Alpacapalooza!

I'm heading south tomorrow for Alpacapalooza, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday. This will be my first year attending, so I'm very excited to watch the halter shows, attend seminars, and meet all of the other alpaca enthusiasts in attendance.

I was lucky to be able to attend a recent seminar on judging fleece characteristics and will be continuing my education as a volunteer for the fleece show this weekend. I'm also entering my Kaleidosnow hat and some handpsun yarn into the Fiber Arts competition. It's not about blue ribbons, right? But that would be way cool.

Stay tuned for a full update next week when I return...

Ciao for now,
Lynn

We have a winner...

The 'name the hat' contest is now officially closed. The winning name is Kaleidosnow, suggested by mamahobbit on Etsy. When I came up with the design, I had a sunburst in mind, but the hat really did take on an alpine skier's look when finished.

Northern Lights was by far the most suggested. But, we thought the juxtaposition of the kaleidoscope and snow concepts made for a unique and visually descriptive name.

Thank you to all who contributed suggestions. I hope you had as much fun with this contest as I did!

Ciao for now,
Lynn

Name this hat design, please...

Despite my best efforts, I am unable to create a name that I like for this hat design. So, I've created a contest through the Etsy Promotions Forum.

The person whose design name I pick will win $18 worth of merchandise from my Etsy yarn shop. I'm officially hosting this contest through the Etsy Promotions Forum, but you can leave your suggestion here in the comments, and I'll make sure you're included.

You may suggest as many names as you'd like. The contest is running until 9pm (Pacific Daylight Time, USA) on March 29, 2011. I will post the winning name then.

(Any post submission implies full rights for me (Alpaca Creations and The Alpaca Yarn Shop) to use the chosen design name without further due compensation beyond the $18 free gift. Any submissions found to be violating valid Trademarks will be null and void.)

Good luck!

Manure Haiku

Scoop and dump. Repeat.
Worms...time...heat. Now rich compost.
The true Incan gold.

Living the Dream

Over 10 years ago, I started imaging the day when I'd become an alpaca rancher. That dream finally became a reality 6 months ago. Unlike most people who start out with 3 or 4, we found a place that came with 23 alpacas!

Our official ranch name is Olympic Yarn and Fiber. Our primary goal is to create beautiful 100% made in the USA yarns with alpaca and other natural fibers from both our fleeces and those from other local farms.

Of course, the animals come first. It's been lots of hard work and a steep learning curve, but we're finally getting the hang of things. There's always something new to learn. That will probably never change. But the ebb and flow of a normal farm-life routine is beginning to materialize.

Now...enough talk. Here are some photos to enjoy.
Ciao for now,
Lynn

Fall Season Update

Despite the lack of summer weather this year, fall has arrived right on time. School is back in session, there is a crisp chill in the evening air, and the fall festival circuit is about to begin. All of this means it's time to start releasing some new knitting patterns!

My latest pattern design is a baby bonnet made with alpaca yarn dyed by my good friend Val. She is already an expert in dyeing silk and is now enjoying learning the ins and outs of working with alpaca. Her latest creation, Rainbow Sherbet, seemed to beg for a baby hat. So, I created this Ruffled Eyelet Bonnet. The pattern is just being finished and will be ready for purchase soon.

Time to take your sweaters, hats, and mittens out of storage. Fall has definitely arrived.

Ciao for now,
Lynn

Shearing Time II

Local alpacas are losing their coats all over the place! This time several of us from the Schafer Meadows Fiber Guild helped out at New Moon Alpacas, owned by one of our newest guild members. This is the first time New Moon has organized a shearing at their own ranch, but you never would have guessed they were newbies. The photos may give the impression of a lot of standing around, but once everyone knew their job, the alpacas were lined up to be weighed, fleece was being shorn, sorted and bagged, toes were being clipped, and some very wonderful people were making lunch in the kitchen. At least half the heard was sheared in one day. Good job everyone!

 

Ciao for now,
Lynn