Lucca

I casted on a Lucca Pi Shawl by Jared Flood and I haven't been able to put it down! The  pattern calls for lace weight yarn, but I am using more of a sport weight yarn. The yarn is from one of my alpacas, Treasure, and my parents alpaca Lily. Their fleeces were combined to make this wonderful yarn and it has been a joy to work with. Good yarn, good pattern, Happy Knitter! 

I started listening to the audio book "The Martian". I love it. Between the pi shawl and the book I am staying up too late at night! I can't put the shawl down and I can't stop listening to the book. I am looking forward to watching the movie after I finish the book.

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along

A New Baby & Silly Lilly

It's a girl!!! As we were getting the farm ready today for our big Open House this weekend we noticed Francesca was in labor. I guess she wanted to have a special guest at the farm for this weekend.

She delivered out in the big field and all the girls and Sapele were very excited to meet the new baby. Within 30 minutes she was up and walking. The little girls that were born last Spring were so excited to play with her they almost ran her over!

So Frankie (aka Francesa), her baby, Lilly and Annaschea got moved over to their own field so the little one could practice walking without those big kids knocking her down.

"Nanny Nanny Boo Boo I got my own field with my Aunts".

My mom brought some hay out into the field so Frankie could eat and keep an eye on her cria. Lilly thought it looked like a wonderful place to lay down and nest.  Lilly that silly alpaca.

"Hay that's my hay!"

"Perfect Anna stand there so I can have shade."

"Being an aunt is so exhausting!!!"

"That's it kid you are an hour old now so time to go off and learn to play by yourself."

"Kids!!!!"

"Finally I can rest."

Everytime I look at Lilly I laugh. She is just too funny. Maybe she'll put on a show for all the people that visit the farm this weekend and have her cria.  It would only be fitting for Lilly to put on a big show of her own.

If you are around this weekend my parents farm will be open to the public for National Alpaca Farm Days. The farm store is stocked with yarn, hand knits, alpaca apparel including coats, sweaters, scarfs, socks, gloves..... , honey, cutting boards, toys and lots and lots of other goodies.  We will have a tent set up with fiber demonstration showing how we take the alpacas fleece and process it into roving.  I will have samples of my patterns set up and I will have my patterns for sale. The event is always a fun time and if you are in the area come on by!  Also we are looking for help naming the new cria that was born today. We'll have a name suggestion box.

The weather looks like it is going to be beautiful for people, but hot for the alpacas. I'm sure we will be hosing them down which is always fun to watch! I hope you can make it.

Directions on our website

www.ArrowAcresFarm.com

My sister put together a post from last year's Open House you can check it out here.

Wdamo Had a Boy!

 

This morning Wdamo gave birth to a healthy strong little boy.  She is a first time mother and she looks like she it going to be a pro.

 

My sister helped get him all dried up so he could soak in those nice morning sun rays.

 

He started taking some steps. That is my favorite part! I left the farm before he started walking. My boys weren't in the best moods, but we'll go back later to check on him again.

 

He is beautiful and my favorite color fawn! Well maybe my second favorite to gray. But his father has a lot of gray in his background. So he could turn into a gray. That is the tricky thing about alpacas, they always keep you guessing.

 

I am so trilled to see this healthy little guy joining the herd.  We'll keep our distance as much as we can from now on so mommy and baby can bond.  Wdamo is a first time mother and we want to keep her as stress free as best we can. But maybe one more photo shoot :)

Not a Swan

 

I have lost my voice. I can't talk. I can't remember ever not being able to talk. Anyway, I wanted to let you know I will be at my parents farm today Saturday April 27th from 10:00 - 4:00.

 

If you are in the area swing by and see the alpacas.  Oh and the new shawl I just made and am wearing above.  It is knitted with my parents alpaca Spicy's yarn.  I'll post better pictures of the shawl later.  But for now I have to get to the farm.

 

Check out Arrow Acres Farm website for directions.

 

Spicy

 

Knitting Ox plus some other stuff

I finished knitting my Cambridge Shawl. I used yarn from my parents alpaca Ox (he didn't care to have his picture taken with the shawl). He's fiber is black but the fiber mill added purple merino to it so the yarn was a very pretty shade of deep purple.  Ox's fiber is my favorite to knit. It has such a great luminosity to it.  Also Ox is a gem himself.

