The future's bright...........

The alpaca futurity is a weekend packed with all things alpaca. This year's seminars were mostly about the fleece, spinning and felting. I took part in a felting workshop which greatly inspired me. My feet had hardly touched home soil before I was in the workshop and up to my elbows in warm soapy water. My creations leave a lot to be desired but they are original, the black and white scarf has a layer of Moira on one side and some of Minnie on the other side so 100% alpaca. The other piece has a background of blue dyed alpaca and a centre square of merino with some alpaca.

Sheer Heaven

The resident alpacas (Minnie, Moira, Pelachuta - adults and Ambrosia - baby; Autumn was not yet old enough) were shorn last June and resulted in three full fleeces and a bundle of fluff from Ambrosia.

Of these fleeces, I washed some for spinning, and some for felting. Some was dyed also, to give variety to my early projects. With a drum carder, some of the saddle fleece was processed for spinning ~ I took a day long spinning course in winter and with my recently aquired spinning wheel, my technique is coming on well.

From this spinning, my first balls of wool were plied, and were promptly sent off to my sister - an expert knitter. The first product was born - a beautiful fawn and white tea cosy!