‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the farm
Not a creature was stirring, in the house or the barn
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
Except for the ‘pacas, who found it rather unfair.

The cats were nestled all snug in the house,
While dreams had them seeing a tasty fat mouse.
And I in my PJ’s with popcorn and plasma TV,
Was settling down to this week’s Netflix DVD.

When out on the roof there arose such a thunder,
I thought that our shingles were tearing asunder,
Away to the deck I ran in my slippers,
Threw open the door, shivered and whimpered.

The moon shone brightly on the new-fallen snow,
(We’d just had a storm that had made travel slow),
When, what to my Lasik-fixed eyes should appear,
But a honkin’ huge sleigh pulled by what looked like mule deer.

With a fat bearded driver wearing a thick coat of red,
I thought I was dreaming, asleep in my bed.
For not since a child had I believed in Santa Claus,
But the words were convincing as he laid down the law:

“Now Dasher! Now Dancer!
Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Pixen!”
(Except for that last name,
It sounded right on.
As the temps were way colder than I would have chosen,
I thought maybe Santa’s lips were too frozen.)

As snow before the RTD truck plows fly,
The sleigh and its cargo flew up to the sky,
Carrying with it St. Nick or Santa (the same as I hear),
Pulled by what I now knew were eight flying reindeer.

I pulled my head in and looked sadly around,
Why had Santa not made the chimney trip down?
When my eyes alit on new packages under the tree,
Which had somehow appeared without being seen.

Realization burrowed in my brain like a mole,
“Technology has advanced at the far North Pole!”
No more squeezing down chimneys to deliver all wrecked,
Santa has a transporter beam – kinda like the one in Star Trek.

I waved at the sleigh, its shape barely a dot,
As away they all few with the speed of a shot,
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

We live just around the corner from these beautiful Alpacas…

We often stop to say hello when we are out for a walk. Conditions in rural Suffolk aren’t often like the Andean mountains that these animals are native to but this last week I imagine they felt quite at home!

There are 12 of them, all different and they  have such expressive faces! I believe that the land owner rents out the field to the owner  of the Alpacas in return for their fleeces – I really should investigate further! That is fine Alpaca fleece!

We had a lovely visit to a local Alpaca farm recently, complete with a fascinating tour around their Mini Mill. The boys got to pet an Alpaca, learnt about their diet, habitat and fleece and I discovered a shop full of locally bred, locally spun Alpaca yarn! I will be revisiting (without the children!) in the New Year…

XDD

So… I saw a recent picture of Taec from Mai…

She pointed out that he looked very llama-esque in the picture. Which made me laugh~

And… loving the paint program the way I do, I figured I should create the ultimate species!

OkPaca!! I ended up using an alpaca because, well, they have longer hair.

Now, do realize that this picture would be at the very least 10 times better if Taec’s teeth were showing as well. XDDDD

More pictures to come displaying my love for paint!

Thank you!!

-lyssa.

Matt Whitaker's mighty alpaca transport rig (photo credit: Matt and Kerri Whitaker)

Today I hooked up my trailer, trudged out the door around 10 a.m. and – loaded with water, CD’s, and my cell phone – drove north for 90 minutes to pick up a dam and cria from rebreeding. Overall, I was there and back in just under three and a half hours. No big deal, right?

Well, sort of.

Because my rather shameful admission is that I hate to haul a trailer. I hate to drive. I hate the traffic, the tightness of trying to find a gas stop that can accommodate a trailer, and the way people cut you off like you have no right to be on the road. I hate the responsibility of those precious lives in the back, kushed and wondering when the earth is going to stop rolling and jolting. And I hate backing up to park the darn thing, especially when it’s into a tight space between two pristine and untouched trailers, which I hope remain that way by the time I have my trailer wedged in between them.

It’s wimpy and weak, I know. Unbefitting an experienced alpaca breeder and modern, independent woman.

Ready to leave the forest: Alpacas In the Forest Truck and Trailer (photo credit: Dick and Sharon Hegeman)

So I laud the alpaca transporter – the ones who always have a spot for me, show up when they say they are going to, keep a reliable schedule and a pristine rig, and take care of my animals as if they were irreplaceably precious…because they are, at least to me. They truck fearlessly down dirt roads and highways alike, towing 40′ or so behind them and seem impervious to the road-ragey tactics of the sedan-driving citizens around them. They tell me getting on the road can be relaxing and meeting all the alpaca breeders a real pleasure. They also tell me my animals are sweethearts, so easy to manage, no problem at all. I beam.

Bless them. They earn every bit of what they charge.

