Fall Babies

After finishing up my farm chores this morning. I decided to take some pictures of the Fall babies. So just in case you wanted to see some cute alpacas here you go.

 

 

Look Stone has the green bandage off his neck :)

 

I hope you enjoyed the babies. There is only one more due for this Season. So far of the 5 babies from 2013 they all have been boys. What do you think the 6th one will be????

Yarn Along & Open House

 

Yesterday I got my hands on my parents new alpaca yarn. It just came back from the fiber mill. I couldn't wait to get it on my needles. I knitted up a Betsy hat by Jane Richmond. This yarn worked wonderful for this pattern and it knit us so quickly.  The yarn I used is a combination of the gray and rose gray girls.

 

Wea

Spicy

Maggie

I got a second Betsy on my needles because I loved how the first one came out. Also on my needles is a Celes by Jared Flood. I am also working on a Kex Scarf by Stephen West.  I am loving the variety of knitting projects I have going on at the moment.

I got some new note cards printed up to sell at the farm.



My parents farm, Arrow Acres Farm, is having an open house this weekend. September 28th & 29th. We will be open to the public from 10:00 - 4:00 so if you are in the NJ area come on by and see us!

 

You can get up close to the alpacas and check out all the goodies in our showroom.  It is a really fun weekend and three of the girls are due to have babies. So there could be a chance that one of them delivers during the festivities.  That would be craziness I tell you.

 

If you can make it to the farm. I am usually in the showroom the entire time. I work the register and I chat about yarn and alpacas all day.  The weather looks like it is going to be perfect for the event. I am so excited.

 

 

 

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along



Pumpkin Picking Shawl

 

I finished up my "Pumpkin Picking Shawl". The pattern is Samen by Stephen West. I decided to call it my Pumpkin Picking Shawl because while I was knitting it the Fall colors made me want to go pumpkin picking.  Blue thinks I did a good job :)

 

I really loved knitting this shawl. I did most of the knitting on the road. We have taken some day trips lately and I took it with me everywhere we went. It is a very easy travel knit.

The yarn I used was Shibui Cima. It is a 70% superbaby alpaca, 30% fine merino wool. The yarn is held doubled and the finished knit is so incredibly soft. I love it is so much and I know I'm going to get a ton of use out of it.  I got the yarn from Chelsea Yarns.  The colors I used were Poppy, Mineral, Clay, Field, & Caffeine. I used one skein of each, but I had to cut the last garter ridge short 2 rows or else I was going to run out of Poppy (bright orange). I also made a mistake on one of the wedges. I forgot to do an additional repeat. But I am calling it a happy mistake because I was very glad to stick to one skein of each color.

In alpaca news this little guy has a name. Meet "Arrow".

 

Melody on the left and Spicy in the middle are both due soon, so we are sticking close to the farm and hoping for some healthy little crias any day now.

 

 

 

Happy Knitting! I hope you have a great day.

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

1000 Yards of Everything

In just a few days my sisters and I will be in fiber heaven at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.  It is my favorite weekend of the year.  A girls weekend filled with fiber, food and fiber lovers galore. My younger sister can knit, but if I say Liz knits she will quickly correct me and say "no I crochet".  She also spins yarn. So we will be on the search for yarn, roving, buttons, shawl pins, pattern books, and oh more yarn.

 

Oh of course we'll be checking out the sheep!  I am sure we'll find some alpacas and cashmere goats too. 

 

So I have been searching endlessly for patterns on Ravelry and my pattern books at home. Oh what yarn to buy? What to make? Oh the possibilities are endless.  People ask us why we get so excited about the festival. It might have something to do with being in one place with thousands of other fiber junkies all oohing and aahhing over yarn. We fit in perfect.  But also it is a great chance to buy yarn and roving from small farms and small yarn studios.  A lot of it you can't find in the stores and it is so fun to get some one of a kind fiber and it is wonderful to help support these farms too.

 

In the past I have brought my patterns and bought yarn for each of them.  This year I am thinking I am just going to buy 1000 yards of everything. Just so I have enough.  Who needs money for food or paying bills.  This girl wants to knit.

 

I finished up knitting my Juneberry Shawl with yarn from my parents alpaca Spicy. I really wanted to get a picture of her by it, but she didn't want to do that. Her son Reno was very interest though.

 

Mom is that you?

