Alpaca Fibers

Fire & Ice Carving Festival

2012-01-26T14:03:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we traveled to Columbia City, Indiana forthe Fire & Ice Carving Festival with our mobile shop and 2 of our handsomeAlpaca boys. The people of Columbia City and surrounding areas have been verywelcoming to us over the past few years as we also vend at the Autumn Juried Arts& Craft Festival. The Fire & Ice Carving Festival was no exception – wewere treated wonderfully and given a great spot right in the center ofeverything. The boys were on their best behavior and were well photographed throughoutthe day. The weather could not have been nicer with bright sunshine and clearblue skies, although it was a bit crisp!

We sold plenty of socks and hats, yarn from our herd, and miscellaneousitems. The ice sculptures were exquisite and we all hoped the weather would remaincold enough to keep the sculptures from melting for at least a few days! I’mguess that wasn’t the case because we had a downpour on Sunday night.

A big thanks you to our repeat customers and new ones aswell. See you next year!

Warmest regards, Liz

Our fall line-up

2011-11-13T16:17:00.001-05:00

Introducing our last 3 cria for 2011:

Bullet's Thunderbolt (Silver Bullet x ChiChi) arrived October 15 while were at a nearby Farmer's Market participating in the Harvest Festival. ChiChi was meant to give us a girl this year, but hey, we'll take this one - he's adorable and we love his color and markings.

November 16 brought us Bullet's Jolie (Bullet x Maya) and we couldn't be happier with this little gal! With all the grey in Maya's background we hoped for grey but this true black beauty has made us very happy! She's loaded with presence and has spring curls galore.

Last to arrive on October 18, but the most exciting was Royal Izabella (Royal Crest x Cloudy) ... why?? Because she's Cloudy's 4th cria and her first GIRL!! She's perfect from head to toe and sports absolutely luscious fleece thanks to both parents, just as we expected!!!! Yippeeeee!!

We are thankful for all of our cria this year and cannot wait until spring to have a few more. Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Warmest regards, Liz

First cria this Fall

2011-10-16T13:52:00.000-04:00

Meet Fusion's French Vanilla! Born October 5 while it was still warm and sunny (smart mom!) to Atomic Fusion and Shimmer. She's simply gorgeous!

Beer Gloves

2011-10-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

Here is my version of Kurt Fausset's Beer Gloves from the Son of Stitch'N bitch book - patterns for guys. Made with Alpaca with a Twist Highlander yarn, this pattern was very enjoyable and directions were great. Husband, Lee tells me however, this is not a very good "guy color" (but doesn't his hand look handsome in them??).

My next pair will be much more guy-like in chocolate brown. :)

Warmest regards, Liz

Garden Art

2011-06-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

Lee's painting of his pumpkin patch now graces our front porch. More time for painting would be nice ....

Talented brothers!

2011-06-21T20:57:00.000-04:00

And brother, Scot is just as talented. He's also an architect in southern California. I'm proud of them!

Talented brothers!

2011-06-21T20:55:00.000-04:00

Take a moment to visit my brother, Mike's website. He's an architect in southern California and very good at what he does!

Wooly Lavender

2011-06-12T15:13:00.000-04:00

Meet Wooly Lavender named after the soft grey lavender plant that thrives in high heat. She was born on the hottest day of spring to Lotus & Spartacus. Gorgeous little thing!!

Introducing Sheeza Looker's first cria!

2011-06-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

Ridin' The Storm Out

Storm arrived on Memorial Day and we tried to think of a great patriotic name for him. We had several suggestions from friends but nothing seemed to fit. On the evening of May 30th our farm suffered another violent wind shear ripping out 9 large trees and damaging 2 more so when we heard REO Speedwagon's "Ridin' The Storm Out" on the radio we knew we had found his name.

With parents like Sheeza and Champion's Protégé, we are quite sure his fleece will be incredible, however, we DID order a GIRL, didn't we???

Finally finished!

