Oh, those muggy days of summer!

Hello friends,

Those muggy days of summer have arrived and I find myself only wanting to go outside during morning or evening hours. That hot, heavy afternoon weather is just not my cup of tea any longer!

I just finished a really pretty capelet using Highlander grey yarn and an old retro-looking button I had on hand. Since I don’t have someone to take a picture right now, I’m putting in the photo from the pattern found in the “Wrap Style” book on page 38 “Chanson en Crochet” by Mari Lynn Patrick. Her version is gorgeous!

I’ve decided to veer from the norm and am trying a crocheted vest using Vickie Howell’s “Love” yarn made with 70% bamboo and 30% silk. This yarn is “to die for!” and you can find it in our shop compliments of The Yarn Cat. I promise I’ll get a photo when it’s done (but don’t hold your breath!).

Partner Leann and I had a fun little excursion earlier this month by taking yarn, product and a few alpacas to Hubbard Hill Retirement Center in Elkhart. The residents enjoyed an hour-long visit and had many questions about the animals and products. One lady even tried on a very warm sweater made from my herd in very hot and humid weather, and she didn’t want to give it up! Now there’s someone who has great taste! :)

The crias are doing great and all the females are enjoying their “summer camp” in lush green pastures. We now look forward to our fall crias and receiving our yarn back from the mill!

Enjoy these sweet summer months. Warmly, Liz

The Yarn Shop

Happy summer!

"Fiber friend" Kim Freel will be joining Leann and I at the American Countryside Farmers Market as "The Yarn Cat". Beginning July 3 she will have her yarns for sale in our shop. Kim will carry many varieties including bamboo, cotton, silk and some fun and funky yarns too. Stop by and welcome Kim to the market and check out her wares!

And we are STILL waiting for Cookie to deliver that cria. It MUST be a girl!! :) Liz

Spring into summer

I’ve finally finished my Central Park Hoodie, wool version. Ta-da! I’ve also got both arms done on the “Mavic” alpaca version plus 2/3 of the back. I have quite a bit to go! We’ve been too busy with crias and shearing events to work on other projects. I’m looking forward to trying out some new patterns and learning new knitting and crochet stitches.

We have had one more cria – guess what! Another boy. Tess really “owed” us a girl this year (with the last 2 being boys) but she only gave us 50% of our wish. We had asked for a silver girl. Little “El Vaquero” is a gorgeous silver male with the cutest personality – like a curious little jumping bean! We still await Cookie’s cria … coming soon!!

Our final shearing event was held at the Shepherd’s Harvest Fiber Fair at the American Countryside Farmers Market last weekend. This is the first year for the fiber fair and it was small but the market plans to make this into one of their major events so we look forward to being part of it again next year!

Alpaca Outfitter’s partner, Leann and I have been talking about some new classes and workshops for this summer so stay tuned! If you’d like to sign up for our events or workshops list at the shop, please email me at liz@alpacaoutfitters.us with your full name and email address. We are once again making changes to the shop and it should be an exciting 2nd half of 2008!!

Watch for cria #4 this spring and then we start thinking about fall crias!! My favorite times of year spring and fall – shearing & crias!!

Warmly, Liz

Loads of fun on the farm!

Holy Moley! I've been busy lately!!

We’ve had a few crias arrive and await 2 more (what are they waiting for?). The first arrival was Megabuck’s Maximilion who is just awesome!! He’s out of our beautiful Mohana and a black herdsire from Washington. We expect him to grow up to be just like his daddy! So far, he’s looking great – very soft and curly; very upright with loads of presence.

Our second arrival was Caramello’s Tyra Bank’s – her daddy is our own Chumani. Cara and Tyra will be moving to New York soon but we are enjoying her while she’s here. She’s full of spunk and likes to sneak up and nibble on your clothing. Quite the little personality. Of course both moms are doing great and very proud of their little darlin’s!