So today, after my (ahem) arduous trek, I’m back at home and thinking of the alpaca transporters I’ve used in the past and those I’d gladly use again. Thank you, thank you for doing what you do.

In alphabetical order (and I’m sure there are many other extremely good transporters, but these are the ones I’ve used within the past year and would recommend):

Alpacas In the Forest: Dick and Sharon Hegeman
Cedar Ridge Alpaca Transport: Matt and Kerri Whitaker
Terrace Hill Farm: Dennis and Rita Boyer

Terrace Hill Farm's set up (Photo credit: Rita and Dennis Boyer)

The trouble with tourist yarn is not knowing what it’s made of.  When I was studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina a couple of years ago, my friends and I hopped on a bus and spent an afternoon at the Feria de Matadores, an outdoor market with all kinds of artisan goodies.  As we were leaving and looking again at the last few stalls, I stopped in my tracks as I spotted something amazing.  A stall with a small pile of yarn skeins on it!  I was immediately entranced.  As I started fondling the yarn, the woman running the stall reached under the table and began pulling out more and more skeins, much to my delight.  I ended up going home with six skeins of yarn in an unknown fiber.  But it was not completely unknown.  From the feel of the fiber, it has to be alpaca, llama, or one of the other related animals.  Either way, I brought it to my after school class on the day we learned about llamas and told them it was llama yarn.  I passed the yarn and two balls of alpaca roving around the circle of less than 10 children, and watched as dismay as they untwisted the skeins and unrolled the balls of roving, my fiber becoming more chaotic as they played with it, just to enjoy the feel of it.  As a knitter and lover of fiber, I couldn’t really fault them, could I?  Still, I rather quickly snatched all the show and tell items back from them and moved on.

So that yarn was one of my best treasures that I carried back with me from my time abroad.  And I bring a lot of treasures, for as a tourist, I am a compulsive trinket gatherer.  I especially love handmade souvenirs. The yarn has gone through a few variations as I tried to start projects with it, but I never quite found the perfect project to make with it.  Then, after bringing it to class, I realized it would be a perfect yarn to try in my new loom! And a scarf was born! This is my fourth project that I’ve done since I got my Kromski Harp, and so far it is my favorite. The drape of the alpaca (or llama, or whatever) yarn is amazing, and it has that soft, buttery feel. I’m also pretty pleased with the plaid. It was the first time I tried doing different colors in the warp. The width of the scarf is perfect, too. I made it extra wide so that it could be worn bunched up for more warmth. The only thing is, it’s not exactly my colors. If the brown were a bit deeper, perhaps. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but for now it is sitting around here looking pretty and letting me pet it. Of course, Tashi thinks he knows exactly what it’s for.

I read about covering snaps with silk and have been on the edge of my seat , looking for an opportunity to use this information.  The photograph does not capture how elegant this snap looks covered in silk.  In fact to be perfectly honest this photo looks like the closure is a cheap plastic button. I will try to snap a new shot of the snap.

I get cold ears. When it’s freezing and windy, they ache and turn bright red, and it irritates me to no end. Sometimes I don’t want to wear a hat and deal with hat hair for the rest of the day. These two facts combined the other day when I had a couple of hours to kill and an extra ball of cream coloured alpaca in my tote bag, and BAM!

Ear warmer! This is the simplest pattern imaginable (I know because I made it up), and I’m about to show you how to cable without a cable needle, too. Strap in, kids!

Take a worsted weight yarn and some needles that work with it (hint: check the ball band and see what they suggest – probably around 5mm). Exact tension (gauge) is not essential for this project, as long as it’s wide enough to cover your ears.

Cast on 18.
Row 1: K3, P3, K6, P3, K3
Row 2, and all WS rows: P3, K3, P6, K3, P3
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 8 rows.
Row 9 (RS): K3, P3, 3C3*, P3, K3
Row 10 (WS): As row 2
Repeat rows 1 and 2, substituting rows 9 and 10 every 8 rows, until piece measures 21 inches. Bind off.

*3C3 with a cable needle: Slip next 3 stitches to cable needle and hold in front. Knit 3 stitches from left needle, then pick up cable needle and knit those 3 stitches.
3C3 WITHOUT a cable needle: Put right needle behind left needle, skip 3 stitches, and slip right needle into the back of the next 3 stitches on the left needle. Pull left needle out of all 6 of those stitches, then take left needle in front and pick up the 3 stitches hanging loose. Pull left needle back to the left and slip 3 stitches from right needle back onto left needle. (Cable made.) Then knit across all 6 stitches.