2011-04-22T18:26:00.000-04:00

This was the project that spent a few months in my lap this winter. I actually finished it in mid-March except for the buttons. It took a few weeks for the capelet to make it upstairs to my project room where I keep my basket-full of buttons. I always enjoy choosing buttons —I can lose an hour or more just sifting through them. (How boring am I??) Many of the buttons were removed from old outfits and bunches were given to me by both of my moms. One of my favorite things on Earth is vintage buttons! For my Earthy capelet, I decided to use some vintage leather buttons from my mom. I feel they compliment the capelet nicely.

This piece is made of 100% Royal Baby-fine Alpaca from our Preferred Herd Yarn Collection making it soooo sumptuous!

On-site tour of our micro-mini-mill

2011-02-28T19:03:00.000-05:00

You can view how we process fiber at Turkey Creek Alpacas http://turkeycreekalpacas.com/fiber/processing.html

Dye day!

2011-02-15T13:48:00.000-05:00

Monday was dye day and just look at these gorgeous springy colors: rose, peach and terra cotta. They turned out so luscious. I can't wait to start carding and blending. I have some interesting fibers to blend in. Should be fun!

Introducing my Micro-Mini-Mill

2011-02-13T16:38:00.013-05:00

My fiber storage and processing room has finally come together this winter. For my fiber-minded friends, I know you will enjoy the tour!

The walk-in closet (at left) has shop inventory storage, an area for my antique crank sock-machine (more on that another day), and the “queue-up area” for fleeces.

The bags shown represent about one-fifth of the fleeces we currently have on-hand to process! (… and shearing day is closing in quickly!)

Photo #2 & 3 show loading up the fiber tumbler with fleece and locking it in. I generally only load a few pounds for the best results and set my timer for 10 minutes. The tumbler works wonders knocking out sand and dirt, and those annoying little second cuts that create noils in the yarn. The tumbler has dowels that aim toward the center around the inside which work to pull the fleece apart as it tumbles.

My tumbler is a Jiffy made by Alpaca Heights in Ubly, MI - http://www.alpacanation.com/alpaca-products/03_view_product.asp?name=108909

Photo #4 & 5 show me unloading the tumbler. Yes, I practically have to stand on my head and get inside to reach all the fiber at the bottom. And there’s my exercise routine!

Photo #6 and 7 show the skirting table, the next step after tumbling. Now is the fun part (really kidding here). Skirting is the process where you remove debris, guard hair, inconsistent lengths, and whatever else you may find that would not look very pretty in your rovings or yarn.

If the fleece is very fine and very dirty, I use a dog brush to help get out debris. Unfortunately this process wastes more fiber but if the fleece is that dirty, at least you are to salvage some of it. Brushing also removes the “Velcro” ends from an unshorn cria fleece.

After skirting, the fiber is placed loosely into laundry bags and washed. I purchased an old washing machine from craigslist.com and Lee removed the agitator. Fleece condition will determine how many washes are required to clean it up. Once the fleece has been cleaned, if you are going to dye, this is the best time for that.

In photo #8, I’m feeding raw cleaned fiber into the drum carder.

#9 & 10 shows me pulling the batt from the carder and rolling the finished batt up for storage.

Another nice way to display it is to braid it together which looks really pretty with dyed rovings.

Next up … fun with dye! J Stay tuned ….

Crazy Cute Creatures!

2011-01-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

I know … I know … I said I wasn’t going to buy any more books, but how could I resist this one? Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh is full of crazy critters created from bits and pieces of left-over yarn.

The patterns are colorful, so very creative and utterly adorable! What child could resist a red octopus, striped spider or the Loch Ness monster made out of soft alpaca??

My favorite though is the praying mantis knit in bright green yarn with incredible detail. Often thought of as good luck, we always cherish them when we discover one on a bush or tree on the farm. (… off on a tangent …) Last summer at the farmers market, I bought a 2’ high mantis made from old shovels and bits of junk metal. “Manny” as we dubbed him, has a place in the garden off the deck overlooking a bird bath.

I’m always looking for interesting patterns to knit or crochet and was excited to find one for a small llama purse. I’ve seen the purses for sale on various sites but have not run across a pattern until now. It looks like a fun diversion and would be a really cute gift for a little girl.

I’ll share the results of some of my creatures as they come to life.

