Not a happy camper......

I had sent some SUPER NICE alpaca to a mill to get spun back in January, I finally go the yarn back in the mail today.  I did not mind waiting to get the yarn but I am not happy at all with what I got back.  This is from a different mill than I typically use and now I am really wondering why I ever wanted to try a different mill.  Here is the yarn I got back.

I had asked to get my yarn back in 250 yard skeins.  As you can see I got several skeins of different sizes.  One is almost 400 yards while another is 80 none are 250 yards.  It is over spun taking away form the softness it should have.  It was super nice FINE alpaca fleece but being over spun you can not tell that now.  I was hoping to sell the yarn but looks like I am going to be hanging onto it now and knitting it up myself.  Its not harsh or rough by any means just not as soft as it should have been.  I have a couple patterns for shawls and wraps I want to do so I guess this with the yarn I use.  Lesson learned I have been using a good mill dont try out any others!  Good luck to you on all your fiber adventures!  God Bless.

How much is too much?

I was out clipping a couple rabbits tonight and when I came in to add the wool to my stash I thought I have way more than I thought!  So I got it all out and took a picture of it to share.

Well here it is.  I have not sold any of my angora for about a year and have not spun much of it either.  I have been hording all of it to blend with my sheep fleeces other than a couple spinner bunnies.  I still have more rabbits to clip but the total so far is 12 POUNDS of angora!  Colors include Black, White, Fawn/Tort, Opal, Sable, and Choc Chin, and Chestnut Agouti.  I have some how lost a Chestnut coat somewhere along the way as well maybe I put it in with the black?  I am not sure of anything at this point.  I guess I need to get on the ball washing wool to blend with all this.  God Bless!

Little house on the prairie?

We have had a very busy day today from start to finish.  We ran up to Northern Indiana today to pick up Matilda.  I feel like I live in an episode of Little House on the Prairie with all the critters I have and how I love to get back to depending on ourselves and not the local Wal-Mart for all our needs.

Matilda is Jersey cow that is due to drop a calf in about 2-3 weeks.  I wanted a milk cow before I got my goat Mona but dad was in no way having it at the time.  After the cow prices went up and he seen I was serious about milking my goat he caved in and said he would get one but he was NOT milking her.  Notice he said HE would get it and not I COULD get it LOL looks like I got my cow and he got to pay for it. It dont get any better than that!  He has 2 beef heifers he is keeping to raise calves so she will just give him another calf every year.   I wont be milking my goat anymore but I am still keeping her and Marigold her doe kid from this year.  I am very attached to Mona and she is not going anywhere. 

Once we got home and I finally got to the rabbit barn I got 2 more litters of Giant Angoras.  One litter is all black and the other has REW and black in it.  One mother I am not thrilled with but its her first time so maybe she will improve as we go. 

One our way home from picking up the cow I could not help but think of how God has changed the person I am in major ways!  I use to spend so much time and money going out to get high or drunk and the only person that mattered was me I had no animals and lived life to what I thought was the fullest. I look back at that person and can't help but wonder what I was thinking and how could I have lived life in such a way.  I know there is a reason for it and God had a plan to take me from where I was and make me who I am now.  It is true what was wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. In fact not only is it true but it is totally amazing!  To be so blessed by God in so many ways even when we fail Him so often.  However no matter how often we fail and much we back slide He is always there and this holiday is proof of His love for us and I pray all of you reading this keeps in mind the sacrifice made by Christ and if your not on the right track with God take this Easter and get things right with Him.  If you need help or have never heard anything about salvation and want to talk my email is psalms121@rocketmail.com feel free to hit me up. I am off to help get everything ready for Easter dinner and break out the BFL batts I am going to start spinning God Bless!

Shearing done!

I was able to finish shearing all my sheep yesterday.  The new clippers from Premier ROCK!  I had such an easier time shearing than with other clippers it was amazing.  Fleeces look so much better than last year as well I am very happy with them and now comes the part trying to figure out what do with all of them!  I have had all year to think about it and have nothing.  Yes only I can do that but I do have a ton of Angora to put with it..  My favorite fleece is a toss up between my Moorit Shetland ewe and my BLF/BL cross ewe, I think she may win once I get them cleaned up and carded.  I also named 2 of the ewes that did not have names before, Big Booty Judy and Fatty Mcgee.  A couple of the ewes need to put on a little and these 2 ewes need some Jenny Craig!

My goal was to have all the wool in my stash carded or spun up before I sheared this spring.  Well that did not exactly happen either.  I still have a one white fleece in my stash, one mohair and some llama.  I did just get back some white yarn that is from one of our ewes and my angoras.  This is the first yarn from only my animals.  I have another batch of Alpaca up at Natural Fiber Works to be spun that will hopefully be back soon.  God Bless!