President Barb Harris welcomed 14 members to the Merry Makers seniors meeting on May 3 at Jamesway Manor. She introduced guest speaker Andrea Palmatier from Alpaca Time located south of Clifford.
Palmatier shared information about alpacas that are part of the camel family native to Peru, Bolivia and Chile. They are prized for their warm and luxuriously soft fibres that wick moisture and are six times warmer than wool. Because the fibres resist pilling and matting and contain no lanolin, the fibre is hypoallergenic. Blended with wool or nylon or acrylic, these fibres are turned into yarn for knitting socks and mittens at Alpaca Time and sold in the store.
Customers can also purchase local honey, jam and goat milk soap and imported woven fair trade products. Andrea passed around samples of the fibres, three types of socks, insoles, mittens and a teddy bear.
The group decided to book a tour of the operation for its June 7 meeting following the pot luck luncheon.
Marion Wylie, Barb Harris and Lois Hawton shared poems, stories and jokes about springtime, spring cleaning, growing old and items to carry in your volunteer change purse. The annual area seniors meeting will be held on June 8 at the Harriston Community Hall.
Happy Birthday was sung for Barb Harris and Joy Burnett.