Graft two ends of ear warmer together using kitchener stitch method. This makes an almost-invisible seam:

Don ear warmer, and laugh at Old Man Winter! (Okay, don’t do that or we’ll end up with 6 feet of snow or something. Maybe just chuckle to yourself. Or quietly smirk.)

I woke up this morning, put on my favorite pair of hand knit socks and blew out BOTH heels! Dang, I hate it when that happens. I always darn them and keep wearing them but my darning pile is starting to grow almost as big as my knitting UFO pile!

I finally finished these socks yesterday! I started them last summer. . .geesh. . .nothing like leaving work on needles forever.

Grey Arrow Socks Front view

I knit them in Alpaca Sox by Classic Elite Yarns. The fiber is soft and scrumptious and all the hardwork I did with my travelling stitches barely shows! Between the alpaca in the yarn and the marbled grey/black of the yarn my work gets a bit lost. Live and learn. At least they fit, are toasty warm, and the recipient loves them!

Grey Arrow Socks Back Fiew

The “arrows” are travelling stitches – worked over 6 stitches – they look like little railroad tracks except there are three rails. The front, back and top and bottom of foot have the stitches pointing down. Sure wish they showed up better.

Grey Arrow socks side view

I was going to write out the pattern for these but you have to move the stitches around so much I’m not sure if it’s worth it.

Now I need to get to my darning pile!

Friday, Dec 18, 2009 – the big snowstorm!

Holy crow – this is the most snow we’ve had since we moved here.  Which is 10 years this Feb.   We never lost power although it flickered and struggled several times.  Which killed the fan I use for circulating heat down at the farm house but that’s minor damage all things considered.   I measured 11″ on the back deck Saturday morning- or about kitty ear high!!  Actually, judging from the prints – kitties sort of float on top.  And much prefer to be let back inside to rampage and tear up the upholstery in wild antics.

I tobogganed some hay out to each field Sat morning – the alpacas seemed semi-grateful.  No body was shivering.  Actually, with minimal wind – it really isn’t that cold and even the beans/pee weren’t frozen in the sheds.  Based on foot prints in the snow, girls have barely left the shed to go to the water tank.  Apparently they were content to wait for room service – they have a big hay bunk inside their shed.  Boys have been everywhere!  But I think they spent most of their time hanging out in the shed too.

Right now (Sun morning), all the alpacas are clustered around their hay bunks fueling up.  It snowed pretty much all day Saturday but lightly.  Nothing has melted though so I’m going to have to take them more hay today. I’ve got plenty of feed and enough hay for the next couple days but I’d feel better if I had a larger store of Hay here in the barn. I’ll be wanting to get some hay that I have stored over at Linda’s pretty soon – there is NO way the alpacas can get to the grass to graze.

Saturday Joe hooked up the scraper on the tractor planning to clear the driveway but our tractor is just too small for this job and that snow is like cement.  He said he could do it with the front loader but that’s silly, he’d have to clear 1 scoop at a time and we don’t have to be anywhere anyhow.  We’ll just wait for the sun to clear it off.

Henry and Molly had huge fun helping me and Joe with our endeavors this morning.  I think Henry the canine snow plow is the funniest thing ever – he just sticks that big old head down in the snow, snorts and shakes and then shoves forward.  Then looks up with a grin to make sure I’m watching!  Molly bounces and leaps – her tracks in the snow are funny.

Had an email back from Susie Friday afternoon, she was sitting in a ditch waiting for Brandon.  I think she was close to home.  That was almost 5 pm and I think she had gotten off work around 3′ish.  Poor thing.  Liza is on my mind too.  I don’t know where she is in all of this.

I got a little stuck myself Friday.  About noon the sun had come out and the snow had stopped and I said “aha!  perfect time to finish off the last few items on my Christmas list” so off I went.  Made good progress and was at the last shop when Joe called and said “you better get back here” because the snow is coming down pretty heavy.  I also wanted to hit Ingles (believing by now that we really were getting real snow this time) so I asked if I had time and he said “make it fast”.  So I flew around Ingles (me and a few thousand other shoppers!) throwing things in the basket and headed back up the hill.  Made it without even a slip all the way to just above the farmhouse driveway – right by the pond – and then I just could not make another inch forward.  It doesn’t look it but that’s actually a fairly significant slope from there up to the barn – you definitely feel it when you’re walking.  Anyway, the car just was not going to make it so I backed down to the parking area below the farmhouse and left the car there.

But!  I had all these groceries in the car which I didn’t want to leave out to freeze.  So I tromped up to the barn and got my toboggan, back down to the car, loaded up the groceries and hauled them up to the house.  Joe met me at the door looking at me like I was some sort of fool but I had fun in the snow and I got the groceries home!

