The Hollyhock Blog

Recently a consignment / dollar sort-of-store went out of business in a local town.   Darryl read about their online auction in the newspaper, so I checked it out.   They were selling everything - to the bare walls.  I found a group of 3 display racks.   Opening bid was $2.  I set my max at $15 and forgot about it!   A few weeks later, I got an email that I had won the bid.  So off I went to collect my treasures!

Rack #1 is for CDs - Darryl snarfed that one to use for bottles of nails, screws, bolts, etc. 

Rack #2 is still being re-worked in my brain - not ready for its debut yet! 

Rack #3 is my new yarn display:

Yarn rack

It has a total of 6 rotating racks and another section to make it taller.  But I want to set it on my table at the farmers market later today, so I only have 2 of the racks loaded with skeins.

Cost breakdown:

Winning auction bid + tax + auction fee = $2.34 for ALL 3 RACKS

New little end caps for the yarn racks to keep yarn from snagging - 36 x .15 = $5.75

I made the little red skirt from fabric from Mom’s stash = $0.00

I made sandbags to weight the rack so the wind won’t blow it over = $0.00

Sign on top, a benefit of  Minn Grown membership = $0.00

I’m so happy with this display.  I will be even happier if I sell some yarn today at the market.

Here’s the weights:

Display rack weights

Do you know what they are?   I dug through my rag bag and found a pair of sweatpants with really bad elastic in the waist.   So I chopped off the bottom portion of each leg, sewed the tops shut, sent Darryl out to fill with sand, sewed them shut at the ankles and just like that…  I had weights!   Cool, huh?

In alpaca news, DC arrived yesterday.   He and Jose are to be roommates for the duration of DC’s visit.   Jose took a ‘liking’ to DC - if you know what I mean.   So we took them for a little ride into the neighboring town.   We (Darryl and I, not DC and Jose) got some supper at the Dairy Queen (along with some stares at the look and smell of our barn clothes - the trailer would not allow us to use the drive-thru!  Ooops!)  By that time the boys had decorated the trailer in green and were at an impasse - one in each end of the trailer.   We brought them home and they are sharing their pen.   They are not friends - probably never will be good buds - but they get along well enough to co-exist for a month or so!  Good tip - the bonding trailer ride really does work.   Thanks to Sandy for that idea. 

I saw Spotsie’s cria moving around inside her the other day.  Hopefully she (yes, hoping for a girl) was getting into position to join us in the outside world.  Our Little Guy is just waiting for a playmate!  I promise more pix soon.

We have a big festival at our church for July 4th!  If you are looking for something to do, come join us.   Since I may be too busy to blog  for a few days - I wish you all a relaxing Independence Day.

Our neighbor (and some-times alpaca sitter) brought is granddaughter over yesterday to see the new alpaca cria.

The approach

As big sis Carley and mom Embrace stand by, Brittany approaches our Little Guy (as we are calling him until he gets a satisfactory name).

Almost there

Embrace is an attentive mom, but not aggressive to people who want to see her cria so long as they move slowly and quietly.

He's so soft

His fiber is incredibly soft.  He’s running and playing now, but doesn’t get too far from mom.

There may be a new spinner in the neighborhood! 

Learning to spin

As I turned the wheel by hand, Brittany was learning the art of drafting and spinning yarn.   She did very well. 

Still waiting on Spotsie to have her baby.  Not much changing there.

Yesterday was quite the whirlwind.  

While doing chores in the morning, I snuck a peek at Embrace’s behind and thought it looked like she could have the baby that day.  But when I checked later in the morning, she was either happily eating hay or chewing cud.   Labor seemed no where in site!   So I went about packing up my stuff for the farmer’s market.  I had the truck packed, my tote bins on the front step.    I had only to fill hay and water for alpacas, shower and be off to the market.

But that was not to be.  As I walked to the barn at about 12:05, I saw Embrace with a little head coming into the world.  I called another vendor and told her I would be late to the market. (I called Darryl first!)  I quickly swept a spot clean in the barn.  I looked outside (about 12:15) to see the front legs. (Relief - that is how it is supposed to be!)  I made a mad dash to the house to get the camera and iodine.   When I  got back outside about 12:20, I saw this:

Just minutes old

He was flailing around in the sand.  (How’s that for efficient and expedient!)Carley is quite serious about her role as big sister.

Still in membrane sack

The membrane is off his head and neck, but he’s still covered in what looks like plastic wrap.  Alpaca moms do not lick off their babies.   The sun heats them up inside the membrane until it gets dry and cracks off or is rubbed off in the dirt.  But I scooped him up and took him in the barn.

Getting dry

By about 1:00, I had used the blow dryer and towels to get him partially dry.  It takes a long time to dry new alpacas all the way to their skin.  Their fiber is already over an inch long.

Almost steady on new legs

By 1:30 or so, he could stand steady enough for me to let go and get a picture.  He had been trying to stand pretty much since birth.  With a little help, he could stand long enough to make his way to the milk bar and have his first meal - which he thoroughly enjoyed.  (He is his Mother’s son!)

Back outside

Shortly after that,  around 2:00, he led Embrace out of the barn. 

2 hours old!

By about 2:30, he could toddle around in the grass.  He was not always graceful - like when he tried to brush his nose on the grass to chase a fly and he totally tipped over! 

Darryl came home from work early to keep an eye on them, so I could go to to Farmer Market.  I HAD to take the bread - what would I do with 16 loaves of Amish Cinnamon bread??!!   I was about an hour late, and had people waiting for the bread!  It was a welcoming, though hectic arrival! 

Last night, I made sure that Embrace and new baby (he has no name yet) were content, laying down inside the barn.   This morning, Embrace, the baby and Carley (see what I meant about the big sis thing?) had spent at least part of the night outside.  The little one was a bit chilly, but warmed up quickly in the sun. 

It is supposed to be REALLY hot again today, so I need to keep an eye on the little one to be sure he doesn’t overheat.   Crias aren’t able to regulate body temp for the first few days.   Usually Moms are good at moving them to the right spot - warm or cool - depending on the need.  But I like to double check!

I’m getting ready for the first Elk River Farmer’s Market of the year.   It is tomorrow.   I’m baking Amish Cinnamon Bread (also known as Friendship Bread).  I made this last year and it was a usual sell-out.    I sure my customers remember!   I’ve got 4 batches! 

5 small loaves

This is the first batch - packaged and ready to go. 

3 medium loaves

This is batch 2, cooling.  I added pecans to this batch.   Batch 3, with craisins, is in the oven.  Batch 4, with raisins, is waiting to be mixed up.  

I have  a regular assembly line!   Since each batch bakes for an hour, I have time between batches to move sprinklers - it needs to rain every other day in the sand - and check on Embrace.

NO - no baby!   She seems to have stalled.  I thought I saw progress on getting milk in her udder.    But there’s been no change for several days.   And she takes great exception to me looking ‘under there’!   She grunts and if I don’t heed the warning, she will spit at me.  Needless to say, I try to view from a distance!

Yesterday Charlie and Buckwheat were moved to their next home at Glacial Ridge Alpacas.  Here they are in the little holding pen that was waiting for them.

Charlie Boy