Can an Alpaca be a Ham?

Big Brown and Woody (the black one-Woodford's Journey-aka Woody) hamming it up for my camera. These guys ALWAYS stop and look when a camera is around. Big Brown has even started smiling for me!! So,, I guess the answer is YES,, an Alpaca can be a ham!!! :)

A new toy--The Laundry Alternative Spin Dryer

One of my instructors at the KY Sheep and Fiber Festival told me about this wonderful invention!! It's been wonderful for drying my Alpaca fiber (and for my clothes when my dryer died)
Here is the weblink: http://www.laundry-alternative.com/products/Spin_Dryer.html

This little spin dryer is energy efficient,,, electric,, no heat involved. Weight is 22 lbs and does 3200 rpm to spin dry clothing. It's about the size of a standard kitchen trash can. Once I soak my alpaca fiber in cold water/Dawn detergent.. I rinse it ,, and place it in this litte gem. For those that work w/wool, alpaca, etc.. we all know with heat and agitation,, your fiber "felts" into one big mess. When this happens you sit and cry over the loss of not only a beautiful fleece,, but the loss of potential money!! You just place the fleece in this spin dryer,, place a bowl under the spout. In TWO minutes,, you have a totally dry and fluffy fleece. To compare.. before purchasing this $120 wonder,, I would spread this fleece on a drying table for 3-4 days. From what I am told several college students and RV campers purchase these. As you can see from their website,,, the price has increased,,, and there is a waiting list.** The top picture is the final fluffy dry alpaca fleece after 2 minutes in this spin dryer

Angora Bunnies

These are a few of my Angora Rabbits. I have 10,, grey, fawn and white. These boys/gals are high maintenance. This hot weather has been rough for them (and me). I actually lost one to the heat so they now have their own "air conditioned" barn.
They must be kept clipped and groomed on a weekly basis during this eat. Otherwise ,, you have a nasty mess. They molt every 3 months. The angora fiber has a halo and is 8x warmer than wool. Most of my customers purchase my angora fiber by the ounce and blend it with other exotic animal fibers (camel, alpaca,etc)

Feeding time on the farm

I took this picture at the farm where my alpaca's were boarded for a while. This couple own 90 alpaca's. This is feeding time in one of the pastures. I love this picture. The picture is actually longer with a total of about 10 alpaca's all eating at once. One thing for sure, alpaca's love their food,, and if you are the least bit late in feeding them,,,, they let you know it!! :)

A "cool" alpaca

So,, How do you keep an Alpaca cool in the middle of a heat wave? You purchase a pool!! This is Private Reserve chilling out in his kiddie pool. Alpaca's have foot pads like dogs,, no hoofs. When they cool their feet down,,, it decreases their body temperature.

Spinning Wheels

This is my Ashford Joy portable spinning wheel. This wheel was made in New Zealand and named for the wife of the designer for the Ashford company. After purchasing my "stationary wheel", I realized it was too cumbersome for me to take for workshops, travel,, or on fiber art retreats. I purchased this one on EBay (for a steal) from someone who decided to try a different hobby. This one weighs about 11 lbs and folds up compact into a little backpack. You should see the looks from folks when I pull this out of the backpack and start spinning... a real conversation starter!!!





This is my "stationary wheel" (stays at home). A gift to myself for my "midlife" birthday. It is handmade by the Schadt Company in Colorado by a group of "old hippies" :) Also known as a "modern wheel".

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Now,, you just have to figure out,, which one is which? Big Brown, Private Reserve (white alpaca nickname is "Privie"), Woodfords Journey (Woody for short). Gotta admit,, would be hard to call any of these three "ugly". !!! God truely created beautiful animals in this world!

My Icon of Saint Catherine

Saint Catherine is the patron Saint of students, nurses, philosophers and anyone who uses a wheel for their craft such as potters millers and spinners.


Synopsis of her life:
The Holy Great Martyr Katherine was the daughter of Constus, the governor of Alexandria in Egypt, during the reign of the emperor Maximian (305-313). Living in the capital, Katherine received a most splendid education, having studied the works of the finest philosophers and teachers. Young men from the most worthy families of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Katherine, but none of them was chosen. She declared to her parents that she would only enter into marriage with someone who surpassed her in reputation, wealth, beauty and wisdom.