Stay warm! Liz

I hereby resolve …

2011-01-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

For some reason I always feel the need to declare a new year’s resolution. More often than not they don’t stick very long. Last year I resolved to use up the yarn in my stash before buying any more. While I did buy some yarn, I didn’t do too bad working with much of what I had on hand. Generally the skeins I bought were for a specific project where more yarn was required in a color or weight than I had on hand.

The 2^nd part of the resolution ‘making at least one pattern in each book I own’ didn’t pan out as well. I did make several things from my own patterns but somehow it’s hard to resist when I’m on so many email lists and patterns come my way about every day. And there are so many wonderful free patterns (thank you)! In my defense, I can assure you that I love each and every book I own and have poured through them over and over again, each time seeing something that renews my creative juices. That’s got to be worth something.

So, this year, I resolve to finish all the ‘works-in-process’ I have in various stages of completion. Let’s see … 2/3rds of a Fair Isle mitten, 2 or 3 brim hats, a lacy cardigan sweater … and then there’s the line-up of projects I have already pulled together with pattern, yarn and needles ready to go … more hats, 1 or 2 scarves, a cabled capelet … to name a few. Yes, I’ll do my best to finish all those WIPs in between some new projects (like the adorable ‘mad bomber hat’ pattern I just found!).

I feel better now that that’s all worked out. And good luck with yours!

Warmest regards, Liz

A glimpse of summer ...

2011-01-04T18:53:00.000-05:00

There’s nothing like sitting in the yard at day’s end on a nice summer evening to watch the alpacas. It’s a great time to catch the crias at play and the best way I can think of to wind down.

Sorry to make you think of summer half-way through winter! J I just couldn’t help sharing this photo.

Warmest regards! Liz

Huntress Sweater

2011-01-03T15:46:00.000-05:00

I made this sweater for myself (a rare occasion) and then decided I’m just not worthy! Actually I have a wardrobe full of alpaca sweaters now and not enough places to wear them all!

The sweater is made from a blend of Ginger Snap, ChiChi and Cloudy – super-soft, yes they are! It’s thick and cozy warm, and it’s possible that it still may end up in my wardrobe.

Warmest regards! Liz

New product will soon be on-line!

2011-01-03T15:27:00.000-05:00

My good friend’s daughter, Kaitie and boyfriend, Dustin modeled some of my outfits and accessories on New Year’s Eve. Kaitie and Dustin both had such natural smiles making my products looks “so fine!”

Here’s Kaitie modeling the slouch hat made from Spirit’s cria fleece. Très chic!

And Dustin modeling my Embers ribbed scarf and hat.

Watch for these items and several others on-line soon!

Warmest wishes for a happy new year!

Liz

Christmas sweater

2010-12-30T12:02:00.000-05:00

Mom was happy with the sweater I made for her. She wore it on Christmas day and my brother snapped this pic for me. They live in CA and it was very sunny as you can tell!

I'm just glad it fit, and she actually is wearing it.

Merry Christmas to all ...

2010-12-24T12:52:00.000-05:00

We're about as prepared as we are going to be for Christmas this year! We'll be sharing the time with family - plenty of eating will take place -sweets being my favorite!

Wishing you all the merriest!

Warmest wishes, Liz

Winter Solstice

2010-12-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

It’s a dark day in northern Indiana which somehow seems appropriate for today, December 21^st, also known as the Winter Solstice marking the first day of winter.

According to Wikipedia, “The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days.” Yeah! I have always liked the thought of the lengthening of day. Even though we’ve got plenty of winter ahead of us, for some reason I feel much more optimistic knowing that each day will be a bit brighter. The light (and certainly the sunlight!) makes the cold so much easier to bear.

Today is my brother-in-law’s birthday too. Happy birthday Ken! Check out their bike & ski shop, ProForm, located in South Bend. http://proformbike.com/

Stay warm & cozy, Liz

2010-12-18T11:56:00.000-05:00

Here's a frosty photo from a few years back after an ice storm. I came across it while searching for a few pics and thought I'd share! It makes me shiver just looking at it!

Stay warm ... Liz

Chicken attack!

2010-12-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

A funny story ... Lee, having worked in the RV industry for 30-some years tends to build things “just big enough” to fit through. Our chicken coop being one of those things. Each morning I bring fresh water for the chickens and have to bend over to unplug the warmer and remove the waterer before I can fit inside the coop with my heavy jacket and overalls. (I sometimes feel like I’m ready for a space mission with the heavy boots and all!).

