Our Story

As busy business owners, we were always racing around and spending enormous amounts of energy running our business. We realised that we needed a change and began looking for a quieter, more rural lifestyle.

We viewed many properties around the countryside but it wasn`t until we found a 27 acre small holding on the side of a mountain in North Wales that we knew we could stop looking. It was perfect. The farmhouse is set amongst natural, uncultivated fields, free from fertilisers or weed killers and it was the maintenance of this land that started the thought process which eventually evolved into SMD Knitting.

We soon realised that the fields, when left to nature would be engulfed by brambles, gorse and heather. Ideally, the land needled to be managed by controlled grazing (as grass cutting with a tractor on the side of a mountain is not for the faint-hearted) to preserve the natural balance so we began a selection process. We considered numerous animals and received many suggestions from the regular breeds of cows and sheep to some very unconventional options. Eventually, we found the answer to be somewhere in the middle – ALPACAS!

The Alpacas

Alpacas grow a heavy fleece, keeping them warm in winter and just like sheep, they need shearing in the Summer. Unfortunately, raw unprocessed fleece is worth very little on the open market – in fact we’d be lucky to cover our shearing costs. To add value, we found a local Welsh mill that processes the fleece into hanks or balls and whatever weight of yarn we require.

We realised that if we had problems profiting from our fleece production, other similar sized producers could be having the same issue. So we contacted small producers of both sheep and alpaca fleece, asking if they would like us to promote their yarn. We were overwhelmed with a phenomenal ‘Yes’ response.

It is a joy to work with these wonderful animals, and we’re proud to be shouting about British wools and fibres which more than hold their own alongside even the best quality commercially spun yarns.

We love what we do

As SMD Knitting continues to grow, so does our team of people who are all passionate about wool and love helping our customers. Everyone here at SMD Knitting either knits, crochets, spins or weaves… We’re always happy to natter about their crafts and wax lyrically about wool and fibre. We want you to have the best possible shopping experience and find that perfect product for your projects.