Recently, I took a week-long trip to Martha’s Vineyard. If you have been to this marvelous island before, you might be familiar with some of its many destinations. Each 

part of the island is unique, and thousands of tourists visit each year to take in the salty 

aroma of the air and spectacular scenery. The beautiful beaches and shops are not the only widely known destinations. You might have heard of people jumping off the famous Jaws Bridge (which is not scary at all, unless there’s a massive amount of jellyfish). There is one name that caught my attention rather quickly, Alpaca Island. 

If you have been here before, you might know that it is not at all an island but an enormous field covered in alpacas. The alpacas range in different sizes and colors: beige, brown, black, and white. Some even have spots of all different colors. Though their colors and sizes vary, there is one thing they have in common- incredibly soft fur. When you pat an alpaca’s fur, the best way to describe it is like touching a cloud. There is one con, or as some may argue, a pro, about the alpacas’ hair, which is that it grows incredibly fast. For the buyers, this is most definitely a pro. Whenever an alpaca is shaved, the fur is used for mittens, gloves, socks, sweaters, hats, and more. Just a pair of mittens is usually over $100! And it gets better: if you love alpaca fur and clothing so much, why not just get your own alpaca? Well, believe it or not, you can! But that will be $10,000. 

It is not just at Alpaca Island itself where you can buy this wonderful fabric; stores all over the island have alpaca fur material in sweatshirts and sweaters. So next time you’re in Martha’s Vineyard or near the island, check the tag and see if alpaca fur is your new favorite fabric.      

Rachael Botelho ’26, Co-Middle School Editor

26rbotelho@montroseschool.org