Chicken soup for dinner tonight.  Yes, I have got a cold or something.  Feeling quite punkish – that might be part of why Joe thought I was being idiotic – but I really wanted to bring in the ingredients for him to make me some of his excellent chicken soup.  It’s Medicine to cure what ails you!!

As I mentioned the other morning, my graduation gift to myself was an alpaca scarf from the Inoue Brothers, and not a moment too soon. There it is keeping me warm under the picturesque Brooklyn-Queens Expressways as the snowflakes started to fall this afternoon.

I fell in love when I saw a similar one wrapped around the neck of Tomoko Ogura, who knows a thing or two about shopping–she oversees all the buyers for the Barney’s Co-op. When I complimented its rainbow hues she quickly turned over one corner to show me this:

and told me about how the Inoue Brothers, born and raised in Denmark, now based in Copenhagen and London, combine their Japanese heritage and European design sense with the expertise of Bolivian artisans to turn out these wonderful scarves, which she snapped right up on Barney’s behalf.

I resisted for about four hours that afternoon, doing schoolwork before I finally googled the Inoue Brothers and landed on their really lovely website.

I read more about the brothers, got a closer look at the scarves, and decided I better ring Barney’s.
I still liked the grey best, which is what I had seen Tomoko wearing, but I thought the marigold, poppy red, or darker green could do nicely too. But the man at Barney’s told me they only had lavender, pink, and blue left. None would have been quite right for me. It needed to be a cozy color for everyday, and cool colors (as opposed to warms and neutrals) are just not my thing. I went back to the designers’ website, where I found an email address. I sent a message about my crush on the scarf, and asking whether there were any more available. 

17 minutes after I hit “send,” on a Sunday, no less, Satoru Inoue–one of the designers, wrote back saying he would check with the stock guys, who were busy with Christmas orders, and see what he could do. Sure enough, he found me a grey one, though in a slightly different size. He sent me a message outlining the difference in measurements (a matter of several centimeters), and offered to send it at a smaller price, for the smaller size. I said, “yes, please,” and asked for some more information about his company.

The Inoue Brothers, Image from Limited Hype

He sent me their profile, and even better, a link to this interview on Limited Hype, which I thoroughly enjoyed. There are great photos of the brothers (Satoru–at least I think it’s Satoru, on the left, looks strangely similar to Rogan. A kindred soul across the pond), as well as the Bolivian knitters, and a nice outline of their design and production process. I thought this bit was a highlight:

LH: Does putting social responsibility and sustainability first hinder your growth as a brand at all?

Satoru Inoue: Both yes and no. It all depends on how you look at it and how you define value. Business is driven by efficiency and profit. If those two principles are valued in only financial means, then our methods are slow in growth. But valued in human development, quality and creativity, then our methods have been very profitable.

The day before graduation, I got a package notice from the post office. An envelope was waiting for me, with my lovely new scarf folded up inside with a hangtag that told me a little more about its production:

But as the brothers note on their website, “talk is cheap,” and they hope their work speaks for itself.

So far, so good.

Mini-Llama or Alpaca?

I have a friend with a very young daughter who wrote me that this year’s All-American Girl doll is offered with a “mini-llama” that she thinks looks more like an alpaca.

Well…I just had to look. In “Chrissa Stands Strong”, the birth of a baby llama, Starburst, is part of a story that teaches Chrissa about the value of friendship and standing up to bullies.

But forget all that…what about Starburst? When I look at the Starburst doll being offered through the end of 2009, I see a typey head, spear-shaped ears, compact body…yup, yup.

So ‘fess up, All-American Girl marketers…you really meant to say “alpaca”, didn’t you?

When I first started knitting I went to the Twisted Thread yarn expo at Alexander Palace. I went nuts and bought tons of yarn, some buttons I still haven’t used and a few pattern books.

The most expensive and most delicious yarn I bought was made by knit shop.  Their Alpaca Fino in beige and chocolate brown was the softest, loveliest and most natural yarn I’d ever felt. For the last year I’ve been making these baby balls with that yarn. These balls have been my best selling item on and off Etsy, they have been featured on the front page of Etsy and in the gift guides.

I sold the last of these balls last Tuesday.

However, just before I made that sale I went looking to see if Blue Sky Alpaca had the equivalent two colours. The answer is yes they do and the yarn is just as soft and delicious, I’ve been using that brand for the other coloured balls for some time, so I know it works and I will be making some more.

They will be just like the old balls, whilst also being just like new.

