The Hollyhock Blog

Today was the perfect day to have a baby alpaca.   And Embrace did just that!  It was partly sunny, breezy, low humidity.   Great for drying out a water-logged cria!  I was watching Embrace this morning as she was humming a little oddly when I did chores.  I saw her coming in from the pasture about 10:30 and around 11:30, she was leading this guy back out the pasture! 

The sun feels good.

Standing

Walking

Running

Can you catch me, Mom?

That was all at only a couple hours old.  They are amazing critters.

Resting in the shade

This afternoon he took a little nap with Mom, but has been back out in the pasture again since.

The new online shopping page of our website is now open!  Yay!  I am so excited to share it with you, that I’m putting it online now, even though I don’t have very many things posted there yet.  But I’ll be taking pictures over the next couple weeks and getting things posted for all to see.  So when you get a chance, check out Hollyhock Alpaca Shoppe – online!  And check back often as more items are posted.

My second newsletter was just sent out.  If you scoll down a bit on the right, you can sign up for the newsletter.   I’ll sent the newsletter to any new subscribers, so you don’t have to wait 3 months for your first newsletter.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Elk River Farmer’s Market.  So today, I started baking Amish Cinnamon Bread.  I’ve had one starter growing for 10 days.  I started the starter for next week two days ago.  It is quite the schedule to keep up with.

Just out of the oven

These are the first 2 batches.  In the batch of smaller loaves I used a ‘brick’ of the eggs I froze earlier.   They were a little thicker than fresh eggs, but the batter tasted fine.  (I always get to lick the bowl before washing it for the next batch!)  The bread baked just fine and looks perfect.  If they seem a little dark on the bottom, that is because the pans are dusted with cinnamon sugar.   Another batch in the oven, and the fourth yet to be mixed.   Come and get your fresh bread at the Market!

Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday I went to Knitting Machine Camp.  I’ve gone for the past several years and it hasn’t disappointed me.  It is held at Rocking Horse Farm.  This year’s theme was learning short row knitting.  Short rowing is a way to do shaping in a knitted piece.  I brought a machine I had never used before, so I started simple.  

Getting started

First, the little swatch in the corner, then a simple dishcloth.  Only not so simple because the pattern is programmed in electronically.  I’m hoping I remember how to do that, as I have a bunch of cotton yarn to use up!  Next I tried a doily. 

Learning short rows

I practiced the short row technique a lot.   And I learned a new way to sew a seam and a new edging.  The doily made me think of a cape before it was sewn together.  So I made 4/5 of a doily.

Not quite a doily

  I added an edge to the front which I tacked down (one side is not done yet).  

It's a cape

 The design needs a little tweaking, but I was happy with my first attempt.   I had a pattern for this skirt and I had made this shawl before. 

Skirt and shawl

 I (AGAIN) forgot to count the rows in the shawl and I think this size fits best.  I was getting the hang of hanging a hem by this time.   I attempted a shrug from a pattern for an adult that I had seen somewhere, but didn’t have with me! 

Shrug and skirt

 I measured the doll, measured the gauge on the shawl and just started knitting.   And the best is I only have ideas to make it better. 

Dressed in green

 This is the whole outfit.   

And this what caused the most learning. 

Mis-fit pants

I didn’t read the rough pattern I had  – it was for a different gauge machine so it is much too small for my model.  See the little holes in the legs?  Well, they are caused by doing an increase wrong.  I since learned the right way.  They are supposed to tie in front as there is shaping in back.  I will put the tie in the back on the next pair.

That is just the surface of all I learned.  It was so great to have a great chunks of time to just knit and have lots of experts to help when I would have a question.  And someone else doing the cooking (THAT was nearly worth the class fee!)   I was really glad I tried to make lots of little things so I could learn new things quicker!

Yesterday morning I packed up my spinning wheel and some fiber and drove a few miles that took me back several decades.   I went to the Kragero School to be part of the Community Education class called Life in the Past Lane.   It was so fun to see the girls in dresses and bonnets.  I talked a little about alpacas and their fiber – showing some samples of fiber and hand spun yarn… 

Country School

…but mostly I talked about spinning and knitting and how long it must have taken to make clothes before everything was available at stores.  I spent some time spinning and gave many a chance to try spinning.  Some caught on quickly, but most were pretty sure they would not have many things to wear if they had to spin and knit just to get a new pair of socks!