It's official, I have a blog and I know how to use it.

Welcome to our first blog! We are extremely excited about our new business, there are still many things to get set up and organized but we are making progress.

Our vision for Laslyn is to be a leader in the sustainable fashion industry, to educate about and promote sustainable fashion. Laslyn will manufacture high-end, Canadian-made fabulous felted alpaca products, in both clothing and home decor.

Doug had been interested in the FeltLOOM for some time but Carolyn wasn't convinced it was the right way to go. After receiving a last-minute invitation to attend a two day workshop at FeltLOOM in Kentucky Carolyn decided to go and check it out for herself. After about 4 hours at the workshop Carolyn knew the FeltLOOM had great potential to change the way we do business, in fact a way to start a new business, this business Laslyn!

This business isn't just about making money; it is about working with other alpaca farmers and likeminded people, it’s about being responsible for our environment, being sustainable.

In the beginning, all the products will be made from our own alpacas’ fibre, however as we grow we will start to purchase alpaca fibre from local farms. Purchasing from other alpaca farmers helps them to sell their fibre at a fair and reasonable price and allows us to know exactly where the fibre originated.

WHY ALPACAS?

Alpaca is an ethical luxury, alpacas need to be sheared yearly for their health; this is done in a safe manner and the alpacas are not harmed at all. We shear all our alpacas ourselves, we also shear for several local alpaca farmers.

Alpacas are very green - environmentally friendly animals from start to finish. They are easy on the land, they don't tear it up with their feet, they nibble the grasses they don't eat it right down and pull out the roots. They are very fuel-efficient as they chew their cud to obtain every bit of fiber and nutrient out of the hay as possible. Their manure is terrific for adding to your garden, small compact beans that break up over time releasing nutrients for your plants. It can be used fresh or composted.

BENEFITS OF ALPACA FIBRE

Alpaca fibre has so many benefits to it: easier to clean, hypoallergenic, warm, soft, breathable, wicks away moisture well, doesn't absorb odours easily, is fairly wrinkle resistant, light weight, and all grades of fibre have a purpose. The finer grades of fibre are used for clothing that will be worn directly against the skin, the coarser fibre will be used for insoles, dryer balls, duvets and rugs.

When it comes to preparing and producing alpaca products again it is very eco-friendly and sustainable.
Alpaca fibre does not contain lanolin, making it very easy to wash, no need for lots of very hot water and harsh cleaning agents to get the lanolin out of the fibre. Luke warm water with any mild soap or shampoo can be used to soak and wash the fibre, then it needs a couple of rinses to be sure all the dirt is out and you are ready to air dry it. Using the FeltLOOM is a fabulous way to make our products as no chemicals are used in the manufacturing of the products and all waste and byproducts are biodegradable. Some of the waste such as off-cuts can even be used in other products like felted dryer balls.


BUY LESS BUY BETTER

We keep seeing reports of microfibres in the oceans killing all types of aquatic life, landfills that are overflowing; sadly we have become a disposable society. Alpaca fibre is biodegradable so it will break down in the environment.

When we see a new style shirt we like, we buy it, often in more than one colour - but we don't think about where that shirt came from, how it was made, what is the content of it, how long will it last, where will it end up?

We need to learn to Buy Less and Buy Better. Alpaca clothing will last and be wearable for years even decades. We are often hearing from people at the markets about an alpaca coat or sweater they bought in the 50's and it is still great. Carolyn's been wearing just two pair of alpaca socks for 5 years and they are still going strong. Alpaca sweaters can be re-purposed into pet beds, up-cycled into wall hangings. When the time comes that an alpaca product can no longer be worn or used it can be put into the compost as alpaca is biodegradable, be sure to remove any buttons or zippers first though. Alpacas have a very small environmental foot print.

We look forward to sharing more about Laslyn and our new products as they are developed.

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