The journey of Alpaca With A Twist began with a weekend trip to the local fairground. After a 45 minute conversation with an alpaca breeder about their no kill, low maintenance animals, I was sold. Soon after that, Copper Ridge Alpacas was born and I soon found myself with a herd of 38 alpacas that won numerous awards and a few even became known by alpaca breeders nationwide. The alpaca fiber was burning a whole in my “creative pocket” and became my introduction into the world of fiber arts. I had been taught by my grandma to crochet and make pom poms but soon found myself spinning, dying, knitting, weaving, felting and so much more.

I left corporate America and a job as a fundraising coordinator in the fall of 2002 to work for the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America & their brand, America’s Alpaca, where I quickly saw the opportunity that alpacas opened up to the fiber enthusiast. I was the marketing & sales coordinator for the company which sold both yarn & apparel to wholesale and retail customers. Working for a small company gave me the opportunity to be involved with all aspects of the business, and I spent an increasing amount of time with the yarn division including functioning as a sales rep. Soon after the yarn division went up for sale and I wanted to take it to the next level. However, my bid wasn’t accepted and after regrouping and coming up with a new plan Alpaca With A Twist was born.

Today Alpaca With A Twist yarns are in yarn shops all throughout the country. Our products have appeared in numerous books and magazines and we have a developed a collection of over 75 patterns. While the business is growing and evolving from the original yarns that got us here, we haven’t forgotten about the animals that made our journey possible. The herd is much smaller these days but the alpacas can still be seen at shows throughout the country. Being an alpaca breeder makes me strive for the best possible product with the goal of one day having as much alpaca on yarn stores’ selves as there is wool today.