Herding School with Chris

My treat for Halloween was to travel to a beautiful farm near Boyne City with my friend Chris, (Aral Peak Alpacas. . .including six baby doll sheep), and her two border collies, Jolene and Rose, for a herding lesson.  The lessons are conducted by Nancy, a tall, rail thin, "over sixty" amazing woman.  We drove into the farm and were greeted by three border collies, four "lesson sheep" (Nancy calls them velcro sheep because they are so bonded to people!), three "geriatric" sheep and a pasture full of an eclectic mix of sheep of many colors and sizes.  While we were there, a new "kid on the block" (Blue Faced Leicester) was introduced to the flock.  Oh. . .added to the mix are three mini-horses, several cats, and another eclectic mix of . . . chickens!  Lots of them!

The lessons began with Jolene taking her turn. It is quite an intense learning experience for both dog and human.  The idea being that the sheep are always between the human and the dog, and the dog is never at the head of the herd but always behind the herd, and that it doesn't turn into a "rodeo" but a well choreographed gathering of the herd.  Both Jolene (the black and white pup) and Rose (the gray pup) are doing quite well considering they are quite new at the game  

Each dog worked for about 30 minutes and then got a rest.  The physical rigors are not an issue for these dogs.  They absolutely love what they are doing.  It is the mental rigors when they are learning that need to be addressed.  Like any A.D.D. creature, they can lose interest and they need to be removed from the situation for a while to regroup, calm down, have a drink of water and a treat or two.

 Leaving Chris to practice with the "training" herd of "velcro" sheep.  Nancy gave me a demonstration with one of her "top dogs" and the larger herd.  This taking place on several acres of wide open pasture instead of in the enclosed training area.  Using both verbal commands and whistled commands, the dog was put through her paces; leading the sheep through two gates, back to Nancy at her post, and then back into the pen.  It was amazing to watch dog and trainer at work.

I am for sure not going to be raising sheep anytime soon.  The condo association would definitely frown upon it!  But it was great fun, COLD, but fun!  It takes a lot of time, love and patience to get the border collie's natural instincts under control without breaking their natural enthusiasm.

The buzz is that a woman in Harbor Springs has an idea to bring a herding trial event to northern Michigan.   There has never been one in northern Michigan before.  Based on the few hours I saw on Sunday. . .it would be pretty spectacular!  Will keep you posted.

We ended the adventure with Eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy and mugs of hot coffee at a pretty wonderful eatery in downtown Mancelona!  If you are ever on the way north and get hungry for some good home cookin', stop at Bo Jack's Bakery and Restaurant right on the main street in downtown Mancelona!   

My Aunt Ida taught me to knit when I was eight years old.  I'm sure she never imagined where it would lead me!  Thank you, Aunt Ida!

First Fiber Show Experience

So. . . The last weekend in September I journeyed to West Branch and the Ogemaw County Fairgrounds to take part in the Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival.  My four door sedan was loaded with Aral Peak Alpaca banners, eight 18 gallon "tubs" full of fiber from 10 different critters, fall-ish decorations to make the booth look welcoming, and 1/2 bushel of apples to lure people in. 

The volunteers were extremely helpful and friendly.  A boon to this rookie vendor.  I had no clue as to how to set things up, to say nothing of the fact that the decision to jump into this adventure was made quite late in the year.  The veterans who "do fiber" for a living were quite daunting, to say the least.  My booth was tiny compared to the rest of the 49 displays at the show!
                                                                                                          

The sales were barely enough to cover expenses, but the learning experience was invaluable.  On Saturday night (it was a two day show) the volunteers prepared a delicious dinner for the vendors which was included as part of the entry fee.  The veterans imparted so many good ideas, taught me so many "tricks of the trade" and made me feel very welcome. 

I did take my wheel to assure folks that I knew what to do with what I had on display, and to show people what the results of spinning this most beautiful fiber could be.  I also had some commercially spun Aral Peak Alpaca for sale. 


And now I am "hooked".  I have begun plan for next year.  Original, kitted patterns and yarn for hats and mittens will be part of my display, as well as some raw fleeces for the "dyed in the wool" fiber folk who want to wash, card and spin from "scratch".  I am a fan of the fiber mills who wash and card and prepare roving for me! 

My ultimate goal is to get into the fiber festival at the Castle in Charlevoix in July and the Leland Fiber Festival in October.  The Charlevoix show is always full from year to year so I am on the waiting list and hoping that some of the long time vendors decide to retire.  Leland is an invitation only juried show and invitations go out in February.  After submitting pictures and descriptions of what you have to offer, a panel decides whether you will be in . . . or not.  Wish me luck!

