Name our baby alpaca and win gorgeous alpaca yarn!

Isn't he adorable??? He doesn't have a name though. Tough decision time. He needs a great name. I am a firm believer that an animal takes on characteristics of its name (people do too). Since we want this little fella to turn into a great Sire for our herd (we have female alpacas unrelated to him we could breed with him) we want him to have a worthy name. If you can come up with a worthy name for this little guy, you will snag yourself a skein of gorgeous alpaca yarn! This yarn was spun from alpacas at one of the ranches we are purchasing our alpacas from. It is white (you could dye it if you want). This yarn goes for $6 an ounce! The skein is 3.6 oz and is 300 yards. It is sock weight and there is plenty of yarn here for a couple pairs of soft and cozy socks. Retail value of $21.60! Post your name ideas in the comments section to this post. This contest will run for a week (unless I only have a handful of entries, then it will run longer) and once we choose a name, I'll post the winner's name. We need to check with the Alpaca Registry database to make sure the name is unique before we use it, since alpacas are registered animals. This process will take a little time so I'll post the winner as soon as possible (shouldn't take but a week or so). The winner is responsible for contacting me so I can get the mailing address to send this yarn to. I'll post my email addy along with the winner's name. Good luck!


Win this gorgeous alpaca yarn!

I have been face painting again. I used to face paint a lot and could dig up some great pictures I took of my previous work. I haven't painted a face in a long time. I painted a cat face on my stepdaughter for her play the other night because she begged a pleaded with me so I caved. My youngest daughter watched me paint with total admiration and has wanted me to paint her face two days in a row now! I didn't get a picture of my stepdaughter's face, nor did I get a picture of my daughter's butterfly face yesterday (both were awesome), but I did get a picture of her rabbit face today.


Paige Rabbit Face

I started my Threads of Compassion scarf the other day. I've ripped it out a couples times because I couldn't get the size right so I am not very far. I just started my loom knit version about an hour ago.


Notice the heart?
Needle knit version of my Threads of Compassion Scarf

Precious memories...VT squares...and a baby alpaca

I have been working on my mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary presentation over the course of the past couple weeks. I am teaching myself how to use a video editing and movie making software that came with my laptop. While I was watching several hours of home videos the other day, I stumbled on some gems. Turns out, my husband is quite adept at handling a video camera. He does a superior job at narrating and working the camera at the same time to create a wonderful piece of film. It's really amazing what he captured while we weren't looking. I watched videos of when my eldest boy was only two and a half years old (he is six now). I watched videos of my eldest daughter's 1st birthday (she is four now). I watched a video my husband made of the kids and I the day I went into the hospital to have our youngest. These precious moments are cherished moments. I am thankful my husband insisted on buying a video camera. These moments would only have been faint memories otherwise. Memories that would have faided away, eventually.


Needle knit VT square using my graph.

My VT squares have been mailed (7 total) and hopefully they will be woven into an afghan that brings healing to a family grieving the loss of a loved one. The square pictured above was needle knit using my graph. I really indended to provide written instructions for others so they could needle knit or loom knit some too, but life just got too busy for me and I barely had time to make squares myself. I did the best I could, and I am certain each and every square will find a special place in one of the afghans for the victims of this terrible tragedy.


My mother's gift.

My mother got a couple dishcloths I knit up for her for mother's day. I finally got them off of my camera to share here.

I got word yesterday that our alpaca that is being adjisted at a ranch near the twin cities had her cria. We welcomed a baby boy into the world. We had hoped for a baby girl to help grow our herd faster but in His wisdom, God blessed us with a boy instead. I will not fret since God knows what He is doing. I thought about it, and since this boy is not related to the two other female alpacas we purchased from another ranch, he could be their sire when he is old enough. Our baby boy alpaca is dark brown and is doing well. His mother had a difficult delivery, but the vet said she should heal up ok and shouldn't have any problems in the future. When I get pictures of the little guy, I'll post them here.

Have a great day!

Drop spindles, fleece shows, planting gardens, VT squares, and more...

Wow, I have been busy, busy, busy! I haven't posted in awhile due to this very fact! I have gotten five going on six VT squares completed. I am now working on making a square on my fine guage loom and I am using my graph with the VT logo. It is tougher than I thought, but I am plugging away at it. Hopefully, once I get that down, the next one will be easier for me.

My hubby and I went down to the twin cities this past weekend first to visit my husband's mother in the hospital and then we went on from there to a small town east of the twin cities called Lake Elmo, MN to a Llama, sheep and Alpaca Fleece festival. I was in my element there! I bought a drop spindle I am anxious to learn to use. I have a lot of fleece out in our garage crying out to me to be spun up into yarn. I'll have to tackle that today.

We have been busy, busy, busy getting our new garden ready for planting. My hubby was out late last night raking all of the dead grass roots out. We need to get this garden ready since it's starting to get kind of late now. My hubby keeps saying we should have decided last fall where we wanted our garden and dug it up then. Would of, could of, should of.

I've added new products to the Looming Angels T-shirt shop. Looming Angels are making a difference, one person at a time. By choosing to be a part of this group, our Looming Angels have taken a stand to help the needy when they can. This t-shirt shop is dedicated to the LOOMING ANGELS who have chosen to make a difference in someone elses life due to a time of crisis, or they just need a helping hand because they've lost so much. At this shop Looming Angels will find products that not only advertise this new and growing group to others and hopefully grow our numbers even further and reach more people in need, but they will find products that will show the world they are making a difference....one stitch at a time!

Doesn't everyone have a crazy aunt Purl?

I have a blog of note I've added because it is the most hilarious knitting blog I've come accross thus far! It will keep you in stitches (hee, hee)! Stop by and visit my Crazy Aunt Purl and read not only the funniest knitting posts, but some of the best comments too! And, you'll learn something in the process!

Have a great day!

Looming Angels T-Shirt Shop

I am so excited to announce the new Looming Angels T-shirt Shop I opened yesterday! If you belong to the Looming Angels group over on yahoo.com, and you are proud to loom for a cause, stop by the t-shirt shop and grab yourself a "I am a Looming Angel because I loomed for a cause!" t-shirt! The prices are reasonable and there are many sizes and style available to suit most tastes! Looming Angels is a non-profit group and all prices are for cost only. Start shopping by visiting the Looming Angels T-Shirt Shop today!



I created a graph for the Virginia Tech afghan square charity (permission has been given to use the logo for charity). It is a charity devoted to creating afghans for the victim's familes of the Virginia Tech shooting. It needs tweaking and I haven't figured out my guage yet or anything, but the hardest part is done (the graph). If you are interested in making up an 8"x8" square in maroon or burnt orange yarn and sending it on over to the Mosiac Yarn Shop in Blacksburg, Virginia, click here for further details.

Have a great day!