Katherine's mother, a secret Christian, sent her for advice to her own spiritual father -- a saintly elder pursuing prayerful deeds in solitude in a cave not far from the city. Having listened to Katherine, the elder said that he knew of a youth, who surpassed her in everything, such that "His beauty was more radiant than the shining of the sun, His wisdom governed all creation, His riches were spread throughout all the world ". The image of the Christ produced in the soul of the holy maiden an ardent desire to see Him. In parting, the elder handed Katherine an icon of the Mother of God with the God-Child Jesus on Her arm and bid her to pray with faith to Mary to show her a vision of Her Son.

Katherine prayed all night and was able to see the Most Holy Virgin who told Her Divine Son to look upon the kneeling of Katherine before Them. But the Child turned His face away from her saying that He was not able to look at her because she was ugly, of shabby lineage, beggarly and mindless like every person -- not washed with the waters of holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Katherine returned again to the elder deeply saddened. He lovingly received her, instructed her in the faith of Christ, admonished her to preserve her purity and integrity and to pray unceasingly; he then performed over her the sacrament of holy Baptism. And again Saint Katherine had a vision of the Most Holy Mother of God with Her Child. Now the Lord looked tenderly at her and gave her a ring -- a wondrous gift of the Heavenly Bridegroom.

At this time the emperor Maximian was himself in Alexandria for a pagan feast day. Because of this, the feast was especially splendid and crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and the smell of the sacrifices, the endless blazing of fires, and the bustling crowds at the arenas filled Alexandria. Human victims also were brought -- because they chose to die in the fire rather than deny Christ under torture. The Saint's love for the Christian martyrs and her fervent desire to lighten their fate impelled Katherine to go to the emperor-persecutor Maximian.

Introducing herself, the saint confessed her Christian faith and with wisdom denounced the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the maiden captivated the emperor. In order to convince her and show the superiority of pagan wisdom, the emperor gave orders to gather 50 of the most learned men of the empire, but the Saint got the better of the wise men, such that they themselves came to believe in Christ. Saint Katherine shielded them with the sign of the cross, and they bravely accepted death for Christ and were burnt by order of the emperor.

Maximian, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to entice her with the promise of riches and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor gave orders to subject the saint to terrible tortures and then throw her in prison. The Empress Augusta, who had heard much about Katherine, wanted to see her. Having succeeded in convincing the military-commander Porphyry to accompany her with a detachment of soldiers, Augusta went to the prison. The strong spirit of Saint Katherine, whose face glowed with Divine grace, impressed the empress. The holy martyr explained the teachings of the Christians to the people and they believed and were converted to Christ.

On the following day they again brought the her to the judgment court where, under the threat of being tortured on a wheel of spikes and nails, they urged that she recant from the Christian faith and offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. The saint steadfastly confessed Christ and she herself approached the wheel; but an Angel smashed the sharp tools, which broke up into pieces that hit pagans who were passing by. Having beheld this wonder, the empress Augusta and the imperial courtier Porphyry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone, and they were beheaded. Maximian again tried to entice Saint Katherine, proposing marriage to her, and again he received a refusal. She confessed her fidelity to the Heavenly Bridegroom Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself put her head on the block under the sword of the executioner and was beheaded.

Source: http://www.antiochian.org/saint_katherine

More wool stuff!

These are some of my hand dyed rovings. The wool is from Wandering Ewe Farm in Hodgenville. I used natural ingredients and acid fast dye to create the fun colors. Also, added a little glitz to some of it for a little sparkle.

Felted Soaps

These are some of my handmade felted soaps. I take a bar of Ivory soap, wrap in either wool or alpaca fiber, add some hot water,, and shrink it to fit. It's like a scrub brush and soap in one. When the soap is gone,, you can cut the end of the "fiber bag" use it as a little pouch or a scrub glove. So guess what I was doing when it was 10 degrees and snowing earlier this year?? :)

Yes, it's a pumpkin,,, not a carrot

This is my Pumpkin purse. Fun to make. The hard part is the final shaping after it is felted. My favorite story about this purse: I was having dinner with a friend when a little boy,, about 4,,, came up to me. He said "Excuse me,, do you know you have a giant carrot sitting on the floor?"... I hope it looks like a pumpkin to some folks. :)

My "hippie" Purses

I lovingly call these my "hippie purses". I used some of my (and my mothers) scrap yarn to make these. I especially like the pink one--it's my "think pink for breast cancer" purse. On each of these I use some of my mother's vintage jewelry for buttons,, attachements,,etc.