Skirting The Fiber

On the hottest day of the year so far, Chris (my dear friend and alpaca farmer) and I decided to skirt the fiber that had been sheared a few weeks prior.  Skirt???  What???  Skirting means taking the fleece, putting it on a grate, bouncing it around to get some of the dirt and the dreaded "VM" (vegetable matter!) out of it, and then pulling out and throwing away the parts of the fleece that are under 2" in length, those parts that are matted with VM that didn't fall out and, basically, getting it ready to go to the fiber mill.

It was also an opportunity to meet the newest member of the family.  She was born three weeks ago with her forelegs completely folded back at the first joint (think ankle).  The "pediatrician" came out and assessed the situation and the decision was made to straighten and splint her legs and give it three weeks.  Feisty little girl that she is, her right foreleg is nice and straight with no splint, and her left foreleg is still splinted with a much shorter splint and seems to be doing quite nicely.  The splints did nothing to keep her from bouncing around and acting like any baby alpaca should.  With her beautiful much desired black fiber and her sweet baby face, she will definitely be a star.

A note here.  All alpacas do not look alike.  Other than color differences, each has their own definite personality and look.  Each has a different "do", some have severe under bites, some look quite inquisitive, some look angelic and sweet, but they are all adorable in my eyes! 

Chris learned, through the alpaca grapevine, that hair is known to help soak up oil and alpaca fiber is a perfect resource.  Alpaca fiber is lanolin free and water resistant so it will not soak up the water, but will help soak up the oil from the wetlands and beaches threatened by the major oil spill going on in the Gulf of Mexico. Previously I explained "firsts" and "seconds" in fiber talk. . .firsts being the prime fiber from the blanket of the animal and seconds being shoulder and neck fiber.  After a 2 second discussion, Chris decided to send all the seconds from this year's shearing to the oil spill clean-up operations on the Gulf Coast.  

Here is a close up of a fleece (firsts) just before skirting.  Look at that beautiful "stuff"!  And. . . the feel is amazing!  As one of my fiber fanatic friends said, "I just want to dive into it!".

Having been a knitter for many many years and a spinner for only a year, this whole experience with the animals who produce one of the finest fibers known has been wonderful.  There is so much to learn!  Added to the learning curve is the opportunity to spin and knit alpaca into beautiful warm hats, mittens, scarves and sweaters.

Give Me Strength . . .

. . .to complete at least three fiber projects before the end of June!  That doesn't seem too unreasonable, does it?  Really?

#1   I want to finish my gray Cascade EcoWool cabled coat (I have the back and both fronts done)
#2   I want to finish my alpaca sweater/jacket (I have the back and 1/3 of both fronts done) but I have to finish spinning the yarn for the rest of the fronts and the sleeves.
#3   I MUST finish a baby sweater by then!!!!  (Back is complete, fronts are started)  The rule of thumb is that the baby sweater gifts must be finished BEFORE the baby grows out of them!

THEN. . . I have another sweater "on needles",  as we say in knit talk,  for myself;  two hats and a pair of mittens to do before next fall (easy!), and two more baby sweaters to make before the end of September.

Oh. . . did I mention the two baskets of roving patiently waiting to be spun?  Oh. . . and I am going to "man" a booth at the Northern Michigan Wool and Fiber Show in West Branch at the end of September for Aral Peak Alpacas, which means we have to get the new fiber to the mill in time to be processed so we have enough to take to the show, which means bundling all the new fiber and labeling it after it is washed and made into roving. . . I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

When people from "downstate" ask,  "What do you do up there all year?????"  "Don't you get bored?????".  I am often tempted to reply in the affirmative.  "It really is boring!  There is absolutely nothing to do!  Stay where you are!"

P.S.  I am only fessing up to what you can see!  The closet is off limits!

From Critter to Sweater. . .

Do you want a beautiful alpaca sweater/jacket for next fall and winter?

Below are the simple steps to follow in order to get just the sweater you want!    

It is an "adventure" well worth experiencing if you are a "fiber fancier". . . though some may think it a bit extreme.   

Step One:  Get an alpaca, or two or three or more.  Actually, social animals that they are, you would need at least two in order for them to be happy!

