I want to thank Toby Smischny at Turner Ridge Alpacas in Palermo, telephone #993-2816 for selling me his beautiful Alpaca seconds. I couldn't wait to start sorting, skirting and washing 1 of the 13 different bags of adult and cria Alpaca fiber bags Toby brought over to my house during our sheep meeting yesterday evening! The Kennebec Valley Sheep Breeders meet monthly. We take turns holding meetings at our homes. The next meeting here I would love to take you on a tour of my fleece cleaning area in my barn.
The fiber he brought over came in many colors. Each of them were more delightful than the last. I have never seen so many colors and no course fibers? I had to call Toby and ask why his fiber is so much softer than some Alpaca fiber I have purchased from other farms. He said his Alpacas are known for their softer guard hairs. Correct me Toby, if I have this wrong. I have one very soft gray pile of fiber drying on my kitchen table.
How do I clean Alpaca? I shake out most of the hay and foreign matter. I then fill my washing machine with hot water, add 1/2 cup of Dawn dish detergent and then put in the alpaca fiber and push it under the water with an old golf club (don't tell my husband!). Leave it for about an hour and then spin it out. I then fill my washer with clean hot water and push the fiber under the water again and let it set about an hour and again spin it out. I then take it out of the washer and shake it out on top of my kitchen table to dry. In the mean time I start another fleece in my washer and go thru the same cleaning process.

Lois & Bear Run this farm and have new yarns available:

This is going to be so much fun!  Can't wait to share this with my Facebook Friends and Fans.  This website is amazing and I have Brandon Sandler to thank!  After Fiber Frolic (this weekend) I plan on listing more of my wonderful "Babydoll"/Bunny yarns.  I have these in worsted and sport weight.  It is so soft and downy!  You have to try one to get hooked.  Wonderful feel knitting.  I also plan on processing more yarns with Babydoll/Bunny and some with Mohair and some with my fine Romney fleeces.  I also want to post roving in Angora, Mohair and "Babydoll".  Will you let me know, if I forget?

Daniel helped me with chores this evening and this little golden chick followed him all over the barn yard.  It was so cute.  It picked it up and came to show me.  It was so sweet this big young man holding a half grown chick.  After Daniel went inside these 2 chicks buddied up.

Twice daily I go out to my old barn and feed and water these busy chicks.  Every time Rachel Soucy visits she can't get over how big our chicks are getting.  "They look the same to me, but they must be growing as I am feeding them twice as much as I fed them when she brought them over to my farm!!"

When hungry these 20 busy chicks are underfoot, and I mean underfoot.  I have to shuffle thru them to get to their chick feed and shuffle back.  Water, can they drink water.  Twice daily I have to clean out their water dish and fill it with more clean water!  I'd say a good gallon twice a day!

Daily I run my hands across them when feeding so they get use to touch (what if they get injured and won't let me near them?).  They are getting friendlier every day.  Kind of hard to have a favorite with 20 of them, but we will see.  I have 1 grown Cochen, Priscilla, and it will be interesting to see what she thinks of them.  Oh, my Silkies are hanging out with them.  I think it is their size.  They have no idea that these chicks are going to be almost twice their size!

Common Ground Country Fair, www.mofga.org/theFair was the most amazing event I have participated in this year.  Customers were positive about all of my old and new products.  Customers also stated they loved my booth.  New products were:  Super Bulky Yarn, Dryer Balls, Painted Yarns & using dyes that remind me of Earth Tones & Primitive colors.

Been having fun using local dye plants that grow close to my home and camp in Beddington, Maine on my new yarn that consists of 40% Angora and 60% Cormo wool.  Both of these animals live here so it makes it that much more fun.

One of the plants I used was Jewel Weed.  I pull this fiberious plant out of the ground.  I put them in my "handy dandy" bucket.  I then transferred this weed into a pot covering it with water.

Nancy U Tube - Interesting!!

The smallest pair of mittens can be tucked into the cuff of a warm jacket. I also crocheted a simple chain and inserted in at top of cuff to be tightened to keep out the snow and I think it adds character to this pair of mittens. Might be cute for larger pairs too. I think all three pairs could be either for a male or female.

I used 2 skeins of Maine worsted weight yarn: 4 oz/250 yards each. I still have 2 oz left to make a simple hat?


I have this yarn and will post it for sale soon on my website.  I like the easier pattern of rounded tops and the thumbs are either right or left. Should be a nice pattern for beginners or for someone as busy as I am!

Jack should have about 10 oz of fiber when clipped in a few days.  He produces this coat every 3 months.  Compare this with a French or English who produce only 2 1/2 to 3 ounces of fiber every 3 months.  Now you understand why his price is higher than the other breeds.  These rabbits also have a nice crimp.  His temperment is very mellow.  Would be a nice started rabbit, if someone is serious about fiber.  These animals have to be clipped every 3 months.  This rabbit should be sold for $300, but I'm letting him go for $250 to a fiber person only.  He is not just a pet.

As the lambs past 2 months of age I gradually decrease ration for ewes and start giving lambs grain in their creep area (moms are too big to fit thru opening in panels).  I have read that you don't want to start giving grain to your lambs until their rumens are  developed and all changes in diet should be slow so not to upset it.  So many things to learn and be aware of.  Good reason to join a local sheep group.  Share ideas and learn all you can.  It's free.  Also when your vet visits have a list of questions as you are charge for the barn call, mileage and minutes they are there.  Your vet is an endless pit of knowledge and love to help you!

