball.

Alpaca Dryer Ball Benefits in a Nutshell:

100 % Natural
Hypoallergenic
Reduces Drying Times ups to 30%
Conserves Electricity Saving Money
Reduces Static + Wrinkles
Safe for the Planet, People + Pets

Copyright © 2023 Kari Bishop. All Rights Reserved.