There was no admission fee (how great is that?) We spent a couple of enjoyable hours wandering through the arena and marveling at all the cute faces. 
There are 2 different varieties of alpacas. These are the Suri alpacas. They have long shiny locks like very soft, slightly curly hair.
And these are the Huacaya (pronounced Wuh-kai-ya) alpacas. They are fluffy like teddy bears.
They use their ears to express emotion. This one was not happy about me taking its picture and turned its ears way down around behind its head.
There was also judging taking place here.
Another cute Suri face.
This alpaca and its owner were on their way back from the show ring.
Aren't they sweet looking? We were most surprised at the different sounds they make. Mostly a high-pitched humming, but we also heard one making some little rhythmic squeaky noises too.
Here's a Suri and Huacaya together and you can really see the differences in their fleece. (also note their ears......not liking the camera at all!)
And of course, there was yarn! Lots of yarn! This vendor was my first and last stop at the expo.
And I bought this skein of beautiful blue yarn from her (400 yards!) You can't believe how soft it is.
And I bought this skein of beautiful blue yarn from her (400 yards!) You can't believe how soft it is. 
I also found this skein of 100% alpaca yarn in a gorgeous apricot color -- 498 yards!
What a fun day. I'm really glad we went and will definitely watch the calendar for next year's dates and the chance to attend again.
7 comments:
Eeee! They're so CUTE!
They certainly are adorable...('tis curious that they were not liking the cameras)...and the yarn that's spun is fantastic!
Good to see that you and Mr.J. had an opportunity to attend the event, and an enjoyable experience.
So adorable. You didn't bring one home? ;)
I think alpaca is the warmest and softest textile there is. Can't wait to see what you do with this.
Thanks for the education about the different alpacas--they are beautiful (and cute) as is the yarn from them! What a fun thing to do! And yes, funny about the ears showing that they weren't crazy about your camera!
Aren't they just the cutest things?! I have never coveted adding them to my menagerie, and think of that as setting up an expensive restaurant for mountain lions here, but I do love to visit them at fairs.
Oh Lynne, they really were. I just wished I could have petted them. I'm sure that fleece was super-soft.
Hi Stephen,
I still have those yarn hanks just sitting here on the table. I can't wait to start knitting with them. Blue beads with the blue yarn for Romi's Sakaki shawl and the apricot yarn is going to be turned into Kitman Figueroa's Batik shawl. Guess I should be hoping for more rainy weather to keep me indoors, right?
Oh Gaelyn, if I had $15 or $20 thousand I didn't know what to do with, I would invest in a few really good fleece alpacas. Unfortunately, until that happens I'll have to buy the yarn from someone else.
You're welcome Mollie. It was a great afternoon and fun to see all the different alpacas.
Hi Birdsong,
They were really neat critters. There's a Shepherd's Harvest festival coming up on May 7th that I'm planning to attend. I understand from other knitter's that this is as close to fiber nirvana I will get in Minnesota.
Ohhh..they are sooo cute.
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