The Hollyhock Blog

Yesterday was supposed to be our day to shear the alpacas.  But after nearly a month of no rain, Sunday evening and night were filled with showers.   When we went out to check, there were a few (Vagabond, Georgie, Jose’ to name a few) who were so wet that we didn’t think they would be dry even by the time we had sheared the others.  It was a cold and cloudy day – not the best for human or animal!  So we have rescheduled for next Monday.

This evening Darryl and I are taking Georgie and Carley to visit the local 4-H kids.  They are having 4-H Adventures.  I’ll talk a little about alpacas, the kids can see and touch Georgie and Carley, and then the kids will felt a bar of soap.   As of yesterday, there were 27 kids signed up!  I have my work cut out for me! 

I’ve also been trying to get stuff ready for Shepherd’s Harvest.  I will have my hand-made things for sale at the UMA retail booth.  I also have 3 things entered in the Fiber Arts Show, and have 3 fleeces entered in the Fleece Show.  I’ve got a hotel near Shepherd’s Harvest, so I have to have it all ready to pack up next Friday AM!

Something I forgot to mention about the Expo — I got some yarn back from Rachel.  I had given her Spotsie’s fleece from last year to spin into yarn for me. 

Spotsie's yarn

This is the result – 4 skeins of 300 yds of lace weight, plus a 5th partial skein, and 3 skeins of 300 yds of DK weight, and a 4th partial skein.   It is hard to see the color variation in the pictures,

Close up of Spotsie's yarn

but there is a lot of black fibers throughout the yarn.  When wet it looked nearly gray.  

Today was the day for me to dye.  I’ve been wanting to for many days.  But today, I just DID IT.  So after many hours of standing in my kitchen, slaving over a hot microwave (hee hee),  I had used up 10 packets of Kool-Aid and had this to show for it:

Dyed fingers

Why do I never wear gloves?  Think anyone in church noticed?  Oh – and I also had these:

Plastic wrapped yarn

Nine skeins of yarn.  The left row is Pelasia’s lace.  The center row in Spotsie’s DK, the right row is Spotsie’s lace.  Today I used the ‘squirt and nuke’ method of dyeing!   Kool-Aid and water (about 1/4 c) in a little bottle with a squirty top.  Squirt on Kool-Aid, squish around, seal up the plastic wrap, put in the microwave.  I let all the yarn cool for several hours. 

Then I washed, rinsed, spun the water out and hung to dry.

Pelasia's yarn

These are the 3 skeins of lace weight from Pelasia.  Her fiber is much whiter and the colors are much brighter.  300 yds, 2 oz, $12 per skein

Spotsie's lace

These are Spotsie’s lace weight yarn.  300 yds,  2 oz (still too wet to be sure!), $12 per skein. 

Spotsie's DK yarn

And these are Spotsie’s DK weight yarn.  300 yds, 5 oz (too wet to know), $30 per skein. 

My day's accomplishment!

I had to move my drying rack inside as it was getting dark and cold outside.   They are all still wet but should be dry tomorrow.   These will go to Shepherd’s Harvest  for sale in the UMA retail booth.  What doesn’t sell there will probably be posted in my Etsy shop.  Except for the 2 skeins that are less than 300 yds – those are mine to knit into something.   Hmmm….  what could I make?

Stay tuned.  Pictures to come.  I’ve been dying to dye for some time.  Up first – yarn spun by Rachel from Spotsie.

As always, for the month or so before our shearing date (which is April 27), I clean like a crazy women!   And not my house – no, that is neglected even more than usual!  Besides the daily poop scooping, these days I also rake the hay from around the outside hay bins.

Messy hay on the ground

 If I don’t keep raking it up, the alpacas just roll in it and it sticks in their fiber.

After raking

Does that look a little better?  Next, I move inside and sweep the barn floor.

Inside the barn - before

Even though their hay bins are outside the pens, they manage to pull plenty of hay inside.

Clean floors

They don’t stay clean for long, but it does help. 

Another task I do before shearing is to hand trim the fiber on Pelasia’s back side.  I started the left leg a couple days ago. 

Pelasia - from behind

She will only stand still for so long – so this is a several day process.  While her re-constructive surgery functions, it is not as good as Mother Nature should have provided.  She gets very dirty and matted.  I prefer to clip her myself, slowly, with a hand shears.   Since she tolerates me, it works out well!

Good news – we have turned the corner and Camille, Georgie and Carley are all on their way to being in proper ‘bean’ production again.  The Pepto Bismol did the trick! 

And this shot was too good to pass up:

Sam on the deck

It is nice to see that someone is able to relax on our deck!  That is Sam – no, not our cat, but our neighbor’s cat, soaking up the sun.