Montana Sweater Co. Blog

Alpaca Socks with Montana ranched alpaca

This is one of the best finds we’ve come across here at Montana Sweater Co.  I wore these alpaca socks for three days, yes…even to bed.  As an avid fly fisher and guide I was amazed, first of all, at the softness and consistent warmth.  The other great discovery was  they did not become damp from perspiration (alpaca fibers are hollow and naturally repel moisture).

you can almost feel the softness on the screen

I gave them to friends to be field tested on hikes to Yellowstone Park, and a week long fly fishing trip on the Missouri.  The results — let’s put it this way, get your order in they are going fast!   A durable calf-length sock knitted with plush loops of Montana ranched alpaca on the interior.  75% Alpaca, 25% Elastic Nylon.

Bison Trails cabled scarf

At last,  our hand knit scarves are ready to show off.  We have created our most luxurious cabled knit scarf of Montana ranched and raised bison/alpaca in a 50/50 blend.  This elegant classic piece took over 16 hours to finish.  Next we knitted a plant-dyed Montana ranched and milled wool into a very soft and eye catching cabled scarf.  BUT, our star knitter needs to be free for other duties so we designed faux cable stitched scarves that could be knitted on our manual machines in soft alpaca/mohair (85%/15%) .

Hearth Fire Hand Knit Cabled Wool

We are very proud of the results and know our customers will enjoy these new additions as much as we did knitting them. See all the new scarves at www.montanasweaterco.com

What was once known as finger “less” mitts we renamed, FingerFree™…  to accentuate the positive aspects of this design.  The inspiration to free the fingers came from living an active outdoor life here in the Rockies.  In my case, it is fly fishing during chilly early spring and fall days.  The problem with hands during these challenging seasons is how cold they get (especially after dipping them into an icy river to release a colorful spotted trout).  Wind and rain can make things even more difficult.  SO…what to do?   The FingerFree™ Mitts allow fingers to grasp and hold, yet when they need to be warmed, the mitt cuff rolls up and covers the exposed digits allowing them to warm up again.  No bulky flap with a yarn yanking Velcro tab, nothing cumbersome and clumsy to make life more complicated.  Push the  mitts onto wrists when not needed so you always have them ready.  Montana ranched Alpaca, Bison, and Wool are blended to make this a hearty, warm, durable hand warming mitt.  It was field tested by outdoors men in the rugged back country, by construction workers, fly fishers, dog walkers, and people who hate the feeling of an ice-cold steering wheel. They all gave the FingerFree™ Mitts exposed thumbs up!!!  See them at www.montanasweaterco.com

The Alpaca knit Sweater Dress is Like a Favorite Pair of Jeans

If anyone outside of Montana has noticed…it has been extremely cold  for October.  I happened to be in Helena, Montana last weekend and experienced a record low of 15F.   Luckily, I was wearing the Montana Sweater Co. Sweater Dress. Knitted with alpaca fiber raised at the Alpacas of Montana Ranch…it was perfect.   Light weight and soft soft soft soft soft.  It doesn’t lose its shape, it doesn’t bag or stretch out at the butt, and it’s warm.

I had been in invited to  visit relatives I hadn’t seen in 30 years, so I decided to let the knitting rest for a day and make a break for it.  I pulled on the sweater dress, belted it, popped my feet into my boots, and off I went for the 1. 5 hour drive through wheat fields, past the headwaters of the Missouri River, round the bend through Townsend, and into the state capitol city of Helena.  The wind blew, the temps dropped, and dropped, and dropped.  My car decided it wanted to go flat in one tire , the parking brake decided to get stuck after I had  used it in town five miles before arrival.  When I pulled into my cousins’ driveway the smell of something burning made me think  I might actually be on fire.  Fortunately, my cousin’s husband is a car mechanic!  A retired mechanic, in need of something to pry open, tighten, and oil.  So while he tinkered with my tired stubborn car, the girl cousins traipsed off to lunch and later to a jazz concert at the Helena Civic Center.

The sweater dress is like a favorite pair of jeans.  It is dressy without making me feel like I have to hold myself in and act dressed up.  Several people commented upon it (always a sure sign something is working) and my kind cousins made the friends they ran into throughout the day touch my sleeve and really “FEEL IT”.  I didn’t mind.  The sweater dress is such a favorite of mine, a classic, a fashion necessity,  that I will keep it in Montana Sweater Co’s inventory until Alpaca quit growing their marvelously soft and warm fiber.  Available in custom sizing.

Bison Ranch Sweater

Yes, you can have a Montana Sweater Co. Bison Ranch sweater knitted to fit you!

As a small company we have the flexibilty to offer more personal customer contact, and in speaking with some  of our customers we heard they were concerned about sizing.  Additionally, after a winter’s worth of bison shearing and processing, we found it would be wasteful to try and guess how many mediums,  larges, or extra-larges to knit to satisfy the demand with a limited supply of bison fiber available.   Since our computerized knitting program makes our math skills look brilliant we decided to offer custom sizing.   In fact, the Bison Ranch sweater is only offered with custom sizing.  This way we know it will fit the way you want it to.

Our tech staff has set us up with a measurement form we email once you order.   Get out the measuring tape, fill in the form with your numbers, and email it back to us.  We get to work, and within 1-2 weeks your Bison Ranch sweater will be ready.

The other benefit of using custom sizing is we keep your size on file (yes, a confidential secret file) so if you ever want another Montana Sweater Co. sweater knit for you,  we have your exact measurements and specifications.

This offer to custom size a Montana Sweater Co. sweater is available in several other styles as well.