Pela in a spin and crochet in the crocuses

I have started spinning my last fleece, this one from Pela, a fawn girl. Its always tempting to blame the tools but really I'm just not an expert yet. This ball was about 60% even and acceptable and 40% thick or thin which is an improvement.

There is only so much substandard wool I can pass on to Knitter sister so I taught myself to crochet and created this rather dashing scarf. The buttonhole was too big for my button so I created a piece of felt from Pela's seconds to make the button larger.

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.

If You Want To Get [ahead] Get a Hat

The knitter sister's latest creation is a rather comfy, very warm black and white hat, knitted as with the tea cosy from some of my earliest balls (of wool). Modelled here by Mrs Littleholder...

Felt Good

Books taught me the basic methods of felting. It's a simple process in it's basic form and can quite easily be a complete accident (think expensive woolen jumper on too hot a machine wash). I've made a few small felted pieces - a brooch, some bookmarks and a few sample pieces (A4 size). I've also purchased some felting needles and created a rather useless blue circle of felt (which is almost something useful, but not quite).

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!

Welcome Along...

I'm Mrs. Smallholder - you may have heard about me throgh the criticaly acclaimed 'Apple Vale Alpacas' blog : www.applevalealpacas.co.uk. From 'paca to product, a.p.p.l.e follows my journey aquiring the skills needed to turn this highly-regarded fibre into useful and desirable products.