About Us

---

I am Monique Smedley, and Knotty Paca Yarns was created from a love of animals and crafting.

I was born and raised in southeastern Idaho where I learned to knit at a young age through the local 4-H program. In recent years I have learned how to spin so that I could make some of my own yarn. 

In the summer of 2019, my husband and I moved to western Washington and within a few months had purchased 3 alpacas. Knowing that I wanted to spin their fiber I wanted a variety of colors, so we got black, brown, and a light beige. The following summer I really wanted a gray one to round out my colors. Well, I got my gray….and 2 more black ones (they’re like potato chips, you can’t stop). The 2 “extra” black ones were a pair of young boys, and they quickly became the neighborhood greeters and entertainers. One of them, Little Man, was particularly friendly and a joy to watch. 

I had thought it might be fun to sell my yarn someday, but I had never put a lot of thought into it at the time. But in October of 2021 there was a freak accident and we lost Little Man. The racing and bouncing that was so entertaining took him headfirst into a fence. In the days that followed all I could think about was how perfect of a logo his face would be and Knotty Paca Yarns was born.

All the cleaning, processing, prep, and spinning are done by hand by me. I believe that a handmade yarn will make your projects even more unique and special.

Happy crafting!