Alpacalandia

Ethical clothing; fair trade, hand made alpaca knitwear

Rancagua, Chile

266 Sales

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A buyer bought a gift from this shop and gave it a 5-star review!

Brian O'Sullivan

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Announcement Alpaca socks, gloves, scarves, hats and other accessories handknit by indigenous Aymara women in Chile with natural, undyed wool. Check out our ethical clothing and fair trade knitting today!

We make handknit alpaca beanies, skull caps, berets, ch’ullu earflap hats, scarves, gloves, glittens, mittens, socks and leggings or boot socks in designs that are both traditional Andean and fashionable, and we also knit llama berets, beanie hats and socks. Most of our designs are unique prototypes, meaning there is only one of each item listed, so if you see something you like, buy it before someone else beats you to it!

Our alpaca and llama accessories are the perfect gift for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or even Father's Day. We are more than happy to answer any questions you have, so feel free to get in touch with any queries you have.

Announcement

Last updated on Feb 20, 2021

Alpaca socks, gloves, scarves, hats and other accessories handknit by indigenous Aymara women in Chile with natural, undyed wool. Check out our ethical clothing and fair trade knitting today!

We make handknit alpaca beanies, skull caps, berets, ch’ullu earflap hats, scarves, gloves, glittens, mittens, socks and leggings or boot socks in designs that are both traditional Andean and fashionable, and we also knit llama berets, beanie hats and socks. Most of our designs are unique prototypes, meaning there is only one of each item listed, so if you see something you like, buy it before someone else beats you to it!

Our alpaca and llama accessories are the perfect gift for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or even Father's Day. We are more than happy to answer any questions you have, so feel free to get in touch with any queries you have.

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Brian O'Sullivan

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Robert on Feb 2, 2021

5 out of 5 stars

Really nice, very comfortable. Thanks!

Knit Wool Beanie Fisherman Hat – Fisherman Beanie, Handspun Llama Wool Beanie Hats, Knit Llama Wool Hat, Woolly Winter Hat, Llama Beanie Hat

Knit Wool Beanie Fisherman Hat – Fisherman Beanie, Handspun Llama Wool Beanie Hats, Knit Llama Wool Hat, Woolly Winter Hat, Llama Beanie Hat
eLko on Sep 25, 2019

5 out of 5 stars

Perfect, thank you!

Alpaca Leg Warmers - Wool Leggings

Alpaca Leg Warmers - Wool Leggings
Alex on Sep 14, 2019

5 out of 5 stars

they were a little big for me but i tumble dried them and now they’re perfect. lovely material and they smell amazing. thank you

Hand Knit Alpaca Gloves - Ethical Clothing Knitted Alpaca Wool Mittens

Hand Knit Alpaca Gloves - Ethical Clothing Knitted Alpaca Wool Mittens
Fulvia on Jun 6, 2019

5 out of 5 stars

Very nice and soft!

Alpaca Wool Scarf - Hand Knit Wool Scarf

Alpaca Wool Scarf - Hand Knit Wool Scarf
Belinda on Apr 8, 2019

5 out of 5 stars

These are my favorite leggings of all time! Beautiful and high-quality. Outstanding customer service and overall experience could not be better!

Alpaca Leg warmers -Wool leggings in beige Andean Alpaca, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!

Alpaca Leg warmers -Wool leggings in beige Andean Alpaca, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!
Alexandra on Feb 14, 2019

5 out of 5 stars

Customer Service: Doing business with Brian was a pleasure and he answered all my questions and handled my requests personally. Shipping: The leg warmers took about 3 weeks to deliver, and were undamaged in shipping. Product: These legwarmers are certainly 100% alpaca and obviously made with pride using traditional methods. The yarn is evenly spun, and the knitted stitches are very even. These add nice warmth over clothing. Expect them to be somewhat softer than sheep wool, but with more body than, say, cotton knits. These work better over leggings or pants, since they do not have added elastic, and may slide down on bare legs. These are perfect for someone who likes the look of a handmade product and appreciates supporting the hard work of indigenous peoples.

Alpaca Wool Leggings - warm alpaca leg warmers knit in fine black alpaca wool, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!

Alpaca Wool Leggings - warm alpaca leg warmers knit in fine black alpaca wool, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!
Kelly on Jan 6, 2019

2 out of 5 stars

Runs small and did not achieve coverage shown in photo. Weave becomes open when trying to stretch the cap over my head. Seller should post the circumference of the head of the model AND/OR the circumference of the product at bottom edge.

Brian responded on Jan 8, 2019

We are sad to hear that the hat you ordered did not fit you, and your recommendation that we specify the circumference of the hat and the model’s head into our listings is extremely useful (and is certainly more objective than just a photo of me wearing the hat your ordered), so it will be incorporated into our product description. We are, however, very pleased (and surprised) that within minutes of posting this review, you then went on to buy five more of our products, including two more hats! Your repeat business is appreciated and your order shipped today.

Alpaca Hat - Fair trade gray knit fisherman's beanie hat - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!

