Where Have I Been?

I visited some alpacas, met up with Liz from Lizzzknits (again!) and see that guy in the back?  I bought his first shearing.  I will have it in about a month, completely processed into roving.  No washing or handcarding this go round.  He is the prettiest greyish whitish black, and that is the official description.  Stay tuned.  There just might be opportunities for the finished yarn.  I am just sayin...

Wonderful Guy and I headed to the mountains to view the glory that is Colorado in the Fall.  Aspens are at peak in Rocky Mountain.

I fought this pretty guy for my sandwich and brownie.  Seriously.  Such a beggar bird.  Swooping down for my peanut butter and jelly while it was in my hand.  Please!  Don't feed the wild things.  It is compelling, I know.  But not good for them or for us.

We picnicked by Bierstadt Lake.  It was a perfect September day, with bluest ever skies, and greenest evergreens.

And some reds, too.

I do believe I might have some interesting things to share, and some time in which to formulate these thoughts, and some additional time in which to put these thoughts into electronic format in this next week.

Ya'll come back, y'hear!

More Alpacas

Sunday afternoon, I made Wonderful Guy take me to the Alpaca Breeders Exhibition. I really really wanted to get some paco-vicuna to try to spin. It is luscious stuff, and priced accordingly. I just want enough to taste.

I found some from the Switzer-Land people from Estes Park, just 1/2 ounce, and that is enough.

However.

In the looking around for PV people, I tripped across some roving that was very pretty. But I was prudent. I said I was going to think about it. After all, I still have fleece I am working through. (So prudent she is!)

After making my decision on the paco-vicuna, Wonderful Guy asks me about 'the other'. I replied, 'oh, I don't know...' He then says something to the effect of we're here now and it a good opportunity...'

Oh twist my arm!

8 ounces later....he says "when will I learn?" I say I hope NEVER!

Also, I bought some buttons. No plans for them. Just really liked them!

And a knockout of a wool rug.

All I wanted was a bit of paco-vicuna...

Weekend Wrap-Up

Wonderful Guy and I have had a full weekend of activity. I am not even sure I remember what we did on Friday evening, it was so long ago.

Saturday, we rode the Bandit to Estes Park and took in the Alpaca Festival. I am now in love with Paco Vicunas. Also, I won a door prize, a skein of alpaca yarn. I just love winning!


And I bought some lace weight Misti Alpaca on sale for knitting into a nice big shawl. I got plenty of yardage for it.

We continued on the Bandit across the peak to peak highway. The weather was glorious and grand, and the ride was wonderful.

Sunday, after our meeting, we had breakfast with Youngest Daughter, Bebe Daddy, and Grandbebe Girl. Afterwards, Wonderful Guy and I rode our bikes for a ways. Quite a ways, to hear him tell it! I took my camera this time, because I wanted to get a shot of this,

and this


...and look what else we saw!


Today, I started digging iris. My goal is to get a little done at a time over the next two weeks, so I don't completely kick my butt doing it this year. And again, I am wondering, what am I going to do with all these rhizomes?

My finished iPod Pocket, all felted and finished up all snazzily-like. I think I might have done this on Friday...

Meet Betsy

Wonderful Guy and I had a great day yesterday. We planned to meet our Alpaca Friend at the Longmont 'Extravangaza' for further review and education for our mutual venture. I suggested, if Wonderful Guy wasn't opposed, that we might venture to Boulder for a visit to Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins. I have heard great things about the place, and thought since we would be in the neighborhood, I would see what kind of offerings they had in wheels.

What I found really surprised me. Terrific customer service, a variety of wheels which I was encouraged to try...I was treated like there were no other customers in the place. I was treated like an intelligent person (and even told I spun nicely..) and given information with which to make a decision, with no pressure at all. In looking around the shop, I could see that the prices were incredibly competive. If I lived closer, I might....live there. (Dearest Sister, we have to go there when next you visit...have to!) While there I test drove a Matchless (love it!), a new Ashford Traditional (double treadle), and compared those to a Lendrum. Looked at a Louet, but, those visually those don't appeal to me.

