The weather this year has been incredible. No sooner than I spread the seed in the east pasture it started to sprout.

And every spring bulb and shrub is blooming a full month or so ahead of schedule. I am normally still in the planning phase of gardening, but instead we spent part of the weekend pulling weeds in the raised beds and spreading compost. In March. In Indiana. The frost date around here is, like what, May?

I feel like we’ve been sprinting to catch up with spring. The rest of the weekend we spent cleaning out the barn and coop, both major operations. Now if visitors stop by I feel I should take them there since both places are far cleaner than the inside of the house.

Next on the ever exapanding to-do list is shearing. I always aim to shear between the last frost and the first fly. This year that came and went with a blink of an eye and I probably missed it. My Shetland ewes have started to shed. Looks like it will be a good year to roo them, a primitive method of pulling their fleece off instead of using shears.

Since the flies are already out and about, I have to get the vet scheduled to visit as soon as possible to give the boys their little procedures. I thought I would have more time.

“Gulp. Um, what exactly is a procedure?” asks Frankie.

“Trust me little buddy, you don’t want to know any sooner than you have to,” I replied.

Our alpaca herd, all boys named after the Rat Pack, seems to have particular issues in establishing a pecking order this time of year. I can tell by the amount of accumulated alpaca spit below his ear, that poor little Joey here is getting more than his fair share of pecking. So much so, that he is also a little underweight. Joey is our youngest member of the herd and is deaf. Having been rather low on the totem pole myself when I was younger, I tend to take any excessive pecking order establishment personally. Picking on a special needs kid brings out yet another kind of wrath in me.

I am pulling Joey aside and giving him a special meal, which is resulting in snarles and glares from Dino and the rest of the gang. I chose to explain that if they would have just left the poor boy alone, they wouldn’t have this problem.

Sammy pleads his innocence and probably rightfully so. He tends to be the more laid-back member of the group, or maybe he’s just sneakier.  It's hard to say.

Frankie and Peter on the other hand, had they not been such jerks, maybe could have kept certain parts of their anatomy. But, if I have anything to do with it, Frankie will be singing a slightly higher version of My Way by the end of the month. I’ve already scheduled his little procedure with the vet for an attitude adjustment (he's getting gelded).

Peter, out of all of them, should have been the nice guy considering it hasn't been all that long ago that he was the youngest, but I guess he's taking his turn at bat. He'll also be getting some hormone replacement therapy, so to speak.

He may be the little guy, but Joey seems to take it in stride. “Don’t worry about me; someday they’ll be old and feeble. What comes around goes around. Then I’ll have it My way.”

Members of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) are inviting the public to visit their farms and ranches on National Alpaca Farm Days on September 24th and 25th, 2011. This is a unique opportunity for the public to explore the many aspects of the alpaca livestock industry in the United States and Canada. From meeting these beautiful, inquisitive animals in person to experiencing luxurious alpaca products at individual farm stores, there will truly be something for everyone.

While most alpaca farms welcome visitors throughout the year, National Alpaca Farm Days are sure to include special activities and educational opportunities. To learn more about the alpaca industry visit www.alpacainfo.com. To find out more about National Alpaca Farm Days visit www.NationalAlpacaFarmDays.com.

Many people are drawn to the alpaca business because they produce an incredibly soft fiber that is 1/3 the weight of wool. They are a livestock that is relatively easy to care for and do not require large acreage. However, environmentally conscious individuals are becoming aware of the alpaca industry for even more reasons! Alpacas come in 22 natural colors, but they are all “green”! Sensitive to their environment in every respect, alpacas have soft padded feet instead of hooves and can leave even the most delicate terrain undamaged. Damage to topsoil decreases long-term soil fertility and in the process, the soil is eroded and weed invasion is encouraged. Alpacas prefer to eat tender grasses, which they do not pull up by the roots. Lacking upper teeth, alpacas “cut” the grass with their bottom teeth and upper palate. This vegetation cutting encourages the plant’s growth. Because they are modified ruminants with a three-compartment stomach, alpacas convert grass and hay to energy very efficiently, and stop eating when they are full, further preserving the landscape on which they live. However, alpacas do not mind eating brush, fallen leaves and other “undesirable” vegetation, leaving the “good stuff” for species that do not have the stomach to digest such roughage.