Alpaca Hat - Fair trade gray knit fisherman's beanie hat - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!
Kelly on Jan 6, 2019

1 out of 5 stars

Photo shows over the knee coverage and description says "Wide Calf = Yes". The weave has a horizontal taught line at the top that makes stretching impossible without cutting the line. WWW.Shoes.com states the US standard for Wide Calf = 15.5" or greater. The max. stretch I could achieve in the delivered configuration was approx. 14" in circumference, which was painful. ALSO, during the second wearing attempt one of the lets started to unravel at the top.

Brian responded on Jan 8, 2019

We are sad to hear that the legwarmers you ordered did not fit you, and the standard measurement that you gave of what defines a Wide Calf in the United States (our biggest market) is extremely useful (and is certainly more objective than just a photo of my wife wearing them)and will be incorporated into our product description. We are, however, very pleased (and surprised) that within minutes of posting this review, you then went on to buy five more of our products! Your repeat business is appreciated and your order shipped today.

Alpaca Wool Leggings - warm alpaca leg warmers knit in fine brown alpaca wool, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!

Alpaca Wool Leggings - warm alpaca leg warmers knit in fine brown alpaca wool, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!
Kelly on Jan 6, 2019

1 out of 5 stars

Seller stated 17" length_Actual length = 14.5". Also had a string, the circumference of the horizontal weave, that would not stretch beyond 5". Definitely NOT what I wanted. This is more like a child's sizing.

Brian responded on Jan 8, 2019

We are sad to hear that the products you ordered did not fit you. We are, however, very pleased (and surprised) that within minutes of posting this review, you then went on to buy five more of our products! Your repeat business is appreciated and your order shipped today.

Alpaca Wool Leggings - warm alpaca leg warmers knit in fine black alpaca wool, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!

Alpaca Wool Leggings - warm alpaca leg warmers knit in fine black alpaca wool, Made in Chile - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!
Fulvia on Nov 22, 2018

5 out of 5 stars

Very, very nice.

Alpaca headband - fair trade headwrap with flower in brown Chilean alpaca wool - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!

Alpaca headband - fair trade headwrap with flower in brown Chilean alpaca wool - Free Shipping on orders over 65 dollars!

About Alpacalandia

Sales 266

On Etsy since 2014

Our providers
Quality control of some recently shorn Alpaca topp
Spinning the yarn
Drying the hanks after rinsing

The online boutique where Alpaca fashion, fair trade and tradition meet

Alpacalandia is a family business which specialises in Alpaca clothing and accessories designed and made by indigenous women of the Aymara ethnic group, reflecting traditions of knitting that go back generations if not centuries.

Our products are for the culture-conscious and conscientious shopper who prefers fashionable fair-trade accessories, and our alpaca wool is sourced from a local alpaca farm here in Chile's central valley or from indigenous communities in Chile's northern highlands (we mostly use wool from the Huacaya breed).

Our founders originally started out in Rancagua, Chile as informal traders selling our knitting for an extra income. However, we soon saw that the garments we had made in our traditional designs sold particularly well and even more so if they were in Alpaca. We were then inspired to build a brand and we began uploading our products on e-commerce websites such as Etsy (where you can still buy our handmade products) and Ebay (where our prototype scarves are now sold). This helped us generate sales to new customers in the United States, the UK, Australia and Canada, to positive reviews.

The next step was the gradual, light industrialisation of the business, with various trips to Sao Paulo, Brazil for training and to procure machinery and accessories. In addition to these, we also gained some valuable contacts which lead to some success there with our nascent machine-knit scarves after acquiring our first knitting and sewing machines.

Finally, we relaunched our website to sell our machine-knit products to the world, starting with our scarves. In the meantime, you can view the full range of our products on Instagram and Flickr, and we are always more than happy to answer any questions via Convo here on Etsy, so please feel free to contact us!

Shop members

Brian

Customer Service, Shipper

I am an Irish immigrant to Chile and am the legal representative of the company. I'm responsible for handling orders, administration and customer service.
Florencia

Owner, Designer, Creator

Florencia is my wife and knits most of the berets that we sell. She is originally from Bolivia but lived in Italy before coming to Chile, and this has undoubtedly added to her flair for the fusion of fashion and tradition in her knitting.
Erlinda

Designer, Creator

Erlinda knits most of the beanies and baby clothes that we sell. Her son models our ponchos.
Milta

Creator, Designer

Milta is from the municipality of Colchane, which lies in the highlands of northern Chile at an altitude of 3700 meters above sea level. She knits our socks and also has a stall at the Indigenous Art Exposition Centre in Santiago.
Lidia

Creator, Designer

Lidia is from Arica in northern Chile. Like Milta, she has a stall at the Indigenous Art Exposition Centre in Santiago. She is also the representative of the Asscociation of Aymara Craftswomen for Santiago.
Maclovia

Creator, Designer, Model

Maclovia lives in Santiago and makes most of our crocheted products and baby booties. She is also one of our two resident models. Her one-year old son also models hats and boots from time to time.
Rebeca

Creator, Designer

Rebeca helps spin our wool and knit berets. Her son and daughter model our sweaters, cardigans and ponchos.
Noelia

Model

Noelia is our resident model and is currently studying law with her earnings from this venture.
Lucia

Creator

Lucia spins our wool.