Peaches, 2016

Peach Pickup Day was a couple of weeks ago.

As I've mentioned before, our neighbor sells peaches as part of a fund raiser for women's college scholarships... something I feel very strongly about.

There were 2 Lug Boxes or 36 lbs of very delicious and juicy peaches.  This is about all I can get done in one weekend.

We have plenty of jam from last year and are using more frozen. So I only made one batch of butter, one batch of a new-to-me savory peach chutney, and I froze everything else.

These will be so delicious in January.

Alpacamundo Monday: Hay Day

Hay Delivery Day is one of my favorites.  The alpacas and dogs come up to their fence when the hay arrives.

The neighbor's cows followed me up and down our shared fence trying to convince me to give them some too.  But don't worry, they have plenty of their own hay to eat.

I just love the smell of fresh hay in the barn.

Alpacamundo Monday: Big Thompson

So I was sitting on the edge of the hay bin, attempting to get a good photo of Alpacamundo's Big Thompson...

He was very curious about what I was doing.

After a few extreme close-ups and he was satisfied, I cleaned the nose print off my lens...

and got a much better photo of the Dark Rose Grey boy.  :-)

Fiber Arts Friday: County Fair, 2016

I had three entries prepared for this year's county fair.  The Tibetan Mastiff 3-ply from last fall, the Yak single from last month's Tour de Fleece and my finally finished Alpaca Wrap.

All three were awarded ribbons.  Two blue and and one red.  :-)  The red was second place to myself, since both of my yarns happened to be the same class.

Along with 1st place, the Tibetan Mastiff won a special award from one of my favorite local shops.

Along with first place for it's class, the Alpaca Wrap won Best in Show for Knitted Items!

OMG!  I was really just hoping for some useful comments.

So while each of the yarns had some deductions, the wrap was given a perfect score!

The judge said the wrap was "simple but striking."  Exactly what I was going for.... I'm just over the moon with my very first finished object entry.  :-D

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Alpacamundo Monday: Modified Mucking

Hubba had wrist surgery about a week and a half ago.

He was feeling stir crazy in the house, so we cut down the wooden-handled rake to make it easier for him to muck one-handed.

We already use the short-handled shovel.

About 2 1/2 months until things are back to normal.  In the meantime, he's able to get a little exercise, outside, in the sun.

Fiber Arts Friday: Alpaca Cape, part 6 - