Alpaca Creations: Making fiber products from start to finish

Alpaca Creations - Teresa Genaux spinning fibers

Alpaca Creations: Making fiber products from start to finish

Cameron County | Elk Country of the Pennsylvania Wilds

By Katie Weidenboerner Deppen

While some people call themselves knitters — Teresa Genaux at Alpaca Creations is committed to making great products by overseeing every step of the process, nearly from start to finish.

She and her daughter, Robin Kuleck, have over 20 alpacas which they care for, shear annually, and send the fiber on to the Pennsylvania Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association, a cooperative which processes what is sent to them by alpaca farmers and allows those who contribute to buy yarn at wholesale prices.

Teresa is a fiber expert of sorts. When the animals are sheared around May to free them from their heavy fur for summer, she manages the fleece that comes from the animals painstakingly picking out vegetation and anything contaminating it. Over the years, the life-long knitter prides herself on her ability to identify the fineness of the fiber that comes from the alpacas.

One of the things that Teresa loves about alpacas is their gentle and docile nature.

“You have to own at least two because they’re family. One will perish unless it has a mate,” Teresa said.

Like people, each alpaca has its own personality — like Lola, the exceedingly sassy alpaca who can spit impressive distances when crossed and Tally Ho, the gentle and loving ambassador who will allow children to walk her on a leash, even though she towers over them at nearly five feet tall and 200 pounds.

In her home, Teresa knits constantly, selling nearly $20,000 worth of knitted products a year. She makes hats, headbands, scarves, therapeutic socks for diabetics, felt boot inserts, baby sweaters, shawls, and other items.

For more information on Alpaca Creations, click here.

*Photos used in this article were taken by Katie Weidenboerner Deppen as part of the Creative Makers of the Pennsylvania Wilds – A Traveling Public Art Show, which was partly funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

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