Well, this morning a few of the chickens were perched on top of the laying boxes and when I bent over, one of them jumped onto my hooded head. I couldn’t stand upright for fear that the chicken would be smashed into the ceiling, so I attempted to pry it’s claws from my hood and remove it to safe ground. Once I had her up in the air, she started flapping her wings like crazy which knocked out the warming lamp smashing the bulb. As if I needed something else to clean up … Anyway, I laugh every time I think of the picture of me bent over in my Carhartts with a chicken attached firmly to my hood!

Ain’t life a hoot?

I love my Carhartt overalls!

2010-12-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

After 8 winters on the farm, last winter I broke down and bought a heavy-duty Carhartt jacket. I’ve held off buying one because they are so darn heavy but Lee kept telling me they are worth their weight in gold! He was right, the thing IS warm. For the past 8 years I have been wearing flannel lined jeans along with my (scratchy) wool long-johns but still, my upper legs and knees would be so cold and achy by the time I was done with chores.

Well, its winter #9 on the farm and I broke down and bought some Carhartt overalls this year. OMG, they are wonderful! So far I’ve been out in single digit weather and my legs are nice and warm the entire time. I have not had the chronic aches and pains like the past few years either. I’m thinking of being buried in these overalls. LOL! Kidding.

2010-12-13T15:25:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the Christmas sweater I knit for my mom. It’s not actually a “Christmas sweater” but rather a sweater for Christmas. J I had it finished (the first time) back in early November. It’s one of those knit-in-one-piece patterns – knit from one arm through the body and ending with the opposite arm. Apparently I missed a few inches of knitting about 1/3rd into the pattern and didn’t notice it until I had completely finished it, ends tucked in an all. Needless to say, it was a bit off! I had to rip back 2/3rds of the sweater and start again.

Mom is nearing 86 years old and has shrunk down to a petite small (and just barely) so to rip it back and remake such a tiny garment only took a few evenings. It does not fall into the usual type of clothing she wears, but I think she’ll like it. In case you're wondering, that's not her in the photo!

The pattern is from the spring issue of Interweave Knits. I loved making it (twice!) and may make another for the shop.

Stay warm & happy knitting!

Liz

Vintage buttons

2010-12-10T19:05:00.000-05:00

*Vintage Buttons*

2 lovely words, aren’t they?

My passion for buttons started early on when my grandmother gave me a box of buttons she’d saved through the years. She wasn’t much for sewing but always clipped buttons from worn-out clothing. Unfortunately I lost those buttons during a move from Florida to Indiana. :(

While recently visiting my parents, my mom pulled out her sewing kit and dug out all the buttons she had saved over the years. And this past summer my Lee’s mom gave me a bag of buttons she had collected over the years. These buttons will eventually find a place in one of my many projects—a little decorative touch to a sweater or poncho, perhaps the cuff of a glove, and many buttons are used for eyes and noses on my critter hats – each one different!

Cheddar Head!

2010-12-07T11:01:00.001-05:00

This little "cheddar head" is our vet's little boy. He's wearing one of my critter hat creations. Looks like he'll have room to grow! :D

Stay warm, Liz

Thankful for our life

2010-12-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

I grew up thinking the stork dropped me into the wrong family. I’m sure I was meant to be raised on a farm, out of doors, with animals surrounding me. The fact is I resemble my dad quite a bit and have inherited his endless need to have several projects on the work bench.

Having spent the majority of my life in the city, this farmgirl-at-heart felt like she’d finally come home the day we moved to the country to inhabit our “new” log home. Nearing our 11^th year, I can’t help but reminisce how our small piece of paradise has transformed over the years. Covered porches, flowering shrubs and trees, gardens with giant vegetables, treed pastures, and colorful alpacas dotting the landscape.

Our lives have been defined and enriched by our surroundings. We have so much to be thankful for all started with a thoughtful comment from Lee on a warm June afternoon, “we should put something out there …”

Happy Thanksgiving ... happy fall!

