The Hollyhock Blog

Alpacas are generally very charming animals.  They don’t have a loud bark  or chase visitors like geese can do.  They make a soft humming sound to communicate with each other.  The herd has an alpha animal who is in charge of alerting the others in case of danger with a loud alarm call.  In our location, there is seldom serious danger, but the alpacas will make it known that an intruder is in the area.  This intruder may be a pheasant, a new cat, raccoons in the middle of the night, or snapping turtles coming out of the river to lay their eggs in springtime.  We usually check out the cause for alarm, shoo the offender away, or explain to the alpacas that their is minimal danger of a pheasant attack!  That is the backdrop for the following incident.

Deer hunting season has recently ended in Minnesota.  Our neighbor is a bow hunter.   One evening a while back, as I was doing evening chores, I heard Honie Gold sounding her alarm call.  Honie belongs to Katheand is being boarded here.  Honie has appointed herself in charge of the female pen.  As I carried hay to the outside hay bunk, Honie was pacing the fence on the neighbor’s side.  Frequently she would stop and alert us all to the danger.    What was this cause of her alarm?  

Danger in the neighborhood

I saw this in front of the neighbor’s garage.  Even though this a target-practice deer with a hind leg missing, Honie was not to be consoled until the menace was stored away until next hunting season.   Honie’s momma didn’t raise no dummies!

Our second alpaca felting kit is now available in our Etsy shop.  It is a cute bear on a hot air balloon ride.

Go for a ride

If you are close and would like to stop by either Hollyhock Farm or Twisted Suri Ranch, we have the kits available and ON SALE!  The kits are $15 (regular price is $20).   The refill kits are available too – on sale for $10 (regular price is $15).

I’m going to make you bit longer for the funny story – it deserves a post of its own.  Just a hint – Honie is the star!

Yesterday was my last craft show of the season.  I really enjoy doing the shows – chatting with people, meeting new folks, talking alpaca.  But I’m ready to stay home, take my weekends back!  And I got some custom orders now to make. 

The Zonta Club’s fund raiser was really neat.  I got to see their fashion show, saw some really neat stuff up for bid on their silent auction, met some great ladies, and learned of some of the excellent charity work the group does for the betterment of women.   I WILL go back if they ask me. 

Yesterday was the Women of Today’s Craft Show.  It was massive!  Booths filled the St. Michael Middle School gym, cafeteria, and the halls.   Darryl helped me set up and hung around for a couple hours while it was busiest.  I didn’t leave our booth, but I heard it was like a sea of bodies throughout the school.  

I have the funniest alpaca story to tell you!  But it will wait until tomorrow.   And I will tell you the saga of my red scarflette!

Let’s just say last Saturday’s craft show was disappointing — and let’s move on!

I have a scarflette / neck warmer nearly finished.  I just made up the pattern using some leftover bulky yarn (100% alpaca) that I dyed with Kool-aid a while back.  (It is dreary, rainy and my pictures are not good. I’m sorry!)

Almost done

All I have left is knit buttonholes in the last inch or so of scarf.  So I dug through the stash of buttons I begged from my mom!  I have 4 of these:

4 red buttons

Or 3 of these:

3 big red buttons

But only 2 of these:

2 pearly white buttons

Or I could do a combination like this:

2 red, 2 white

I can’t decide and would love to hear your opinions.    I want to finish the scarflette for the Zonta Club’s craft show and fund raiser I have on Sunday.  It is in the International Market Square building in Mpls.  This is not a typical show – it is the Zonta Club’s annual luncheon fundraiser.  The event is open to the public from 10:30 – 3:00.  There will be a silent auction as well as the craft area and luncheon.  See the Zonta site for luncheon reservations, if you are interested or just stop by to do a little shopping.

Announcing:  (drum roll, please!)

Alpaca Felting Kits   (and the crowd go wild!)

I’ve been working with Roger and Gina of Twisted Suri Alpaca Ranch to develop a line of felting kits using our alpaca fiber.  I have finished our first design.  Scroll slowly and watch this little wonder develop before your eyes. 

What is it?

A little more to see

Can you guess?

Almost complete

Hello World

Framed and ready to fly!

This butterfly design will be our first felting kit.  The felting kit will include the backing (60% alpaca / 40% wool) which will be stamped with the design, hand-dyed (by me) 100% alpaca roving, alpaca yarn, a foam block to use for needle felting, 2 felting needles, complete instructions and a photo of the completed design.   Frame is not included.   We’ll also be creating refill kits which will contain everything in the felting kit except the foam and needles.  We have a hot-air balloon design, an alpaca and an iris in the works.  We have our Etsy shop  – Alpaca Felting Kits - open, but no kits posted yet.   We still need to do the accounting (blah!) to determine the price of the felting kits and refill kits.   As I get the roving dyed for each design, they’ll be available for sale. 

What do you think?   Do you like the butterfly?  Do you want to see more?