Michell & Cia are the current driving force behind the Mirasol Project and one of the leading producers of alpaca yarn products. Founded in 1931 by Frank W. Michell, the company began from the outset as an enterprise to bring Andean fibers into the global yarn market.
Frank began his work in Arequipa, facing the challenge of handling & processing the traditionally quite greasy fleece of alpacas to create a finished product of both the quantity and quality the yarn market demanded. Tackling the challenge required both learning from the local traditions of the Andean shepherds who had been handling alpacas for centuries as well as introducing new technologies and techniques from Western Europe.
By 1947, Michell & Cia had its first operational yarn factory in Peru. By 1951, Michell & Cia was widely recognized as the top name in alpaca textiles, selling fair trade product of exceptionally high quality across the world. The 1980s saw a major effort by Michael W. Michell to modernize the company with state of the art equipment.
Today, Michell & Cia stand tall on over 87 years of successful company history, with the third generation of the Michell family taking the business towards its 100th anniversary. Gathering Yarn is so proud to be able to work with such a storied and reputable business.