We ate bite, then traveled back to Longmont (and I figured out we were 'in the neighborhood' only relatively). The alpacas were fun to see again, and I am excited to think we are getting closer and closer to having our own. Alpaca people are very kind and willing to shar their knowledge. I had the inspiration this past week that instead of purchasing our boys to go with Alpaca Friends breeding herd, we might wait and purchase ours from her firstborn. When approached with this idea, she was very amenable. Her kids will bond to babies born on their place even better. So probably this summer... And...Baby Alpaca!! So soft....

One of the vendors offered Kromski wheels and offered them for test drives. I hadn't seen that make, so took the opportunity. Very nice wheels indeed, and nice pieces of furniture, too. I was very taken by the Symphony, and it was in the 'seriously considered' running. The women from A Simple Piece of String were very helpful in their time and information, too. I will try to make it out to Livermore to see them this spring. I bought an ounce of cashmere from them just to try.

I was really only out to check out wheels yesterday and see what I could see, compare, and gather more knowledge. Wonderful Guy is....a wonderful and generous guy. Over lunch, he talked about the pros and cons and costs and possibilities. He encourages me to look at what I deserve, where I tend to think of where I can go without. He suggested that while the Matchless was a fine piece of work, that perhaps going with the Lendrum now, and getting the more expensive one later, might be the way to go.

What? Get one TODAY? And then consider a second later on?

After trying the Kromski, I decided to get the Lendrum. Shuttles offer 10% of the purchase price in fiber, which is a LOT of fiber. If I want the Kromski or Matchless, that can come later. I can continue to check craigslist and ebay, and who knows what may come my way. The Lendrum is a good wheel, and I got a boatload of fiber to keep me busy through spring. (Or until the Estes Park wool market!) Just look.

There's some Corriedale, an ounce of cotton just to try, and a pile of merino, a variety of colors to blend!

By the way, I named her Betsy.

TGIF

The “official” spinning classes are completed at the lys. I intend to continue to go on open knit nights for practicing purposes, and for helpful hints and technique suggestions (along with getting out amongst the masses!) Also, today I called and arranged spinning/knitting with Spinning Neighbor I met at the caucus last week. We are going to meet for spinning on next week. I am proud of me.

I enrolled in a sock knitting class at the lys that will start soon after my return from Philly. While I believe I understand the basics of knitting socks, I hope to learn the magic loop method. Knitting on dbpns leaves me with ladder stitches, not matter how I try to tighten the stitches between the needles.

I purchased 9 oz of blue face Leicester roving at the fiber mill on Wednesday. It is a nice and softy white. Mostly I got it because while in the mill, I saw a poster of different types of sheep. I thought the blue faces looked stately and serene!

Wonderful Guy and I are considering the purchase of some alpaca fiber boys. A friend is considering a breeding herd. She would help us out with a place to put our boys (not thinking our HOA would approve of them in the backyard!!), and her 4-H’ing children would participate in their care for the chance to enter them in fairs and such. Then I would get the fleece for to do with as I want! I am thinking it’s a win-win situation, if it all works out. She doesn’t live so far away that we can’t be part of their lives, too. I would want that. The alpacas I have seen ‘up close and personal’ are just too cutee-patootie. Not so stately and serene, more soft and cuddly.

This alpaca possibility was one reason for the spinning class. I would have been perfectly content to purchase my yarn needs ready-made, but since we were considering the alpacas, I thought I ought to figure out whether I liked spinning, and/or was good at it. I mean, there have been some pursuits in my life I have tried that, frankly, even with practice, I was not ever going to be very good at. And there have been other efforts that I have discovered I would rather spend my time doing something else, thank you very much. I have enjoyed learning to spin, though it has been a heck of a challenge! And producing something usable, though I have very much progress to make.

Down side…I am seriously considering the purchase of a spinning wheel! The investment opportunities never cease.