Alpaca was my first fibre love. 

I found the only Alpaca Farm on Newfoundland and I was in love.

Why was I in love... is was sooooo soft!

As we continued to travel across the country my husband and I made a point of visiting as many Alpaca farms as possible. We even considered buying land and owning our own animals... maybe one day. For now I am lucky to get my Alpaca from a wonderful farm in British Columbia.

This past spring I helped with shearing and got to pick the best fleeces.

I like to work with Alpaca because it has a different quality from sheeps wool. It does not have grease in it, but it is super dusty. I wash all my alpaca first and make sure to wear an apron or have a cloth down when I spin it. I love working with high quality soft alpaca. Like any fibre you want to touch before you buy or find a reputable source. All alpaca has guard hair, the best alpacas have been bred to have a finer guard hair that blends with the softer hairs in their coat. Dehairing alpaca is not necessary if the guard hairs are the same diameter as the regular hairs.

My favourite way to spin Alpaca is straight from the lock. I like the thick and thin quality I can achieve and especially like the soft fuzziness the final yarn has once the twist is set.

Separating Locks

I start by washing my fleece, unless I know the locks will get all messed up this way, as is the case with some shorter locks or a fleece like Gotland, it is sometimes easier to organize before hand and then wash in netting. Natalie Redding has a good you tube video on this. 

First I set up three containers, one holding the fleece, one to lay out the locks in and one for the fleece without locks to be carded. 

To separate the locks I find a section of fleece with nice locks

I pull the tip of the lock away from the fleece 

I use my other hand to hold the base

And then I pull... Viola! The lock is free.

Then I place it directionally in my locks container. 

I like a shallow but long container for this.

I set it beside the container holding the fleece I am working with. 

Then I bundle them.

Depending on what I am doing with the locks I may bhundle them by weight or Colour. I will tie them in the center with a piece of yarn to keep them neat.

Move Forward... 

Even if the progress is slow, it is progress, slow and steady, in fits and starts, fast and furious; it does not matter... You are still moving forward.

A little life work balance...

Today I hiked with my husband and daughter for the first time in months. Sometimes it is just hard to walkaway from all the things to do. The list is log and never ending; business and personal. It is was wonderful to get out and hike one of the beautiful trails in our town. 

Our town is off to the left in this picture.

My husband and I at the top of Kootenay Columbia! 

On the way down their was some beautiful art for us to stop and contemplate...

Feeling pretty blessed I have a Sunday with my family to enjoy the gorgeous outdoors in the sun! 

The Needlefelt Solution

I just pulled a yarn of my wheel the other day, it was perfect except for a few loose tailspin locks. I was probably distracted when spinning them in. They are holding, but not well enough for my liking, I don't want to pull them off, so I am going to needle felt them in place. 

Step One:

Find the lock.

Step Two:

Wrap it around the yarn as it would have been spun in.

Step Three:

Use a general purpose felting needle, very inexpensive, and some old foam. Move the sharp point off the needle up and down into the lock and the core of the yarn. Watch your fingers, felting needles hurt. Do not move the needle on an angle it may break.

Voila, all done! The yarn can now be washed and hung or set with steam. 

I use this especially for yarns I am not going to ply. It helps to strengthen and improve an otherwise perfect yarn. 

Happy Spinning, and needle felting should it be necessary.

Let Yourself Grow...

Don't Count Your Pennies, even if you have to keep track of them.

I can't say for sure that this is sound advice, however, it is advice that works for me. 

It is advice I try and give myself when I get that sick feeling in my stomach as if I have lost out in someway by tipping someone more then I meant to or when I have committed to buying something that is a few more dollars then expected. I don't know where this reaction comes from, but when it happens I remind myself not to count my pennies.

I am not trying to say I should not know where my money is going. In fact keeping track of money and what is being done with it is major component in the recipe for success in a business and financially healthy home. More on this another time.

What I mean by not counting your pennies is: be generous, be aware, but give where you can, don't focus on the cost alone, focus on value.

How is this advice useful to me in a business sense? I am growing a business for myself and my family because I love fibre and I want to share that love. Of course the bottom line matters, but it is not all that matters. To me, Don't count your pennies is a reminder that the bottom line is not the major driving force behind my business decisions. Ethics, fair transactions, sustainability, community. These are the major driving factors, pennies play a role, but they are not the first consideration. 

While I will be keeping track of my pennies, I will not be counting them.