Reduced Prices on Fabric!

I still have mountains of fabric which I need to part with! I will toss in an extra two fat quarters for anyone who orders the bundle on the right hand side of this page. They are all quality quilting cotton prints; I have to make room for my spinning wheel, so the fabric has to go. Order two or more bundles and I will toss in a half meter cut of 100% cotton broadcloth. This is a limited time deal, so please take advantage of it.

Since I want it gone and this is a very good deal, I would appreciate the word being spread. Please share this post on any social networking sites you belong to, even if you yourself do not order. I cannot use it all myself, and most of it is still on the bolt. Thank you for helping me out!

Friday the 13th

Good evening! Finally I am able to post...Blogger has been having a few issues for a couple of days and I was unable to post. Maybe we'll just attribute it to Friday the 13th...at least that will explain today's problems...not so sure about the other days.

I love Friday the 13th's...this one is extra special because it is also my birthday. My Mom hates it...I tell her it's not like I was born on Friday the 13th. I was born on a Monday...the day after Mother's Day. My Dad tells me the story every year...I never tire of it though. It sounds like this year is much like the one I was born...trees leafing out along the river and everything turning nice and green.

As the day comes to a close, I can't help but reflect on the last forty plus years. I am almost to where I want to be in life; I am a freelancer and an author, and now also an alpaca owner. By this time next year we will have alpaca babies on the way and I will have tried my hand at spinning the fleece into yarn. I cannot wait to get the fencing finished so we can bring the herd home.

My daughter is just as excited as I am; her and I will be the owners of them and will share in the work, the costs and the rewards. I have been making connections on Facebook with other alpaca owners and enjoy looking at their pictures. One of the cutest so far is two alpacas lying on a front porch...in much the same way the average dog would be. So very cute!

I have been busy with a temporary position with Statistics Canada, so have been unable to spend much time on my book. I will have to push back the original publishing date, which saddens me. There are only so many hours in the day and apparently I am supposed to sleep some of them. I am sure things will get back to normal soon; or at least a new normal. I will have a lot to write about once the herd comes home. It may have to be a book of its own.

With the warm weather also brings the planting of the garden, the cutting of the grass and the cleaning of the barn. The latter must be done before we can bring home the alpacas, but can't be done until after the 4H calf is gone. It will be a very busy couple of days between the sale and the day the alpacas come home.

Alpacas

As a new alpaca owner (herd to come home in early June), I am very excited to start working with the fleece. I have made some sales already, and I haven't even created the products yet. Most people give me a funny look when I tell them we bought a small herd of alpacas, and say there is no money in them. I have found there is either support or there isn't. We will not take the nay sayers comments to heart, as they are most likely uneducated in the world of alpacas. When people ask if there is money to be made with alpacas, I tell them yes...with proper management. It is the same with any business...there has to be proper management.

Alpacas are not as costly to raise as cattle due to their smaller size and less feed requirements. Plus they are raised for their fleece so there is no need for slaughter. These beautiful creatures can live up to twenty five years; that is a lot of fleece. As I was telling a friend about them yesterday, she told me I had to call her as soon as I brought them home. She loves them and can't wait to see them. When I saw her partner later in the day, she had already told him I was getting some. He asked if I was going to knit mittens and socks; if so he would buy some from me. See, sales and I don't have the herd home yet!

I know I have a lot to learn about the alpacas themselves and their fleece. I am planning on making my own yarn, so will be in need of wool carders and a spinning wheel. I will be a very busy girl in the months to come! My daughter and I will be working with the alpacas; perhaps I can teach my son to do the spinning. It would give him the perfect opportunity to do something creative with his hands. (With his limitations due to cancer and surgery, being on his feet for long periods of time is not an option.)

Our main goal in the next two weeks is to build another pen so we can keep the boys separate from the girls. Once we get them home we will be able to let the breeding commence; we should have a few babies next spring. I am limited for time this week however, as I have taken a temporary position as a Census Enumerator. It is interesting and I am hoping to come across an alpaca ranch in my travels. I have seen many cows, horses, sheep and even elk so far...but no alpacas. Maybe today!