Alpaca Yarn Destash!

My alpaca farm tour is over and I have lots of very nice 100% alpaca yarn left over. All the yarn is produced locally. Each skein is very soft and luscious! Each skein has been stored in a smoke free and pet free environment. I accept PayPal only. Please send me an email (k j gielen at g mail dot com - spaces removed) if you are interested and let me know your zip code so that I can calculate shipping accurately. Thanks for looking!

Off White/Ivory
- Each skein is Sock/Fingering Wt.
- Skein 1 is 4.3 oz $21.50 plus shipping
- Skein 2 is 4 oz $20.00 plus shipping
- Skein 3 is 3.9 oz $19.50 plus shipping
- Yardage unknown
- Yarn works very well with fine gauge or extra fine gauge looms!
Sold

Black
- Each skein is DK Wt.
- Each skein 2.3 oz and 100 yds
- $12.00 each plus shipping
- Yarn works very well with fine gauge or extra fine gauge looms!
Sold

Rose Grey
- Each skein is Lt. Worsted wt.
- Each skein is 3.2 oz and 100 yards
- $16.00 each plus shipping
- Yarn works very well with fine gauge or extra fine gauge looms!
Sold!

Grey
- Each skein Lt. Worsted wt.
- Each skein is 3 oz
- $15.00 each plus shipping
- Yarn works very well with fine gauge or extra fine gauge looms!

ETA: Alpaca is 5-8 times warmer than wool and up to 3 times stronger. Alpaca does not contain any lanolin. Non-irritating, hypoallergenic for most people. Light-weight, lustrous and silky natural fiber. All skeins above are soft as cashmere. Each skein is the natural color of the animal. No dyes or harsh chemicals were used to produce this yarn.

Tuesday's Toot - I was on T.V. Yesterday!

I haven't particpated in a Tuesday Toot in a long time. Mostly because I've been too pooped to toot! I've been working my tail off getting my farm ready and helping to promote the Alpacas of Minnesota 5th Annual Farm Tour this coming weekend, September 27th and 28th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Which brings me to my toot for today, I arranged a segment on a popular local television program called Showcase Minnesota to help promote the farm tour for the entire state of Minnesota! On top of it, I got to appear on the program to demonstrate the dropspindle! You can see the video of the segment here.

Alpacas of Minnesota Farm Tour September 27 & 28, 2008

On September 27 & 28, Humming Hills Alpaca Ranch, LLC invites you to join us for the 5th Annual Alpacas of Minnesota Farm Tour. Our doors are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day!

What is an alpaca? Alpacas are members of the camelid family, which means Llamas and Camels are their cousins. They’re very gentle creatures with a wonderful disposition. They’re approximately a third the size of a llama and produce one of the most luxurious and strongest fibers in the world. Their cashmere-like fleece is 5-7 times warmer than wool and does not contain any lanolin. For people who have sensitive skin, allergies or cannot wear wool because it’s too itchy, alpaca fiber is the perfect alternative. Alpacas are also the only fiber bearing animal that comes in 22 different natural colors and variations.

In addition to educational sessions, children’s activities and fiber related demos (drop spindle and wheel spinning, crochet, loom knitting, needle knitting, and machine knitting, needle and wet felting), Humming Hills Alpaca Ranch, LLC will also be selling alpaca related products, jellies and jams, jewelry, and lots of gift items. There’s something for everyone in the family - raw fiber (used in fly tying), yarn (hand and machine spun) and garments made from alpaca fibers, alpaca toys, make-and-takes, photo opportunities, and more!

Come and enjoy the autumn colors, refreshments and the soothing sound of our humming alpacas!

Wordless Wednesday: Home raised, handspun, hand (loom) knit, done!

Pattern here. More wordless here and here.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Dancing to the music of laughter while visiting with my friends makes me happy.

2. The last time I doubted myself I nearly gave up, but I persevered and everything came out just right.

3. When I drive I love to sing to songs on the radio.

4. I saw our beautiful alpaca Samson standing out in our pasture this morning and I couldn't get over how handsome he is.

5. Give me fiber, give me a drop spindle, give me yarn.

6. Next week I am looking forward to working in the Alpacas of MN State Fair Booth, promoting alpacas and the Alpacas of MN Farm Tour, hope to see you there!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to creating paper mache manaquin parts to display my alpaca garments, tomorrow my plans include creating more manaquin parts and Sunday, I want to visit with my sister who is recovering from surgery!

More Fill-Ins here.

Wordless Wednesday - I finally got around to designing a logo for our alpaca business!

More Wordless here and here.

Funny for the Day

We raise alpacas and when we shear our alpacas I say it is time to give the alpacas a haircut. Once the "hair" is off of the animal I call it fleece. I work with this fleece in many different ways such as spin it into yarn and make felt out of it (for slippers, mittens, rugs, etc.). My youngest daughter knows I call it fleece, and she apparently picked up on me saying we give them a "haircut". Well, I gave my five year old a haircut and threw the hair in the garbage in the bathroom. My two year old went potty and spotted the hair in the garbage. She yelled from the bathroom to me, "Mommy, is that Paige's fleece?" Hee, hee!