The Woolen Sock Project

These cozy exotic socks are the result of a special family endeavour called The Woolen Sock Project. One year both our kids received very special gifts for Christmas, two little crias . . . yes baby Alpacas! to care for and collect their fibre.

Months later we contacted our local sheep farmers and learned that most sheep wool sits unused. We found it sad that this once precious resource was no longer valued as it had been in the past. With our help, our son Kaleb took this as an opportunity to start a small business. As part of his homeschooling curriculum, we studied the history and uses of wool and fibers around the world; we learned to clean, card, knit, and felt. Through generous donations of unused wool from Gabriola Gray's Farm, our family launched The Woolen Sock Project.

We collect the sheep wool and fiber from our own Alpacas and send it to a Canadian wool mill, where turn of the century heritage machinery is used to process the fibres into socks, comforters, and pillows. Kaleb was responsible for keeping inventory, making sales, and tracking finances on a spreadsheet. In keeping with our family values, part of the proceeds were and still are donated to support local causes.