We sheared our herd on May 3 and May 10 with only 1 dam left and 3 crias (once they all arrive). I'm halfway through skirting them and look forward to choosing what goes to the mill and what I will "attempt" to make time to process myself. I *do* have to spend some time just admiring and running my hands through the fleeces. I'm really pleased with them again this year!!

This coming weekend, Lee will be shearing at Prairie Trail Farm in Goshen, and I'll be demonstrating drop spindle and carding on a drum carder. If you can make it, stop on out! Prairie Trail has the cutest gift shop and greenhouse and is just a lovely spot altogether. We’ll be there from 10 until 2 shearing. A few of our maidens will accompany us – Nugget, Hottie & Rain – their first day off the farm! View PT's website at: http://www.prairietrailfarm.com/

I’m working on finishing my Central Park Hoodie wool version. It’s all done except one arm which needs to be attached. I left it off intentionally because it fit so perfect that I wanted to get my alpaca version knit up to the same length. That done, I’ll be finishing the wool one and washing – I can’t wait to feel the difference in that scratchy wool once washed! It’s really pretty and I’m dying to show it off next winter – ha!

Bye for now! I’ll try not to be so long with my updates.

Liz

Happy happy spring!!

I’ve been lax in posting lately – too much going on at the farm! We are awaiting crias, getting ready for shearing days, upcoming events, and of course trying to take some time to appreciate the spring weather which has finally arrived!

I’m coming down the finishing line of my green hoodie and will post pictures once done. I’m just starting up again on my alpaca version and so far it’s looking gorgeous and feels more decadent than it looks!

Warmly, Liz

Preferred Herd Sweater by Maggie!!

Hello!

I’d like to share the sweater friend, Maggie made from a few of our alpacas. Included are Tecumseh, Sarah, Snow Chief, Mavic, Je ne sais quio, and a few angora rabbits – names unknown.

Maggie has some of her “very fashionable” knitting in our Alpaca Outfitters shop and is teaching knitting for us as well. You can view her blog at www.magnoliablossomfiberarts.blogspot.com/.

The "headless" model is me. I'm not very photogenic I'm affraid!

Have a great day!

Introducing "Lily's Line" of ponchos

Things have been hectic lately. I've been getting my ducks in a row for the AAA shop at the Indiana Alpaca Invitation show in Ft. Wayne April 3-6. Some of the ponchos and serapes on display will include the "Aye Chiwawa" serape shown here. The first is a spicy little number and a real surprise for me. I'm not terribly fond of the yarn color but the end result has turned out to be a favorite!

The 2nd one I'd like to share is the "Ausengate" serape named after a mountain in Peru. The ancient Quecha legend: Ausangate is a magnificent snow-covered peak south of Cuzco, Peru, and the legendary source of llamas and alpacas. According to legend, Pachamama (Mother Earth) loaned alpacas and llamas so people of the puna could survive. Since the animals belong to Pachamama, they must be well-fed and never treated cruelly. If they are not properly cared for, Pachamama will call them back to Ausangate and people will disappear.

The 3rd is the "Firethorn" poncho. This is one of my personal favorites!! Along the edge are red stones which really set it off and make it special.

I can't wait to show off my line at the first alpaca show in Indiana!!!

Liz

Central Park Hoodie - update!

Below are my 2 sweaters so far. The green is wool and the grey is alpaca - little man "Mavic". The wool has been easy to work with because it has a "cottony" feel to it so doesn't slip as easily on the needles. But the alpaca has been a DREAM to work with. This sweater will be perfect to throw on during chilly winters.

Donegal wool from Ireland

Alpaca - "Mavic"

Note the pretty stitch markers too! Those shown here were my personal creations.

You can purchase the most awesome stitch markers from our shop at the American Countryside Farmers Market. Our "knitting jewelry" was made by Ali of One of a Kind, one of our favorite market neighbors.

More favorites

Our schedule is getting hectic as we move into spring - well OK, it's technically still winter but we are hopeful! Spring is right around the corner and there is much preparation to be done,both at the farm and the shop. We are thinking "spring"!