2010-11-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

While the Autumn leaves still dance around our pastures, there is a definite chill is in the air and tell-tale signs that the holidays are just around the corner. We have enjoyed an unusually long, mild fall this year. The alpacas enjoyed long naps in the sun and still manage to find something to nibble in the pasture. But weather predictions are for a brutally cold winter and our winter preparations are in place. Our barns have been buttoned down and bales of straw are ready to be stuffed in drafty corners and strewn on the hard ground floor. The chicken coop has been winterized with a warm lamp, plastic covering their windows and door and a heated waterer. Did I mention that we stuffed the coop walls with unusable alpaca fiber for warmth? How lucky are those chickens?!

I visited family in California over Thanksgiving; a nice diversion to life on the farm, not to mention it’s a completely different existence than we know in Indiana. A trip to a nearby shopping center with my parents put a smile on my face as we passed racks of heavy coats, hats and scarves! J The prices of the scarves were not much less (and in fact some were more!) than our natural Alpaca scarves. I can’t help myself, I stop to read the fabric content as we pass by – I saw quite a bit of acrylic, polyester, viscose and one scarf even contained 2% rubber on its label! That was the first time I’ve ever see “rubber” listed in clothing contents!

I enjoy perusing L.L. Bean, Talbot, J. Jill and other various winter catalogs to get ideas for this year’s fashion style, the latest in fabrics, and how they justify their pricing on so many variations of man-made fabrics. Time after time I come away feeling pleased about our product offering. Luxuriously soft, sumptuous fabrics in pure, natural colors in fashionable styles, unsurpassed warmth, and long-lasting quality.

Our local mini-mill decided to close to the public this year so we shopped around for another option. We chose a small mill in Kentucky and received our first 5 batches of yarn back last week. It’s very pretty and I’m excited to offer it for sale in our farm shop. We have a few batches still coming and quite a bit more that still needs to be processed. A shortage of time keeps us from catching up and undoubtedly we will have another year’s clip before we get through all we have on hand (not such a bad problem to have!). Take a peek at our Preferred Herd line of yarn. It’s the ultimate in comfort and warmth!

Speaking of processing, we will have a “micro-mini-mill” at the farm. Plans are in the works for a fiber processing room complete with washer, fiber tumbler, a skirting area, carder, spinning wheel and project work area. I’m so excited to finally have a place to dabble with various blends of fibers, textured yarns, and fun and artsy rovings. Watch for more details and photos this winter!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Warmly, Liz

First cria of 2010

2010-07-21T13:43:00.000-04:00

Again we start this year out with a little male cria. He's got pretty nice genetics behind him and was so vibrant and strong right from the start so we'll keep him around for awhile! We've named him Chavin which was a civilizatin of the northern Andean highlands from 900 BC to 200 BC. I basically just like the name. And here he is ... shown with mom, Maya.

The chicks have arrived!

2010-04-30T12:31:00.001-04:00

The post office called at 7:00 AM this morning with a message "they're here!". I rushed right over there at 9:30 to pick them up. We ordered 15 pullets (confirmed females) so it was surprising how much chatter there was in our small post office coming from that small box. By the noise I heard as I opened the door, I thought there must more than one box! But my tiny box (~10x12") of chicks was, in fact, the source of the racket.

I rushed them home and popped them into the brooder box under the warm heat lamp, and there was instant silence. Ahhh!

This being my first chicken-raising experience, will be a day-to-day learning experince. I've been warned by several "don't give them names" but I can see that it will be hard not to. We've already come up with Egburt, Foghorn Leghorn (of course he's a rooster), Ethel, Spot and many others. I can't see myself eating something that I've spend time feeding, watering and caring for. Nope, that's not my thing!

Lee is still contemplating the chicken coop but I think he's decided to convert half of a rarely-used alpaca shed with a new door and chicken run out under our fruit trees. They'll have many fine hours of chicken-scratching and we'll be able to keep an eye on them from the backyard. The only downside to that location is the forest critters will be keeping an eye on them too.

That'll make for an interesting spring and summer I guess, which is "eggs-actly" what look forward to in Indiana!

Liz

Aliens at Beer Run!