Alpacas’ pellet-like droppings are PH balanced, and an excellent, natural, slow release, low odor fertilizer.  This rich fertilizer is perfect for growing fruits and vegetables.  Because alpacas consolidate their feces in one or two communal spots in the pasture, it is easy to collect and compost, and the spread of parasites is controlled. While alpacas are environmentally friendly … and even beneficial… to the land, what makes them even more “green” is their end product… alpaca fiber.  They produced five to ten pounds of luxurious fiber.  No chemicals are employed either during feeding or during the industrial production of alpaca fleece into fiber.  Alpacas require no insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers which pollute the groundwater. Making this animal even more desirable to animal lovers looking to start a green business, alpacas are not killed. Alpacas are shorn, without harm, every twelve to eighteen months. All fiber from an alpaca can be used. Even the fiber from the lower legs, belly, neck, etc is being used for things such as natural weed mats to be placed around trees. Alpaca fiber is biodegradable. This 100% natural fiber comes in 22 natural colors, offering a full array of choices with no chemical dyes required. If dying is desired, only 20% of a normal dye quantity is required. An ever-growing American herd and source of fiber is on the horizon for this sustainable industry, and now is the perfect time to meet an alpaca and the people who raise them face-to-face!

This press release is presented without editing for your information. GRIT does not recommend, approve or endorse the products and/or services offered. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase. 

Well its been a rainy spring here in Connecticut! Not too enjoyable for the farm animals, but the good news is the gardens have taken off and are doing extremely well. I'm very happy about that.

During the rainy period I spent a lot of time inside so I decided to take advantage and do some mystical fiber blends with wool and other fibers to spin. I have my own drum carder, which is a tool that blends fiber together by brushing them smooth all into one direction. It's a lot of fun to do my own batt blends. I call them mystery batts because you never know what fiber will turn up in them. You may find any of the following, alpaca fiber, sheep wool, silk, soy, angora bunny wool, angora goat locks and maybe even tiny colored threads all cut up to add character.

Most of the batts are OOAK (one of a kind), SO the past few weeks I worked on the following batts and CraZy handspun yarns to be sold in my farm shop or on my line Etsy shop to knitters and spinners. The following pictures shows you a little bit of the work that has been done here the past few weeks.

The critters are glad the rain is over so they have been spending more time outside once again. A sight I missed during all the rain.  

So many folks that have never really thought about the wool being spun into yarn ask me, "Exactly how is that done?" So I'm going to do my best here to try to walk you through it with pictures and brief explanations.  Here we go, spinning 101.

You can see in the previous  post how the sheep is sheared and the wool is skirted by hand (cleaned) getting it ready for the really big cleaning at the mill. Off to the mill it goes to be washed and put into what is called roving. Roving means all the wool is clean and carded (almost like combing it) making it all go in one direction for ease of spinning. So when it comes back from the mill we have a big bag of roving from each animal.

The next step is to start spinning it through the spinning wheel.

As you can see we treadle (peddle) the wheel to make the wheel turn. 

A cotton string is attached around the wheel and up over the bobbin (where the wool is stored while spinning).

There is a knob on the wheel that adjust the tension of the string, so a little tension causes the wool to be pulled through the orifice out of the spinners hands and onto the bobbin. While the spinner spins they must draft (pull) a little of the fiber out which is the part that will be spun into the yarn at that moment. The amount drafted, thickness or very fine is what determines the kind of yarn spun, either lace weight, bulky ect.

So we treadle and draft, treadle and draft filling the bobbin.

When the bobbin is full it is taken off the bobbin and wound onto what is called a niddy noddy which puts it into skein form. 

The next step is to wash and set the twist in the newly spun yarn. I use an organic lavender essential oil  with a gentle soap to  let it soak. This soaking sets the twist up nicely and gives the yarn its final cleaning. The lavender treats the wool so that it is moth proof!

Then the yarn is hung to dry with a weight that also helps set the twist in the yarn. The yarn may take a couple of days to dry depending on the weather.

When it's dry it's twisted back into a skein and is ready to knit with.  

I hope this gives some kind of idea of what the process of spinning wool into yarn is. A number of different spinning wheels are on the market, all doing the same job. The height or how smooth they spin or treadle may vary, so its important to try a wheel before purchasing. Or work with someone that can give you some idea of how a number of wheels work.

So, you're now ready to spin! You have completed Dream Come True Farms Spinning 101.