Peruvian Week. Sol Alpaca.
Today I wanted to tell you about a Peruvian alpaca brand that I accidentally discovered while wandering around Lima - Sol Alpaca. As it turned out later, it is one of the most famous brands in Peru and it is earning the recognition way beyond the Peruvian borders. The store is the explosion of color and textures, you can only imagine how excited I was to find it! First of all I was lucky to see the sweater knit in vicuña yarn, as you might know the fleece of this beautiful animal is considered to be the finest in the world and, as a very friendly and helpful shop assistant told me, it used to be reserved exclusively for ancient Inca royalty. The sweater knit in vicuna is sold at over $5,000 usd, a 100 g yarn ball is around $1,000 usd. Quiet a pricey pleasure, as you can see...Most of the store was featuring alpaca, of course. Historically alpacas were of a great importance to Peruvian people, providing food, clothing and means of transport. Until the present day they are considered by the indigenous communities to be the property of the mountain gods that they have been generously loaned for this life and that caring for and preserving them are divine commandments.Sol Alpaca is selling not only ready-to-wear knitwear, but also beautiful yarns. They are so soft to touch and of a very high quality. I highly recommend checking their small yarn selection on the website - they ship worldwide! The profits from the sales are also used for Mirasol project, committed to improve the living conditions of the impoverished children of alpaca herdsmen and provide the access to proper education and health.
It was such a great experience that I am infinitely grateful for! Tomorrow I will post the last article about my trip to Peru, which was one of the most emotional and beautiful experiences of my life - see you then!! Thank you for following along!