2010-04-28T14:10:00.000-04:00

A few days ago Jaxson and I made our way across the road to Beer Run to let the girls into the front pasture. When we arrived, the girls were already out in the back pasture. How did that happen?? There were no gates open - all were latched just as I had left them. There was no hole or tear in the fence. No way at all for them to get out, and yet there they were, all 11 of them in the wrong pasture. ???

After pondering it for a day, Lee decided that some cock-eyed aliens must've beamed them up for a probing and dropped them back on the wrong side of the fence! :D It hasn't happened again and the alpacas aren't talking ...

The moon will be full starting tonight. What might that bring?

Our first spring show!

2010-04-07T13:32:00.000-04:00

We just returned from the Indiana Alpaca Invitational show in Ft. Wayne and had a smashing time! Typically we focus on raising the best fleeces to provide luxurious yarn and wearables for our shop. We don’t put too much into fancy topknots or fleece down to their toes! Showing is something we do for fun and it's a great way to network with other alpaca-holics. Sure, we take our best offspring with the intent of showing them off but love them all the same if they take the gate instead of a ribbon!

And having said all of that, HOLY COW! Our animals made us proud!! We took 6 animals and came home with 5 ribbons. Read about our wins below and watch for us at the National show!

2010-04-07T13:31:00.001-04:00

Alaska’s Cicely – this was one of my favorites! We registered Cicely at the last minute submission and she blew our socks off! She was the youngest one in the class and she came home with 6th place in a class of 14 white juvenile females!! For those of you who aren’t familiar, white alpacas typically have the most elite fleeces and white classes are very competitive! Cicely is heading to the National show in May!

2010-04-07T13:29:00.001-04:00

Leprecan’s Wee Bonnie Lass – I’ll admit, Bonnie is one of our favorites; she’s too cute for words and full of mischievous personality. Despite several weeks of halter training prior to the show, standing still was just not on her agenda in the show ring. And yet she managed to bring home a 2nd place ribbon and was also awarded the nickname “spunky” by the judge. Bonnie is heading to the National show!

2010-04-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

Goldie Fawne – a daughter of our oldest dam, ChiChi who came to us just last year. Fawnie has outstanding fleece and still a soft handle with consistent crimp! We were ecstatic when she passed along those qualities to Fawne along with flawless conformation. Now Fawnie doesn’t sport a fancy topknot, her front legs don’t have much coverage, and her nose is on the longer side (not really what most would consider a “show animal”) but we thought her fleece and conformation were pretty nice so we decided to bring her along. I even joked with the gate-keeper asking which gate we should use upon our quick exit! AND GUESS WHAT?! She took 3rd in a class of 8!! It just goes to show you …. A fancy hair-do isn’t everything! While Fawnie will be staying home during Nationals, her fleece will be making the trip with us. Wish her luck!

2010-04-07T13:24:00.000-04:00

Sheeza Looker – And she really is! Sheeza has absolutely beautiful soft fleece, but is on the smaller side for her age group. She was also less than thrilled to be a part of this fun-filled weekend and made her point repeatedly while in the ring. Well, the judge recognized me right off ... and luckily he’s a great guy! Sheeza took home 4th place because of that outstanding fleece. Watch for Sheeza at the National show!

2010-04-07T13:22:00.000-04:00

Spirit of Don Quijote – Last but certainly not least is our boy Spirit. Nearly lost at birth and what a loss that would have been! Our first vet-assist in 18 birthing seasons, Spirit jumped to his feet and took a few steps just moments after the vet delivered him. He’s a handsome sizeable male with numerous qualities and was awarded 4th place of 8 against a tough class! Spirit gave me a few challenges during training but made me very proud with his ring presence. Spirit is on his way to becoming our first “home grown” junior herd sire (he’s already lined up a harem!). Watch for Spirit at Nationals!

2010-04-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

Sweet Liberty Belle was eventually directed to the gate in a very large white class, which didn’t really surprise us. Don’t get me wrong, she’s lovely with her compact frame, pretty head, and soft bright fleece; her fleece lacks that “elite” quality required of a white animal in the show ring. Belle was quite a good sport about it and happily skipped back to her pen-mates. She’ll make someone a wonderful dam and produce bundles of luxuriously soft fiber each spring!

More weaving!!