Step Two:  Shear the alpaca and bag the fiber from the saddle area (firsts) and the shoulders and neck area (seconds)

Step Three:  Take the fiber to a fiber mill for washing and carding and processing into roving (or yarn if you wish to skip Step Four).  Be prepared to wait for at least four months for them to process your fiber!

Step Four:  Spin the roving into yarn.  Because alpaca is so dense and warm, spin it quite thin and two-ply it.  Take it from one who made the mistake of thinking it would be pretty nifty to show off her newly learned Navajo Plying techniques to acquire a triple ply yarn.   Had I not listened to my wiser and more experienced fiber friends. . . I would have wound up with a four pound sweater that could only be comfortably worn in the far northern regions of Alaska and Siberia.

Step Five:  Look at hundreds of patterns to decide what it is you want and determine how much yarn you will have to spin to actually finish the project.  You really don't want the disappointment of beginning a sweater/jacket only to have it turn into a vest.  ;-)

Step Six:  Knit, knit, knit, knit. . . . I am at that point in this "adventure"   I will post the final results when the final results become available!

Of course there IS another alternative.

You COULD buy one. . .But what fun would that be?

The Master , Dave Easter

As I mentioned in my last blog, Dave Easter was "The Man".  He did the shearing and gave us directions.   "Keep your fingers out of the way!"  "OK, tighten the rope, please!"  "Could you please stand right there?" (It turned out the sun was in his eyes and he needed a personal "sun blocker"!)  Here is a picture of Dave and his wife at Westwoods School as featured in today's Record Eagle.  They brought four of their alpacas to the school for the education and enjoyment of the kids.  I'm sure they were fascinated with the shearing process!  (Dave and Kathy are working with the "customer" and the school principal is doing fiber clean up!)

Shearing Day at Aral Peak

What an adventure! I arrived at 3:00 pm in time to see Chris and Pat rounding up and leading the girls to the waiting room. Inside the building, out of the sun, stands professional shearer, Dave Easter. . .clippers in hand waiting for his first customer. On the floor is a rubber mat and, attached to opposing walls, what can best be called rope restraints. (Before I continue, the restraints do not hurt the animal and provide safety for both the animal and the shearing crew.)

Here comes Lena. Very pregnant and wearing a lush, dense reddish brown coat. After leading her onto the mat, her front legs are place in the restraints, then her back legs, and then the ropes are pulled so she is eventually on her side with her legs straight out fore and back. She complains at first and then quiets down and lets Dave give her a full beauty treatment. I must add at this point. . .not all quiet down. Each one has a different way of vocalizing their displeasure . Another display of displeasure is spitting! The big time spitters get a sock put over their mouths. . . some come into the building spitting and yelling. Picture a very unhappy child who absolutely does NOT want a haircut!!!!!!!

First the sides and back are sheared. This is the prime fiber (firsts). Next the shoulders and neck are sheared. This is less dense and typically shorter fiber (seconds). The firsts and seconds are bagged separately and carefully labeled. The fiber from the rest of the animal is essentially called "garbage" and is thrown away. The last thing done is the hair-do. A trained beautician couldn't do a better job of shaping and styling the top knot! The younger kids are also left with cheeks. . . making them look like bobble heads.

After checking teeth, and giving each animal a pedicure, the restraints are loosened and off to the pasture they go, feeling lighter if not happier for the experience. Fourteen girls through the salon and not one of them tipped us!!!!!

After doing the girls, we move the operation down to where the guys hang out. Three big guys lined up for the barber shop, after a bit of rounding up. They are actually a bit more cooperative than the girls once on the shearing mat. Getting them there is another story. Big Rogallo was first. Turns out he was all bluff and actually accepted the experience rather calmly. By the way, they are lousy tippers as well. Off they go, looking all handsome and dapper. . .and not one expression of gratitude!

Approximately five hours later, we are gathered in the house, eating pizza, enjoying some liquid refreshment.

What an experience! It is definitely hard work and I haven't been that dirty in a long time. I LOVED every bit of it and I learned so much. I'm on for next year!

The Happy Rover

For the past week or so I have been packaging gorgeous alpaca roving from my friend's alpaca farm in Leelanau County Michigan. I have also been spinning alpaca fiber for a sweater/jacket for myself! So far I have the back of the jacket completed and just finished spinning the yarn for the fronts. I am spinning as I go as this is my first big "spin for me" project and I am keeping a record of how much yardage I am spinning from each 4 oz skein. Today I am going out to the farm, Aral Peak Alpacas, to take part in my first shearing adventure! I cannot wait.