The Beginning

This year holds many firsts for us. This is our first year in our new home & the first year with our alpacas. No matter how many times I see the first budding of a plant for the year it excites me just as if it were the first time. This is a photo of a lilac plant near the house starting to bud. This is probably the only flowering plant on the property worth nurturing and saving. Of course it is located in the worst spot next to the driveway on the side of the house that we never look at except for pulling into the garage. Except for now that it is budding I find myself walking over to it a couple of times a day and marveling at its progress. There is something about watching plants grow, I can never get enough of it.


The Three Amigos


The boys have been living happily away from the ladies. It is the boys club and their real personalities are starting to show. Through out the day you can watch them running up and down their pasture. All three of them like monkey see monkey do. It is wonderful sight to watch them having so much fun.



We have had lots of excitement around here. The Veterinarian came out this week and we had our three pregnant ladies ultra sounded. It is always a good idea to make sure they are still pregnant after being transferred from another farm. All three girls are doing fine and holding babies.


This weekend we also started de-worming. It is a three day treatment where each one of them gets their set dosage in paste form orally three days in a row. We do this twice a year and the best time to start is early spring. Today was the first day and Chris and I are proud to say we managed to give it to all 7 of them and did not drop or loose any of the medication. None of them even spit it out. Just two more days of the same. The photo is of the apparatus you use to give them the solution, it kind of looks like a calking gun with a hook applicator. I wrapped up the end after cleaning it today.


Tea Cozy


I finished my tea cozy. I quilted a thin layer of batting in between the inside lining and front fabric. I thought it would give it more structure and also insulate the tea pot keeping the tea warmer longer. I am happy with the results and am thinking of making a round tea cozy next. Maybe one that looks like a hat box.


New Favorite Knit & Fiber Book


The Natural Knitter-
How to choose, use, & knit natural fibers from Alpacas to Yak
by Barbara Albright

This book is awesome. I can not put it down I have carried it around with me for the last couple of days and is officially my new favorite knit book. This is a big book and it offers so much more than just knitting patterns. For starters it covers all the natural fibers like sheep, goats, rabbits, camels, yak, alpacas, llamas, cotton & plant fibers. In addition to all the wonderful patterns it is chuck full of information & resources, it even has a section on naturally dying fiber and step by step instructions for an easy onion skin dye project.

There is a wide range of patterns all of which using natural fiber yarn. Here are some example patterns from the book:


Arthur’s Field of Dreams Sweater – using an alpaca/wool blend yarn


Bodacious Bunny baby set – using an angora/lambs wool blend yarn


Girl’s Night out Sweater & Hat – using a llama/wool blend yarn


Think Zinnias – using wool yarn

This book is eye candy with the beautiful full page photos. The photography was done by Alexandra Grablewski. I have to give her props she did an amazing job.

I can also thank this book for giving me a new vision of my self for my golden years.


Oh yea baby, I now can picture my self retired living out my happy days on the porch with my spinning wheel and lovely angora bunny resting on my lap as I gently pluck the hairs off the bunnies back and spin it into yarn.