 

 

 

 

I also made myself an Ease Sweater with Spud & Chloe yarn.  It is such a comfortable sweater.  I really love it and I do need to block it to fix some bumps by the neckline, but I just keep wearing it.  I'll block it eventually, but for now I am enjoying it just how it is.

 

 

 I need some advice.  I casted on a Coyote Trail by the designer Romi. I am using Madelintosh Light yarn. I bought the yarn for another project and I decided not to do that project. So I am using them for my Coyote Trail. BUT I don't think they go together. So now do I frog it? It is a lot of work still to do and I am just not loving the colors together. In the store the lighter color looked creamier, but now at home I think it is too gray. Opinions please!

I feel like if I leave off the lace edging it will make a really cool shawl / scarf for a guy.  But I need direction.

So since I wasn't sure if I should keep working my on Coyote Trail I casted on a Terra Shawl. It is one of my favorite go to knits. It is perfect for a quick gift and I wanted something easy to work on for the drive down to Maryland.

I am using handpainted Cascade sock yarn.

As for my Maryland Shopping List I do have a few items that I am planning on knitting.  The rest of my purchases will be impulse buys.

I am planning on getting yarn from Tess Designer Yarns for a Clarity Cardigan.  I love Tess's yarn and I LOVE the 50% clearance table behind her booth.  It is great yarn at a great price.  I am planning on getting some alpaca for the cardigan.  If you stop by her booth pick up a skein of Kitten. It is the softest yarn!

I am also planning on making a Walk on the Moon. I love IgnorantBliss' color choices.  I am going to find some fun yarn for it.

I will be sure to stop by Miss Babs booth. Her yarn is my favorite!  If you go to the festival you have to go to Miss Bab's booth.

Hope to see you at the festival.

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

 

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

 

Orange You Glad I Made Another Shawl?

I couldn't resist making another Jared Flood pattern.  This time I made a Juneberry Triangular Shawl.  It is heavenly.  Jared's patterns are so well written and easy to follow.  I enjoyed making this shawl so much.  The yarn I used was Nuna from Mirasol.  It comes from Peru and is a blend of 40% merino wool, 40% silk and 20% bamboo.  I saw the color in the yarn store and I was drawn to it.  It was such a pretty color and the silk makes it shine.  It is so incredibly soft.  I am sure this shawl is fated to become a gift (that is if I don't start wearing it myself).

 

I am planning on making another Juneberry Shawl with yarn from my parents alpaca Spicy.  Her fiber is the most beautiful fiber I just drool over it every time I see it.  Since she only gets shorn once a year we only get it in small batches. But my parents are doing their best to breed her to make more alpacas just like her. . 

 

We had four skeins 200 yards each stashed away at the farm waiting for the perfect project and I think this shawl will be perfect.  I know I won't need all four skeins....humm what to do with the rest of it.

 



 

I tried to get a picture of her today with my shawl to show her I am going to make one just like it but better with her fiber. She totally didn't seem to care.

 

I will get a better picture of her yarn but there it is above on the right. I have one skein ready to knit as soon as I get off the computer.  On the left is my Mysterious Shawl. I am knitting with Romi's Group in Ravelry. It is so much fun. We get one clue on Friday (for a total of five weeks) then we have all week to knit it until the following Friday. I have no idea what the shawl is going to look like. I have really enjoyed testing my skills by knitting from paper and hoping I am doing it right.  Either way getting the clue on Friday is like waiting for my favorite TV show to air.  Only I think I might have too many WIPs going on to stay ahead of the game.  I am also making a pair of socks, which are on the bottom right.

 

I picked up a copy of Life Magazine's Remembering Audrey 20 Years Later. It is wonderful.  It follows the photographer who photographed her and the behind scenes and stories are so interesting to read about.  Also I just love everything about Audrey Hepburn and I love watching her movies while I knit.

 

Okay onto knit my new shawl. Happy Knitting.

 

~Andee

 

linking with Ginny's Yarn Along

 

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ps- just in case you missed my last post "Let the Voting Begin" I have some of my alpaca photographs entered into a National Alpaca Photo Competition.  It is open to the public to vote on. I have five photographs entered and you can vote on them once a day per household until May.  I am so excited about it.

 

If you have a minute and what to swing by the site to vote here is a link to my post - "Let the Voting Begin"  I really appreciate your support. One of the prizes is the cover of Alpacas Magazine!  That would mean such a big deal to my parents alpaca farm, Arrow Acres Farm.  Thanks again!