Fair, fun and fiber

Well, it appears it's been longer since I posted than I thought. Boatloads of stuff been going on, I promise Cliff notes. Biggest thing in the fber entry is the acquisition of my very own alpaca. His name is Titan, he's a beautiful dark brown and he is adorable. I met him in September of 2009 and it was love at first sight! Last October, my good friend Connie of Crooked Creek Alpacas offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. Process her fiber in exchange for Titan and his room and board. Oh, let me think about that....YEAH!!!

I look a little rugged in this pic...Shearing Day and my boy was just about to get his yearly haircut. Had a blast helping with shearing, hard work but working with Connie, April and crew is always fun and who can complain about being around alpacas?

Our A.L.P.A.C.A. Co-op set up at the Columbiana County Fair this year, got to talk to a lot of people about alpacas, collected some nice organic fertilizer for my garden and hang with great friends. Once again had the bonus of being with alpacas, too. Noticing the trend here, in case I missed the point, I love alpacas!

Oh and one of my fair entries took second place. That was cool.

Unfortunately, since I was gone all week hanging with pacas and paca people, much stuff needs done on the home front. Time to run, have to retrieve the felted alpaca purse from the washer and get it out to dry.

Till next time.

Here's a bit of the shop

BB Gail took pics at the opening, like our first customer and such. don't have those...yet. However I do have pics of some of our wares. Wish I could have gotten a better pic of the hats cos in real life they are pretty darn cute. The yarn is from one of our local breeders, we now have more yarn in stock. And the roving is some that was grown in the backyard of Alpaca and Ewe. Please feel free to email us at alpacanewe@gmail.com with any questions and such.

Catchin' Up

Wow much time has elapsed since my last post, and much doings as well. Since my last post, I have quit my day job, had a wonderful vacation with my hubby, and am preparing for the

Grand Opening of the shop my best friend and I have.

Hubby and I of course went to Gettysburg, September 13 - 17. It was originally to be a solo trip for me while hubby was off tramping the mountains of Colorado with best friend's hubby. Man trip and while the man is away the woman will play. Well, the mountain excursion fell through, so hubby came with me. Worked out very well actually, while hubby was driving, I FINALLY finished the Civil War socks!!!!! I was so proud of myself and the socks, I took a pic of them as soon as they were finished. Sunday September 13, 2009, 1:49 p.m. on Route 30, just east of Bedford, PA. Seven and one half years in the making. I said it would take me longer to knit the socks than it did to fight the war. One of the objectives of the trip was to locate the monument for Company B 20th Maine and the hand carved monuments I read about in a magazine article. Mission accomplished!! Hubby found all but one for me. I managed to locate one before he did. We walked the deadly mile of Pickett's Charge, went to the new Visitor's Center and saw the Cyclorama, awesome presentation. I would highly recommend that and I'm not an attraction person. At Gettysburg, the battlefield holds the most interest for me.

On to the biggest news, the Grand Opening of Alpaca and Ewe Gift Shop at Jesse's Branch Alpaca Farm. My best bud and I have been talking about opening a yarn, fiber related store for more years than I can remember. It's finally happening. Woo Hoo!! We are converting her backporch sun room into a small shop selling hand made knitted items made with local alpaca fiber. As well a woool items, hand made jewelry, and other local products. We've been spinning and knitting for several of the local alpaca breeders already, so it just made sense to us to open a shop. Wish us luck.

Will post pics of the big day, which is this Saturday, October 31st.

Forty One Days

Forty one days. Forty one days till my vacation in Gettysburg, PA. Whoo hoo!!! Some folks might find that a bit boring, but not me. Gettysburg National Military Park is my idea of the perfect vacation. I love the Civil War and the ground at Gettysburg is just awesome. Got walking tour podcasts and I am recreating Pickett's Charge. I cannot wait. Was originally to be a solo trip, while hubby was in Colorado, but his trip fell through, so he is coming along. I have promised not to wander off like I did the last trip there, he worries if he doesn't have a visual on me. Has to be his Marine training....must protect the wife!!! Like I need protecting; I carry pointed sticks!!! LOL I haven't started serious packing yet, but I have been putting a few things in the suitcase. Got film, video camera and the lists started.
I am determined to finish the Civil War socks, got one done and am almost finished with the heel of the second. The end is near, I've only been working on them for 7 years. I would like to have them done by next Tuesday, the 12th, for our knitting guild meeting. We have show and tell and I would love to produce them with a grand "TA DA" at the meeting. I do need to get them out of the way since I need to finish spinning the yarn for my upside down coat, which I also want to take to Gettysburg with me. Since hubby is coming and he must drive I do have some quality knitting time available, so if I'm close on the sweater, I could finish it on the trip there.
Meanwhile, I am also involved in spinning and knitting for alpaca farms in my area, besides working at Whack Job Central. Looking to get out of there, really starting to get to me. Working retail will kill ya!

What I have been up to

mostly checking my tweets. I discovered Twitter and it is awesome. Love it. Keeping up on all kinds of conservative happenings.
On the other hand, ain't been knitting or spinning much, between being a radical conservative, following the Penguins on their trek to the Stanley Cup and working doesn't seem to be much time left for other stuff.
Speaking of work, time to get ready to head out the door.

Finished Wheel

Ok this may not be the best photo but I am so stoked I had to post it anyway. This is my new spinning wheel, finally finished. I bought this awesome Louet S15 at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival. It was unfinished when I bought it, a blank slate all ready for me to make my very own and make a statement about myself. I did put linseed oil on every part but the wheel itself, couldn't oil that till I figured out what I was going to do with it.

Ok, let's list the favorite things, Steelers (6 time Super Bowl Champs), nah, already have more than enough stuff to make the statement that I am a radical Steeler Fanatic.

Next, Civil War, Gettysburg to be specific. Well it is only a 20 inch wheel, so a map of the battle field might be bit scrunched.

That leaves Lord of the Rings, I can deal with that, now what?? DUH, the engraving from the One Ring. How will I get it on the wheel? Burn it on! Oh yeah, small drawback to that idea, perhaps a couple maybe. No woodburning tools and can and/or will Hubby do this for me?? Tools, not a problem, hubby not a problem either. He did go halves with me on the wheel to begin with.

So TA DA!!! Here it is, I do promise a better photo in the very near future, because this is a butt kicking work of art!!!

Possum Lodge

For fans of the Red Green Show on PBS, no explanation is needed. For the rest of the populace, I shall attempt one, although Red Green somewhat defies explanation. On Saturday nights at 10 our local PBS station, WQED Pittsburgh, runs a Canadian show -The Red Green show. It's set in the fictional Possum Lodge and quite the hoot. Red Green is a handyman, who makes Tim "Tool Time" Taylor look proficient. Red's favorite tool is duct tape, "The Handyman's Secret Weapon", you would not believe how he uses it.

Anyways, I love Red Green and when one of my favorite roving suppliers, Jehovah Jireh Farms, came out with Possum Lodge roving, I couldn't resist. I ordered an 8 ounce ball of it and commenced spinning it as soon as it arrived. The rotten stuff started screaming at me to be a sweater. I DO NOT DO SWEATERS, well...try not to anyway. I am a sock addict, but the Possum Lodge would hear none of being socks, it steadfastly insisted on being a sweater. So I emailed Jehovah Jireh and they sent me another pound of this lovely roving and what you see before you on the left is the first batch of yarn from this delightful roving. The roving and new spinning wheel wanted to make an appearance, as well. Danged bossy stuff!