While I’m knitting my brains out on Darling Bebe’s Christmas stocking, here’s the download on my latest, most favorite new pattern:  Swirling Petals Cowl by Casandra Roberts, a free download from Rav.

Swirling Petals Cowl

I found this to be the fastest, most addictive knit I’ve done in a LONG time.  Though the pattern calls for a 130-yard skein, I used all but about a foot of a skein of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande (109 yps).  Did 9 full pattern repeats and it’s JUST fine.  There will be more of these in the near future.

I really liked the sculptural texture it had before it had its little bath.  It’s still pretty, and scrunches beautifully on my (admittedly short-necked) model, but I did like the original look just a little better.  This one is as soft as kittens.  Really.

Modeled version

It shall be gifted to someone who is lovely in every way.  She’ll wear it on the slopes with her boys and knock their socks off.

Yummy!

“Idle hands are the devil’s tools.”
Isn’t that how the saying goes? I think it applies very well to alpacas. It continues to amaze me how these very curious animals can get themselves into trouble despite all efforts. My barn set up continues to evolve as they show me just how inventive they can get.

This week, Thisbe, my six-and-a-half month old weanling discovered a new use for buckets. I had let her out of the pen to get her pellet ration and gone about my chores when I heard a shrieking alarm a few minutes afterwards. Rushing back into the barn, Thisbe was running around with the empty water bucket slung around her neck. She must have pried the handle up with her nimble lips and then proceeded to slip her head through while exploring its contours. I slipped it off her and let her back into the stall. Note to self: From now on, all bucket handles shall be secured when with unattended alpacas.

I thought back to the other crazy antics my animals have gotten into. Last year, I almost had a heart attack with Thisbe’s dam, Aria. I had one of those hanging hay feeders hung from the panels. Because I was a bit suspicious of the spacing of the bars, I had even inserted a narrower grid so that no animals could get their heads stuck in them. 100% safe, right? Wrong. Aria liked to feed on all the fine hay droppings that fell from the feeder and through the feeder tray holes onto the ground below. One day I entered the barn to see her lying beneath one, all four feet up in the air, neck curled around to one side. I shrieked and rushed to her side, feeling along her neck gently for a break. Nothing. So I gently rolled her to her side when she suddenly kushed, dazed and glassy eyed. In a few seconds, she stood and proceeded to eat again. What the heck was that about? I believe that I startled her while she was grazing underneath the feeder and she jerked and knocked herself out on the bottom tray of the feeder. Note to self: No more hanging feeders in the stalls. I was kind of leaning that way anyhow because of all the hay that was dropping on their topknots. Now my hanging feeder, still with the same hay, has become my barn cat’s favorite bed hung in an empty stall.

One of the most head-scratching, adrenalin-pumping mess any alpaca has gotten into has been by Laci, a rebellious yearling that found a novel use for a manure cart. This cart had a wraparound handle and I would leave it propped against the wall in the paddock where Laci lived. One day upon hearing a strange noise, my husband and I looked out the window to see her wheeling across the paddock in a panic, her rear legs in the cart, her body through the handle, and her front legs propelling her and the cart forward as her back legs churned fruitlessly for purchase. We charged up to the barn, my frantic thoughts imagining the injuries from the handle digging into her spine with each step. With my husband firmly holding her, I slid the cart off her body, freeing her back legs and relieving the pressure on her back. I’m still trying to figure out just how she maneuvered herself into that position. Note to self: No more carts stored in with alpacas.

And don’t even get me started on gates, latches, and the little opening above Nelson water feeders when they’re shared between stalls. I imagine you all have your own stories about them.

I spent the past few days in the beautiful mountains  of North Carolina. During my stay, I went to visit the Western North Carolina Nature Center.   Along the outer edges of the map provided I drew all the animals I saw (except the bobcat, which is odd as I love felines). Below is their map and my sketches.

Wolf details:

Alpaca details:

Should this piece sell, I will donate $100.00 to the Western North Carolina Nature Center. They are currently working to build a new veterinary clinic.

Western North Carolina Nature Center Map. Ink on paper. 8″x11″.

Unframed:  $200.00

My graduation present to myself, from the Inoue Brothers:

Of course, there’s a story behind it, but you’ll have to wait, because for the moment, I have to wrap myself up in it (as a buffer between myself and a massive polyester robe with a malfunctioning zipper) and go graduate!

I’d blog today, but I’m too busy oogling Bitterroot from the new Knitty (oh yes, it is!) and thinking about how lovely it will look in my souvenir Isager 2 from Playing with Yarn in Knife River, MN…

And it’s so beautiful in my mind that I can hardly stand it, and I just need to find the perfect beads and cast on immediately (well, immediately-ish) and it will be so beautiful I could almost cry.

