Rumpelstiltskin - Not quite spinning straw into gold!

I would like to introduce you to the 'Baa Lamb Brothers'.   They were a very cute Christmas present, hand made by my Mom.  Euan has the white one and I have the grey one.  I love their little woolly fleece.  I play with therm more than Euan does!  Mine will join me on my 'Spinning Adventures' for 2012.  They are pictured on top of a 'Woolly' Mountain of 'Merino'.  The Woolly Mountain is presenting quite a challenge...which is where the story of 'Rumpelstiltskin' springs to mind.  This is part of a 10kg Bale, I ordered out of overexuberance when I first started to spin!  Ooops.  It was a shared purchase with my Mom so that takes me down to a 5kg Merino Mountain.  Yes my Mom has a Merino Mountain of her own too.  My intention is to get  a large quantity of it spun ready for some  Dyers Adventures in the Summer.  Watch this space!  Whirrr whirrrr whirrrrr!  (That is the wheel going around!)  The Lady that initially 'taught' me how to spin said to me after about twenty frustrating minutes, "You'll get there, but you are not exactly 'Rumpelstiltskin'!"  I thought that was very funny.  Especially as the lady made a deal that if she couldn't get me spinning she would jump into the brook!  I think she had a few moments where she thought her feet would be getting wet!

Ah!  Ahem, yes another fibre Mountain!  Tis lovely.  A momento from our Summer 'Alpaca Adventure' at Cotswold Vale Alpacas Lovely Crimpy Locks of goodness.  It is quite different to spin compared to wool.  I have experimented, as I really fancy a light floaty shawl in 100% Alpaca.

This sample is 'Navajo Plied' so it is a 3ply yarn and anything but light and floaty.  I am not overly proud of this yarn as it is very uneven due to my inexperience with Alpaca and Navajo Ply.  I love it, but I know it is not technically great.  I would like to experiment felting thicker Alpaca yarn.  This would make a very dense fabric, ideal for a bag.

This is what is currently on 'The Bobbin'.  'Clamour for Glamour', a delicious hand painted 'Yummy Yarn' Fibre.

You gotta start the year as you mean to go on...look at me...all that 'Glamour'.  I still can't quite spin 'Straw into Gold' but I can manage a bit of 'Glamour' quite nicely, even if the only thing that is glamorous about me is what's on my bobbin!

A 'Real' Alpaca Adventure

I was so excited this morning, today I had arranged to go out into the 'Wilds of Worcestershire' to visit Cotswold Vale Alpacas 'Farm'.  What beautiful weather we had too.  You can see how parched the grass is, we have had a  very dry spell in this county.

We were made very welcome on the farm by Ginnie, who breeds Alpacas, spins, knits and felts with their gorgeous fleece.

  I have never been close up and personal with an Alpaca, they look adorable, unfortunately for me they are not up for hugs and cuddles but they do get close and show an interest in people.  Ginnie currently has thirty eight Alpaca with one more expected any day soon.  These were all the girls of various ages.  The array of natural colours is stunning.  There are Huacaya and Suri Alpaca, the Suri Alpaca having the longer fleeces and the Huacaya having a fluffier fleece.

I was surrounded by Alpaca.  They are adorable and have such a gentle none threatening nature.  They have such kind faces and they even look like they have a sweet smile.  I am quite nervous around horses, cows and large animals, but I felt fine surrounded by Alpaca.

Some of the babies were still suckling from their newly sheared Mums.

All babies are so cute aren't they?

I loved the way they were happy to chillax with us close by.  I couldn't help looking and seeing gorgeous knitted stripes of natural colour.  Since I have been spinning, I look at animals and see yarn!

Euan is a farmer in the making, with his 'Goat Farm' training this year and today feeding Alpaca.  He had a very hands on experience and really enjoyed himself.  He is very confident around all these different animals.  He is feeding 'Ace' here, Ace is a two year old Huacaya male.

This is another male, his name is Ewen.  Ewen has a fantastic fleece and he is a stud male.

Here is Euan feeding Ewen.

Mom and I have gone halves on Ace's fleece.  Boy oh boy, it is going to be a treat to spin with.  I can feel a luxurious shawl on my shoulders already, born and raised 'Worcestershire Alpaca'.

My apologies for the poor quality photograph, but I wanted to show you, Ginnie spins and sells her own Alpaca yarn.

She also knits these gorgeous bags and felts them into a very strong fabric, oooh I don't know how I resisted one of these!

They are sold with a label including a photograph of the animal that the fleece came from.  How cool is that!

Ooooh!  I don't know how I resisted one of these either!  A scrumptious litter of three week old kittens and we did get a cuddle.

This is the last photograph, it's Ronnie and Roxy, the pygmy goats!  These are little bundles of fun too.  I could definitely make room in my back garden.  What a brilliant Alpaca Adventure.   It was very educational and we had great fun.  I have some beautiful Alpaca fleece to enjoy.   I am off to work on a business plan!  I need a career change.  Euan would be a brilliant 'Farm Manager'.  I will definitely go back to the farm, I have asked Ginnie to let me know when the 'Australian Shearers' are in town!  Wink, wink!