An alpaca owner from Malin Head is giving the old tradition a modern twist by using the wool from his herd for knitted hats.
High in the hills at the Knockamany Bens with dramatic views of the Atlantic Ocean, John McGonagle’s 50-strong herd of alpaca graze and gaze out to sea.
He runs the Wild Alpaca Way, a popular visitor attraction in Inishowen, but was left scratching his head when it came to knowing what to do with the fleeces of his alpacas.
He couldn’t get a market for the 140 fleeces he had stored in his sheds, but a chance meeting with a man in the clothing trade led him to get the wool spun into yarn.
Alpaca fibres are naturally soft and silky and have a fine diameter that makes them particularly luxurious.
Mr McGonagle started to work with local knitwear designer Ailbíona McLochlainn and the idea to make woolly hats using local knitters was born.
He hopes to launch the line of alpaca beanies in the run-up to Christmas.
Originally from Glengad in Inishowen, Mr McGonagle opened the Wild Alpaca Way in 2019 with a small herd of alpacas that has grown over the years.
Most recently the alpacas have become stars of Donegal Tourism’s advertising campaign alongside Downings-based influencer Eric Roberts.
While the animals are usually to be found high in the Andes where they are able to survive temperatures of -25C, Mr McGonagle’s herd has a whole hillside to graze and roam on and must only contend with relatively mild Donegal winters by comparison.
Spinning wool for yarn has deep roots and a proud tradition in the county.
The alpacas are different colours, but we’ll blend it together until it becomes a beautiful taupe
Few houses wouldn’t have had a spinning wheel and during the long winter, it was customary for people to spin wool into fibres which were used in the famous tweed industry.
Autumn berries, lichens and leaves would also have been used to dye the fabric.
It was the very essence of a cottage industry which grew into a larger industry putting Donegal on the international clothing manufacturing map.
It is this very modern iteration of an ancient craft that Ms McLochlainn is excited about. Originally from the US but now living in Moville with her husband and their five-year-old daughter, she’s a big fan of working with local yarns.
“Wool really is a wonder fibre – it’s temperature-regulating and water-resistant depending on how you knit it,” she said, pointing out that the sustainability of local yarns is also a unique selling point.
“With the hats, they’re going to be one colour.
“The alpacas are different colours, but we’ll blend it together until it becomes a beautiful taupe which taps into the minimalist, neutral aesthetic.”
While Ms McLochlainn will design the new line of hats, they will be knitted locally by a team of 10 knitters from all over Inishowen sourced by Mr McGonagle.
She believes that people are now much more curious about where their clothes come from, that they don’t simply want anonymous labels. She says they want to know the story and origin of what they wear.
“I think people are starting to realise just how disconnected everything is and they want to feel a connection to the land,” she added.