The urge to knit is a beautiful thing.  I hope I never lose this feeling.

I spent the greater part of the day working on computers and enjoying the new steel garage door that replaced the one falling apart. I should have taken pics of the sad wood door, as it was in such disrepair that I was afraid to walk under the opened door. The snow removal crew banged into it some years back and it has been absorbing water and growing unknown fungi creatures ever since.  Today again, I was at the hair salon, tiding up the remnants of a new computer install and all the loose ends of updating software and such for the Point of Sale unit.  Afterward I had coffee with a friend and we talked about taking time for ourselves everyday  to create something whether it is food, tools, equations, new deals, artwork or whatever we are inclined to enjoy. We as humans have a need to create.  Thus, I practiced what I was preaching to my friend, Doug and I felted two hats for friends. They are similar in color and were made from the same beret template. Unfortunately, it seems I am always apologizing for the quality of the documentation; this photo distorts the nice rounded shape of the hats.  The inside is made from a pleasant Icelandic undyed lamb’s wool while the outside is a variety of colors and animal wool including my favorite to felt: alpaca.   I acquired a nice sampling natural gray alpaca from Linda at  Sage Ridge Farms and I dyed a few handfuls of the gray,  a nice steel blue, teal and a lovely shade of a cool rose.  I am coming to understand how I like to use straight unblended colors and layer tuffs of wool to make blended tonalities. When I was in art school, we were only allowed primary colors and were forced to mix our own paints from five basic colors, red, blue yellow, black and white.  I always grumbled because this task was intensely time consuming  but the hours spent mixing colors taught immeasurable lessons in the undertones of colors. I tend to carry that color method into my endeavors. Thus, I am grateful for the long hours mixing paint and listening to the Metropolitan Opera every Saturday afternoon.  Back to the hats, I like the way some of the long fibers of the lambs wool migrate and make their way to the surface. I am pleased as my “todo list” was shorten a bit more today.

I had a lot of support in preparing for my presentation on Wednesday, which ended up winning a grant to get CLOSETTOUR off the ground. Dan Shanoff and Jeff Jarvis helped me hone the material, but I had never done a Powerpoint presentation and was a little freaked out by the medium. I thought if I could get some visual cues on the screen, I just might be okay. So, I put Rosa here on the second slide:

She’s a Huacayo alpaca I met a few years ago on a sourcing trip in Arequipa, Peru, and her photo was tacked up beside my desk at Edun for ages. It’s hard to be anxious when you’re eye-to-eye with an alpaca, so I led the presentation with her. She and Michael Pollan served as a sort of tag team, their photos side-by-side illustrating the analog of provenance-focused food journalism, and how I might use his model to unravel a sweater back to Peru, for example, which is where I first met Rosa. There, I got to see how the yarn is hand-sorted for staple length (which effects whether your sweaters “pill”), color, and fineness, as this woman is doing here. Before seeing this, I always thought Baby Alpaca (a content listed in yarn) was shorn from, well, baby alpacas, but it actually just refers to the grade of the yarn.

I love–LOVE natural colored yarns (Is there anything prettier than a natural sweater with jeans?), and it’s incredible all the gorgeous colors alpacas can be–chestnut, like Rosa, warm grey, like this guy, who’s called Pancho, and about 50 shades of cream, ebony, mink, and charcoal in between.

Here are a few more, to give you an idea, all stacked on a shelf at the Peruvian mill.

One of the yarns we saw in processing was Blue Sky Bulky, one of my very favorites. This is the yarn I learned to knit with, on fat plastic needles my mom called “telephone poles.” It is so easy and comes in incredible colors–both natural and dyed. If you have a desire to knit, and have never tried, try doing a scarf with this yarn. If I can do it, you can do it.

Peruvian Blue Sky Bulky Yarn, 50% wool, 50% alpaca

(Alternatively, if someone you love might like to learn to knit, a great gift would be some “telephone pole” needles, a few skeins of Blue Sky Bulky for a scarf, and a copy of this book.) A few years ago I knit myself a foggy-blue hat inspired by the one pictured below, but it became the casualty of a particularly wild Christmas party, and never made it home.

The look that launched 1,000 chunky berets

Marc Jacobs F/W 2006, from Style.com

Soon I’d like to treat myself with a trip to Purl, the knitting shop in SoHo, to see what colors of Blue Sky Bulky they have in stock, and give it another shot. The pattern for the Transformer Hat, which you can find for free on the left edge of this blog looks like it could make for a promising project, and I’m feeling a lot of affection for alpacas these days.

