Two new alpacas

We are so excited to have two new alpacas join us today! Westminster and Magellan were given to us by the grandparents of one of Jer's cross country athletes. They are around five years old and are adjusting to their new home fairly well.

Last spring they were shorn, but just their blankets were taken. They seem to be extra large next to our boys because of they have two years (or more) of fiber growth. We anticipate some beautiful yarn, roving and blankets from these boys.

Roving - A Project in Waiting

When our shipment of yarn arrived, so did our first roving. We have been waiting to have access to roving because I have this crazy desire to learn to spin fiber into yarn. Our good friend Karen loaned us her spinning wheel last fall and it has set idle while we wait for one, time, and two, roving. The second arrived and then we had to wait for a break.

Settler's Farm in Wamego offers classes which means a qualifed instructor is available. Now, we are back to the question of time. And, the philsophical debate of should I learn to spin or knit first. If I learn to spin first, then, what to do with the yarn. If I learn to knit first, then we have yarn already spun by The Shepherd's Mill. I'll work all of this out over winter break.

New arrival - handwoven rugs!

We are really excited to have our first shipment of handwoven rugs from our alpaca fiber. Ingrid's Handwoven Rugs in Paint Rock, Texas created these beautiful 2x4' and 3x5' rugs. We selected one for in front of our desk in the living room - it is so soft and warm!

The rugs are woven from the "seconds" or fiber from the neck and legs of the alpacas. This fiber is less desirable because it is typically shorter when compared to the fiber on the body of the animal that makes up the blanket.

Felting

My fiber artist friend, Megan, asked me about felting. Last spring, Jeremy and I attended a workshop to learn how to felt and made this purse and some other felted pieces that we used to make flowers. The flowers ended up as embelishments on this purse and as pins and magnets we have given to friends.

This felting was done through a process called wet felting where warm soapy water is applied to the felt and then it is massaged until the fibers begin to bind together. More soapy water, more massaging - the end result is a very strong material and very clean hands and wrinkly fingers. For more on wet felting.

Some people felt by using their washing machine, but we have never tried this method. We have been told to proceed with caution because of the wear on the washing machine. Others use a needle felting process, that uses a form and needles with little barb-like hooks on the end. We have also never tried this method.

A great kids' project is to felt a bar of soap. The end product is a bar of soap that has a soft covering that can be used in the bath. This project is easy and fun.

A Fiber Artist's Work

My dear friend Megan is working with some of the alpaca fiber from the April shearing. We are really excited to see her finished product - a scarf that a co-worker has commissioned.

Megan has a studio in Boston and does fantastic knitting projects in addition to her day job.

I am hoping to commission a wrap or shawl from her with some of Manny's fiber.

The fiber is here!

After much anticipation, our fiber arrived! Jer's parents brought it to Manhattan and we finally got to see how the processed fiber looked in yarn and roving.

We have all neutral colors - all natural. The colors range from Scout's dark brown to Manny's fawn to Blue and Carl's white.

We are really excited to share the fiber with our friends who knit, spin and weave.

We have eggs!

We finally have eggs! Jeremy found five eggs in the coop - one actually in the nests on Sunday night. We are still trying to figure out who is laying which colors. Two more eggs on Monday; we may soon have a dozen!