2010-02-17T20:44:00.001-05:00

Hello,
I know I'm being overly proud of my first weaving projects but I can't help it! I spent so many years working on things that were so utterly boring (called "a job") that I'm blowing my own socks off by what's coming off my loom!

This time I warped the loom for 2 scarves. The first one shown here is about 8" woven. The papers you see right up front (actually cheap toilet paper) is used to pack the warp to bring the yarn together before starting to weave.

By warping with a pattern of 4 blue and 4 cream (and so on), and weaving with 4 blue, then 4 cream, it creates this beautiful pattern called "Houndstooth". It's one of my favorite patterns, I think.

The 2nd scarf was created using the same warp, but only weaving with cream which creates the striping over the 2-color warp. I love them both.

These scarves were woven slightly tighter than the Herringbone but are still very soft. The blue is 100% Baby Alpaca commercial yarn, and the cream is from our herd.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my "works of art" as much as I've enjoyed sharing them. I've got a shawl in the planning stage right now. Stay tuned ...

and stay warm,

Liz

Weaving bliss!

2010-02-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I finally carved out some time to get a project on my loom. It took awhile to figure out exactly what I was doing and to plan my project. It took even longer to get the yarn ready and dress the loom. And once it was all dressed I realized it was completely backwards! (And that is why I shouldn't do these things in the evening!)

No worries ... I rolled with it and wove it backwards.

The scarf turned out beautifully! I'm very happy with it (can you tell?). I wove it loosely making it very pliable and drapey. This scarf if from our herd yarn and it's incredibly soft!!

Well, Onto the next project ...

Stay warm, Liz

Mavic cable sweater

2010-02-03T13:07:00.001-05:00

Hi,
I know I promised to share my finished Mavic sweater. Somehow that never happened so here it is! Cookie is my model. The sweater fits me like a glove but I'm not much at modeling!

This sweater is the most scrumptious in the shop and for sale!! ;)

Warmly, Liz

Winter at Turkey Creek Alpacas

2010-01-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

This gorgeous creek runs along our farm. It's fast flowing like a river so doesn't freeze over. The running water can be heard any time of year and is a lovely sound after dark when we sit in front of a campfire along the creek.

Lee and I were lucky to take a 9-day vacation to visit my family in California right after Christmas this year. Unbelievably we hit a perfect week in the 70's with 2 days in the low 80's. We came back to low temps, ice, and blustery conditions to find our alpacas, dogs and barn cat doing well in the care of our farm sitter. Bless him for the wonderful care he takes of our home and critters allowing us some much-needed time away.

Now heading into February we are hoping for an early spring and once again starting to plan our shearing event, some spring shows and a few camping trips! We have no crias (baby alpacas) due until fall so we are foot loose and fancy free (as long as we have our trusty farm sitter, that is).

We decided to raise some chickens this year so I just ordered a late April delivery for a mix of 15 pullets. I never thought I'd be raising chickens but something this year tells me to diversify. With that thought in mind, Lee and I are also attending a bee keeping school in Indianapolis at the end of February. Just another project for future pondering.

I leave you tonight with a photo of Spirit last summer in front of the house. It's one of my favorites!

Stay warm, Liz

Autumn at last!

2009-11-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

Did I say that?? I do love autumn but what happened to summer??? The months rush past with quickening speed each year. Lee had some fun this year trying his hand at growing giant pumpkins. Shown is his "prize winner" weighing in at 91.2#. It didn't actually win any prizes, but we had many a comment about it from farm visitors.

He made 2 different newspapers with the giant. So he's grown a 52# watermelon, 10' Indian corn, and now this ... what will next year bring? :)

Seriously, it's hard to believe that it's November 1st already! October certainly didn't treat us well in Indiana. Plenty of gloom and more than our share of rainy days. We are praying for a short and sweet winter although it doesn't sound promising.

As for my fiber arts this summer, I did manage to keep very busy! I spent as many Saturdays as the weather allowed at an open-air artisan's & farmers market in Syracuse. I became quite adept at throwing up that tent and setting up shop for the day.

I haven't had much time to take photos of my latest pieces, but I can tell you that I finally finished my Mavic cabled hoodie and it's had many "oohs" and "ahhs" throughout the summer. It has to be the coziest piece in the shop. I also sold the green wool version and it looked fabulous on the young lady who bought it. That's a great feeling!