A few more favorites to share:

Knitting books:

Knit Fix; problem solving for knitters by Lisa Kartus
This is a wonderful book for novice knitters and probably would be a good memory jogger for long-time knitters as well.

Big Book of Knitting by Katherina Buss

This book has been really helpful – instructional photos are great and there are many finishing techniques and ideas. She needs to do her research about alpaca fiber tho – she states “you can get 2 lbs. of fiber from an alpaca every 2 years”. While this pertains to the Vicuna, alpacas produce every year with the clip being anywhere from 2 to 15 lbs. This depends on many things including the animal’s age, environment, production status, etc.

Felt books:

Felted Knits by Beverly Galeska
I’ll admit I’ve never made anything from this book. When I purchased it I apparently didn’t look at it closely and thought it was “just felting” – turns out it’s felted projects by knitting first. Now that I am knitting more, I’ve given it a 2nd look. It has some awesome projects and I will be making some of them, hopefully soon! Any comments from others on this book?

Please share some of your favorites!

Favorite crochet books

Stitch’N Bitch Crochet; the Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller
This book is great for beginners as well as intermediate. It features up-to-date fashions with lots of flair. I’ve made several of her patterns and have found them easy to follow.

Amazing Crochet Lace by Doris Chan
If you follow crochet at all you’ll be sure to see Chan’s name in many magazines. Her designs are stunning and give a whole new look to crochet. This book is geared toward intermediate/proficient crocheters, however there are some patterns that even a newbie could figure out without too much trouble. I am totally fascinated by her modern twist on old fashioned stitches!

Funky Chunky Crocheted Accessories by Jan Eaton
This is a ‘must have’ for every new crocheter. It has basic accessory patterns with lots of idea for basic edgings and trimmings, beading and embellishment to spice up any item. All patterns are made with chunky yarn so crochet-up very quickly.

Central Park Hoodie - alpaca style!

I joined the Central Park Hoodie “cult” and am on my way to learning to knit cables! I’ll be making my hoodie in Donegal wool from Ireland (per class requirements) and at the same time making one from alpaca yarn from our herd. My “choice” is being made for me as I’ll need over 1200 yards and want a solid versus tweed for this sweeter so the full effect of the cabling will be featured. I would LOVE to make it from Alaska’s glowing bright white fleece but alas, I just don’t have enough yardage. So I’ve decided the lucky alpaca will be Mavic – he’s a pinto with a bay black blanket on white. Blending his fiber together with a little bit of white from Snow Chief created a soft gray with lovely handle. To die for!!

You can check out the Central Park Hoodie blogs here: http://wordpress.com/tag/central-park-hoodie/

Came in like a lion!

Hard to believe it's mid-February - we've had such extreme conditions this winter! What is winter coming to in Indiana? The alpacas are enjoying the crisper days but not the ice in the pasture. Some have been doing their best to learn "ice skating" while others get their legs into a knot and need to be rescued - just kidding - they ARE very cautious though!

On the fiber side, I’ve started a poncho line this winter; most of them are made from natural yarns from our herd. These ponchos are very stylish this year and are hot sellers!! I've included some photos - comments are welcome!

The Poncho at left is "Je ne sais quoi" from one of our foundation girls. She's a favorite on our farm.

The poncho on the right is made from a blend of our herd. The model is "Cookies'N Cream" painted by husband, Lee.

The last poncho is made from Alpacas With a Twist "Highlander" (45% alpaca/45% merino).

"Real World" colors are much more vibrant. They are a must see!

Another high side for February, last year’s clip is back from the mill and looks awesome!!! I've included some pics of the yarn and rovings. They are all LUSCIOUS and I can hardly bear to part with them! Most of them are on their way to our shop at the American Countryside Farmers Market in Elkhart County. So plan a visit to the shop and check out the newest gourmet line! (links are in the right corner)

Warmly, Liz