Laughing – no, you didn’t miss Part 1, and no, Ive not gone totally around the bend. Computer was in the hospital with a bad case of swine flu a virus when the first part happened, so I’ll have to catch up with it later.

We had our family party (my parents and all of their descendants who could make it) last evening. In recent years, we’ve switched over to a single draw gift, and my parents now give us cash instead of shopping, so these gatherings no longer resemble the wrapping paper orgies of my youth. Opening gifts is now just a small part of the evening that starts with too much dinner and mounds of cookies baked by my talented sister, and ends with board games, which somehow manage to elicit a tremendous amount of shouting and laughter – and an occasional bellow or two.

This year, I drew my nephew’s name, and he had a terribly unexciting list… $25 cash. Only after he turned in his paper did he discover that the dollar limit was actually $40, a fact which produced a piteous plea from him for mercy from his potential gift buyer. Personally, sticking $40 in an envelope and handing it to him just didn’t inspire me. After some thought, I decided to have a bit of fun with him. I engaged my banker daughter to do a bit of shopping for me in the vault of her bank. A wrapped box of fed pennies made for a curious looking gift under the tree – and it weighed so much my 6-year-old niece insisted she couldn’t even lift it. I also found a great money card at Walmart, promising he was going to love his gift this year. When opened, it plays a rousing rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. I tucked the extra $15 in there and stuck the card in my knitting bag. Frustratingly enough, much of my fun was spoiled. It’s finals week for him, and he couldn’t come home from school to attend the party. Perhaps my imaginings were more fun than the actual presentation would have been anyway…

So, my dad got my name, and he and my mom actually found their way to an alpaca farm local to them, and I have to say that I REALLY liked my gift this year a lot!

The brown is 90/10 Alpaca/Tencel, and unbelievably soft and squishy. It was donated by Rocky, a huacaya alpaca who lives at Cupola Alpaca Farm. The skein has 300 yards of 2 ply yarn, about worsted weight. My hour or so perusing Ravelry for patterns tonight didn’t give me a final decision, but I found a cabled pillow I really liked, and it’s definitely a front runner. Could also do a hat or scarf or bedsocks…

The green is dyed on the farm, and is a delightful gathering of minty shades, a definite pleaser for this lover of green. Artie and Oakie both contributed to this skein of 3 ply DK weight yarn, 128 yards long. It’s pure alpaca. I’m wavering between a quant type ear warmer, mitts, or a neckwarmer with this skein.

Last – and perhaps the most surprising to me, as I wasn’t sure my parents even knew I’ve been playing a bit at spinning – there was a “generous 2 oz” ball of Alpaca/Tencel blend roving. Soft and wonderful, but I wish I knew the right name for the color. It’s sort of blonde – or maybe like a half cup of tea with a half cup of milk stirred into it. It will make a wonderful pet until I’m ready to spin it!

I have to say that if this year’s Christmas gifts continue as fantastic as they’ve started, I’m going to feel like a spoiled brat by the end of the year!

Click picture to go to article

For those of you who have been following the court battle between Magical Farm and Majestic Meadows vs. Land O’ Lakes following the feed poisoning in 2003, an update has been published both on the Magical website and also by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. See “Alpaca farms in Medina County get another chance to establish their animals’ worth in feed poisoning retrial”.

The outcome of the last trial was concluded to be a win by the defense because the amount of compensation ordered was Land O’ Lakes’ figure ($1.6M) versus the amount the plaintiffs claimed as animal value lost ($12M).

Regardless whether you agree with either amount, the result of this trial could have the potential to affect alpaca breeders everywhere in the U.S. with a precedent that will either validate or undermine the high value breeders place on their animals. The other issue at stake is how the court system will penalize the admitted lack of quality diligence of a feed processing company when the lives lost are a little known animal such as the alpaca. I have a feeling that if this negligence had resulted in the loss of little puppies across Ohio, the roar from dog breeders and owners would have demanded punitive action.

What a good way to connect with people. Last month I decided to participate on the Secret Santa swap with my fellow Phatties. It was a lot of fun to choose the gifts that I got to send to my secret person. We all had to fill out a questionnaire to get some hints about our secret person. This is what I got form my Secret Santa.

This is from Silver Sun Alpacas. Ricky sent me an ounce of a yummy blend of black alpaca and carbonized bamboo and 300 hundred yarns of the most beautiful alpaca yarn. I love the natural colors of the fibers and the tag that says “made with love”.

The package was so beautiful wrapped, but with the excitement and the anticipation to see what was inside, I forgot to get a picture of it. Thank you Ricky!!! I love my gifts! I will have a great fun spinning this fiber. I really can’t wait!

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

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global goods partners is an organization very near to my heart – they are wonderful nfp org ‘dedicated to empowering women, alleviating poverty and promoting social justice’ <from their mission statement>  i feel grateful that they bring unique handmade and free-trade products to the american market, thereby promoting independence and providing support to artisans worldwide.  now through dec14, ggp is offering free shipping on orders over $50!  -or- if you prefer a tactile shopping experience, there is an upcoming opportunity to do just that:

the holiday fair will take place next thursday, dec 17 in the urban zen center at stephan weiss studio : 711 greenwich st, from 12pm to 8pm.  download a copy of the invite here. in eager anticipation, a few personal favs from their site:

argentinian handmade necklace $34.00

bolivian ceramic chicken lights $26.00

perhaps my absolute favorite are these vibrant totes made of recycled rice bags <and lined with sturdy cotton> specifically supporting landmine and polio victims in cambodia:

cambodian pleated market bag $34.00

columbian change purse $22.00

indian folk doll keychain $7.00

nepalese felt flowers $6.00

having recently hiked the inka trail – i suppose i am partial to the following three selections and can personally attest to the warmth + softness of alpaca wool – which is attained similar to sheep shearing, no animal cruelty!

peruvian braided alpaca scarf $66.00

peruvian embroidered dog collar $21.00 and leash $38.00

peruvian alpaca wool bunnies $20.00 ea

south african beaded bread bracelet $8.00

south african motorcycle keychain $10.00

embroidered card sets from the thai-burmese border $24.00 for 5

each photo is linked to the relevant product site – or browse the entire assortment here

]]> http://silverroseknits.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/lace-sampler-scarf/ Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:30:23 +0000 Felicity http://silverroseknits.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/lace-sampler-scarf/

Hallo all! Today I want to share with you my obnoxiously long lace sampler scarf I decided to knit up.
I’m 5′9″, and it’s /still/ longer when I hold it over my head.

Long, as I said. But I adore long scarves, and this just means I have plenty to wrap around my head and neck. I was most surprised because prior to blocking it was only about 5 feet long. It obviously grew a bit.

It’s knit out of about 200 yards of Knit Picks bulky weight Suri yarn–a very fuzzy 100% alpaca yarn, so very cozy and warm too. You won’t find that colour though–I had some left over white from the blanket I knit my friend, and so I decided to redye the two skeins in a very pretty colour I accidently made while dyeing. I’m calling it peacock green, and it’s mostly blue green with the ocassional bit of really dark blue-purple.

I did the two skeins differently, as you can see from the edges–the edge was pour dyed in a crock pot, while the main part of the scarf was plopped into a big pot of hot water that had the dye in it already. Huge difference, but truly the same dye baths–even same dye concentration!
Scarf folded over; darker skein used for main part of scarf.

Scarf folded over; darker skein used for main part of scarf. The edge on this side is the Narrow Points edge.

Now it’s a lace sampler, so it has all sorts of bits of lace. I started knitting it on the way to the Neal Smith Pairie Conservation with my environmental class, so the first part was just really simple webbing and faggoting, since I couldn’t remember anything else offhand. (Edges will be discussed seperate, as they were knitted on last).

webbing and faggoting

The next part of note is the Estonian cookie pattern. I’d been wanting an excuse to try it out for ages now, and suddenly found myself with a scarf that I didn’t want to do boring stuff on. So I did that for two repeats or so.

Estonian cookie pattern

While this oriented differently, it’s almost directly after the cookie pattern. It’s a faun’s eye lace–Barbara Walker’s Second Knitting Treasury–that I thought looked very nice. I also did a Milanese lace and few others from that book. However, I didn’t picture everything since I basically would switch lace if I messed up a row too horribly or what have you; this is a stress relieving project and not a gift, so I wasn’t worried about having mistakes in it.

Faun's Eye Lace

Milan Lace

Finally, I got out Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman. I used the Narrow Points lace edge on one side, and the Waves Edge on the other–I’m really very fond of the Waves Edge, and I think the colour of the second skein suits it perfectly. While I was tempted to do something from Heirloom Knitting, but my favourite edge was way too big for just this scarf. I suppose I’ll just have to use the wedding lace edge on a proper shawl!

Wave Edge

In other news, I’ve obviously moved and finally got myself a new companion–the lovely Phalaenopsis orchid. I named her Vera–even though Vera would be a perfect name for an aloe plant looking back on it. In either case, here’s a very good crisp shot of her blooms.

Vera