I also had a bit of time to put up a site on Etsy.com but have had little time to really add much of anything to it. Being a one-of-a-kind type of gal, I find it's too time consuming to take photos and go through the entire rigmarole to get things listed. :D In the meantime I've moved my office and expanded our farm shop. It's looking great! Come on out for a visit, and check out our newest crias for 2009. I'll post a few pictures later on - I promise!

I'll leave you with this funny photo taken at Suzie & Terry Hart's farm in Middlebury. Her boys were in rare form and hamming it up for the photographer (me!).

Warmly, Liz

Ahh, Spring at last!

2009-05-26T22:23:00.000-04:00

We've made it through another shearing season and, as usual, they all look fabulous, healthy and happy. It's great starting over each year and watching how they change and "grow" as the year moves on. Plus we have an entire stash of fresh fleeces!!! Exciting!!

I'd like to share this photo of our log house underneath the blooming dogwood. Spring is my all-time favorite season and it's entirely too short.

Let's see, I've started a new project on my floor loom. I'm using up yarn (cotton/acrylic blend perhaps?) and making some colorful placements as my next practice pieces. I used the yarn in it's "white" state for the warp, and dyed the 4 remaining quarters in yellow, orange, blue and green. I'm about 1/4 into my 2nd matt and they are looking very cheery with fringe around each side. I'll be sure to include pics of the loom all dressed up, and the finished projects soon.

We've only had our first cria so far, a 21# baby boy to Mohana. He gave his mom quite a time during birth and we've decided to name him Spirit because he sure showed his during the rigamarole of birth!

Talk soon ... Liz

Turkey Creek Outfitters Grand "Re-opening" !!

2009-04-22T12:24:00.001-04:00

Yes, we have reopened our farm shop and it's grand opening will take place on May 2 during our Shearing Day open house. Most of our products are hand-crafted, and all of our natural yarns are from our herd.

For the spinner, don't miss out on the luxurious rovings from last year's fiber crop. We have solids and gourmet blends available at $4/oz. (pictured in the right-hand column).

Andean Chullo

2009-04-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

This hat was one of my recent projects. I learned Fair Isle knitting while creating something alpaca-related. Although the hat is made from 100% Andean Wool (versus alpaca) it's very soft with bright, eye-appealing colors for winter. I loved working on it and will be attemping some in the near future using alpaca!

Where has time gone?!

2009-04-21T13:28:00.000-04:00

Wow, time flies!! Spring is here and with that comes shearing time! Yeah!! With 20+ animals this year, we'll be shearing all weekend with our open house landing on Saturday May 2 from noon till 5 PM. The general public is welcome and the event is free of charge. You can expect to see lots of alpacas - some fluffy; some shorn, fiber arts demonstrators taking fleece from raw to finished product, and of course plenty of finished product in the farm shop.

As for this fiberist, I've been working with friend and teacher, Maggie Schnaars to learn several types of knitting, tips, finishing, etc. It's been a wonderful experince and I've come a long way. I'll photograph and share some of my recent creations soon, I promise.

I also took a day-long one-on-one weaving course at White Violet Alpaca Farm. That was loads of fun and I met several wonderful people. Now I just need some *time* to put my creative juices toward my loom!

Husband Lee has been creating birdhouses out of gourds plus a few uniquely painted dipper goards just for the fun of it. Even though Winter seems to be hanging on this year we have kept ourselves busy with plenty of artwork and creativity during these long months.

Our sad news is that we were forced to close our shop at the American Countryside Farmers Market in January due to the downturned economy. However, we have reopened our farm shop and look forward to serving the public there. Pics to follow ...

Ah, if only the days were twice as long!

Liz

Oh, those muggy days of summer!

2008-07-16T10:05:00.000-04:00

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

2008-06-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

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

2008-06-10T19:42:00.000-04:00

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!

2008-05-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

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!!

2008-04-25T11:51:00.000-04:00

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!!

2008-03-24T13:06:00.000-04:00

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

2008-03-19T11:43:00.000-04:00

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!

2008-02-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

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

2008-02-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

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

2008-02-18T13:46:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-02-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-02-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

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