The Cambridge pattern was design by Carol Sunday.  It is such a wonderful pattern. I absolutely love how it turned out and I would recommend this pattern to anyone.  My friend who had made it before me warned that the sides on hers were quite long so I decided to follow the pattern for the smaller size.  I think it turned out perfect for me.  I was stunned when I was asked by Carol Sunday to feature my photograph of my shawl on her pattern page!!! I can not even begin to tell you how giddy I am over the request. Of course I said yes and you can see the pattern page here on Ravelry.

Another side note about the shawl is that Carol Sunday designed it after a shawl worn by the Duchess of Cambridge while she was out shopping.  So just in case I run into Kate Middleton I can tell her the shawl I knitted after the one she wore made it to the pattern page. Just a little small talk with a Princess you know.  Hee hee hee

Okay onto other knitting excitement.  I joined a knit along and I am making a Leaves of Grass. 

The yarn I am using is from Beaverslide. It is a merino wool with 20% fine kid mohair. The color is Natural Buff and I just love it.  Beaverslide sends their fiber to a fiber mill in Canada and it is Mule Spun, which is a very interesting process. I am loving this yarn. I always like to use yarn from family farms if I am not using my parents yarn.  I love to support small businesses especially family run farms.

I splurged and got myself the sample cards from Beaverslide so I could see all the different yarns they have to offer and colors.  I can't wait to pass them around at my next knitting club.

Happy Knitting!

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

400 Yards

Bing

Lilly

I knitted the above little alpaca toy with yarn I handspun from Bing & Lilly's fiber. It is "Billy the Alpaca".  It is one of my original patterns.  I knit each alpaca a little different. This one's ears seemed a little long, but it seemed fitting for Bing's fantastic ears.

Lilly is one of my favorite alpacas. She is co-owed right now by my parents and another farm. I have big dreams of buying her one day and adding her to my herd!  She would be an excellent addition to Muddy Boot Alpacas.

Also in the above pictures is my Alpaca Springtime Bandit.  I am knitting this for the NJAC New Jersey Alpaca Classic Auction.  The yarn was donated by My Poppy's Alpacas. It is a wonderful 400 yard project.  So with the two 200 yard skeins that were donated I am whipping up this project.  All proceeds made from this will be donated to a wonderful charity. I'll write more about that when I finish it up.

I purchased these two books and I am really enjoying them. 

I designed this scarf pattern and I have been meaning to upload it into Ravelry database. But I just haven't gotten around to getting a good picture of it. Hopefully next week I'll have it done. It is a great project for 400 yards.  I used yarn from my parents alpacas. I love how it turned out. I think this project is great for beginners.

Yesterday Freddy, myself and the boys went over to the farm.  My mother got me a present! A blue halter for Blue!  So I thought it would be fun to try it out and take him for a little walk with the boys.  I grabbed my camera and switched out my lens. BUT STUPID ME! I didn't get the lens placed on the camera correctly. So my husband did a wonderful job taking pictures, but they were all blurry because I didn't have the camera set up right. Ugg. Especially since I am never in pictures. Go figure. Anyway I thought they were still fun to share. Blue is such a good sport.

By the time I got the camera fixed Blue thought this just wasn't fun anymore.  We'll try again another day.

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

& Rural Thursday Blog Hop

It's a Blue Moon

Blue say "Cheese."

Okay so I haven't gone so far as to change my facebook profile picture to a pic of Blue yet, but

trust me I've thought about it. He has been such a good boy.

Today the boys and I went over to clean his pen. The entire time I was cleaning he was eating hay out of Brady's hands. He is so gentle and fun.  Most alpacas don't want to be pet and keep to themselves.

As I was sweeping off the mats he came over and laid down at my feet and rolled onto his side, just like my dog does.  I informed him he had to move over so I could finish cleaning, but he just laid there happy to be next to me.

I won Blue Moon on Friday August 24th the next day Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon passed away.  Tonight there is a real blue moon. It will be the second full moon in one month (which they call a blue moon).

I think I am going to name my next alpaca Jackpot.

Hay is for Alpacas