Alpaca Apparel and More
By Muriel Nelson
Visit the Whistling Pines Ranch Studio, Room 140, at the Clear Lake Area Community Center (CLACC), and you will find soft, warm apparel made from alpaca fleece available for sale. There are many kinds of socks, mittens, gloves, and hats. In addition, they have skeins of alpaca yarn and also beautiful rugs. Alpaca fleece is proclaimed to be warmer than sheep’s wool, and softer than cashmere. It is unlike other types of wool in that people with a sensitivity to sheep’s wool will not find products made from alpaca uncomfortable to wear.
Keep in mind that you’re looking at the final phase of the business when you visit Suite 140. By that I mean that Jess and Chris Fredericks, Whistling Pines Ranch owners, raise award-winning alpacas and harvest the animals’ soft, lustrous fleece from which their product line is ultimately made. Sound simple? Hardly! Let me tell you a bit of their story.
In 2008, Jess and Chris bought 3 alpacas and housed them in the garage that they modified for the animals. That’s when their learning curve began in raising pedigreed, show-winning animals. Today, they have about 35 Suri alpacas that graze their ranch and shelter in a barn built just for them.
The Fredericks anticipate adding 6 or so crias (baby alpacas) to their herd this Spring. There is significant husbandry in raising winning alpacas. That is, Chris and Jess plan carefully to breed their “best with the best”; this results in strong champion animals with the goal of each new generation being of higher quality than the parents. Once born, alpaca crias are DNA-tested to confirm their pedigree.
Chris also pays close attention to their diets. He raises the hay crops on their ranch where he can pre-treat the soil with certain amendments to provide a quality, nutritious diet. Once harvested, the hay is tested to verify its dietary value. If the nutritional value is not up to his high standards, Chris will supplement the alpacas’ food with minerals and vitamins. In summary, they pay close attention to their animals’ diets to ensure top quality coats for their fiber and outstanding animal health.
Chris shears the alpacas yearly. He indicated additional help is needed to get the animal tethered, positioned and shorn. Even though they weigh only 120-150 pounds, shearing can be a challenge and is not a one-man job.
Jess brings her knowledge as a Certified Veterinary Tech to their business. Since 2008, she has specialized in alpaca health while keeping up with all the other animal species at a local vet clinic where she works. She mentioned that there is a shortage of veterinarians in the United States who are well-versed in the alpaca species and have a working knowledge in the maintenance and treatment of this animal.
The Fredericks actively compete at alpaca shows, both the “on the hoof” and the fleece competitions as near as Madison or as far away as Colorado. They are particularly proud of Vontae Mack, their Triple Crown winner from the 2023 Suri Network competition. The almost 5-year-old male has won a long, long list of awards including banners, blue ribbons and “best in show”. Vontae Mack also touts being second in the U.S. for the densest fleece coat as determined by scientific testing. Quite the alpaca, wouldn’t you say!
A quick note or two about these cute animals that originated in South America... There are 2 breeds of alpaca, the more common Huacaya and the rare Suri breed that Chris and Jess raise. Alpacas do not require large acreage to survive. In fact, it’s possible to maintain up to 10 adults in a single acre. As Jess says, they are hardy, gentle and “easy keepers”, and eco-friendly too. Even so, there aren’t large alpaca herds in the U.S. Wisconsin has about 7,800 alpacas and about ¼ of them are Suri. The Suri have lustrous, longer-fibered and draping fleece. Suri yarns are preferred for making shawls, scarves, and luxury linens. Suri and Huacaya fleece is often blended to make the ultimate all-purpose yarn.
If we return our focus to the Whistling Pines Ranch Studio, Room 140 at CLACC, we find that they welcome customers by appointment and for special events, e.g., the Indoor Winter Makers Market Days scheduled for February 22. They have an interesting assortment of goods made from alpaca fleece. Some items are exclusively from their animals; other items are made of fleece from a consortium of alpaca owners that includes their fleece. You can contact them at info@whistlingpinesranch.com to find out more about the alpaca yarn and apparel they create and sell. You can also learn more about their business at WhistlingPinesRanch.com
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