Homemade items are wonderful.  I find myself remembering items my father, Robert Rickett a Merchant Seaman, would bring home from different places he would visit around the world.  It was lonely at times not having dad home like other dads, but when he came home with his gifts it was like Christmas!  One trip he came home with ponchos from South America.  Mine was woven with Alpaca/Llama hair dyed in rich colors of Blue, Green, Black and Gray.  I wore it out after many years of use.  So I have been thinking of making something along this line for awhile.

My daughter's friend Dawn sent me a line on Facebook requesting pictures of items I have available for sale along the line of wraps/ponchos.  I started thinking.   It is getting cold and what I have made would be nice in the house for added warmth, but not for outside with our cold evenings.  So I decided to make up some kind of "easy" poncho.  This turned into what I believe is a "Caplet" and yes it was very easy to make!  It is made out of Olde English "Babydoll" Southdown wool, German Angora Rabbit "wool" (yes the members of www.IAGARB.com have decided Angora is a type of wool and I agree with my fellow members, but that is another story!), and Alpaca from one of my friends ranch.  I used a Hugh crochet hook and I have a friend Kim who is going to have her uncle make me wooden ones.  I love the feel of wood when you work with it!!

I would love to show or explain how this is made.  I'll write the pattern over so others can understand it and give it with the yarn to make this poncho/caplet.  I also put my phone number with the pattern, because I definately crochet differently than most people.  Another one of those self-taught artists.  I made it in 3 days, designing and taking breaks to think about what I wanted to do.  I put the mock/turtle neck on after and made a simple design in the red rows, just to give it some character!  Let me know what you think?  If you can attend Wednesday's Fiber group at 6 pm, and would like to make this caplet, give me a call so I can have the yarn and hook ready.  ♥

Tomorrow I am heading to the Apple Store in Portland at the Maine Mall.  I purchased an I-phone about a year ago not realizing it has to be updated. One would think I should receive an e-mail stating it needs to be updated?  Hopefully, this is not going to be a big expense.  One would think, again I am not that computer savey, simple instructions would come with it.  Or was I  so overwhelmed with just turning it on, passwords, intuit (I had to have it for my business), applications, etc.

When I finally realized it needs to be updated, it was too late.  It would not work and no one at Verizon could help me.  What about insurance?  I pay $10 for each phone.  Will that cover the costs of repair for this fairly new phone?  Will update you tomorrow.  Hopefully, I have not lost of my appointments, notes, telephone numbers and recordings in my I-phone.  Need to get the most out of this phone, right?  Tomorrow I will tote along my I-phone, wires to connect it to my computer and my computer, don't forget passwords for Apple and Verizon!  www.apple.com

I hold felting needle like a pencil supporting lower portion with index finger.  Place fiber on wool and jab felting needle into it.  Don't change direction of needle as you insert needle or it will snap.  Barbs on needle will dry felt fiber into wool as you insert needle in and out of fabric.

New at Kennebec River Artisans:  Needle felting kits by me, which includes:  wool cloth sachet filled with either lavender or balsam , fiber (German Angora wool, wool, mohair, felting needle in a cork, band-aid and foam to needle felt upon.  Remember needles are very sharp and brittle and foam gives you a little protection and prevents your needle from snapping.

I'm working on better packaging so they can be given as gifts.   I hope to have a couple ready for this shop this coming weekend.

Here is a youtube demonstration I think will be helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82i64_gkHIQ

I had to paste this youtube into my address bar to work!

I love to needle felt onto wool vests I have made or on a Goodwill Jacket to give it new life!

December 8 from 9 am to 4 pm I plan on giving classes/demonstrations on Dyeing, Spinning & Tools used, Knitting a Hooded Scarf using my Super Bulky Yarn, and Needle Felting Dryer Balls filled with Balsam.  Should be a great day at Sheepscot General at Uncas Farms.  www.sheepscotgeneral.com.  Come watch or purchase items you would like to try.  I'll have materials for sale for dyeing, spinning, knitting and needle felting.

2/18/13 What do you think of my denim skirt now?  I purchased this denim skirt and could not wear it because the inside facing would not stay put!!!  I put it on a chair to remind me I had to do something to fix it.  Hmmm, what about needle felting around the band.  I started with a few primitive flowers and kept going until both sides were done.  It was like I could not put it down!!  I did felt on front side and then felted on the inside of the band to secure the German Angora, Olde English "Babydoll" Southdown sheep wool mixture of fiber.  The little flowers were left puffy & will need to be felted after I wear it.  I believe most of them will be fine, but to be able to wear a piece of art it is worth the effort, and the band is staying put.  What an idea to bring life back to a garment?  I was at a show a few months ago and it was slow so I needle felted a little flower on the cuff of my pants and it has gone thru numerous washes and it is still there.  Give you any ideas?  You do need to needle felt it securely.

I am looking for a Pedigree Program that acknowledges my primitive breed of sheep.  Olde English "Babydoll" Southdown sheep are the original breed of Southdowns from England.  The 4-H office in Bangor sent me a link of "Pedigree Programs".  I have tried a trial of ZooEasy and it just showed me what it can do.  It did not list "Babydolls" as a breed.  Need to e-mail or call them to see if "Babydolls can be added to the list.  If not, maybe I should not use their program?

Why do I want a "Pedigree Program"?  Track breeding, cost, hereditary illnesses, bloodlines, etc.  Does anyone have a program I can purchase?

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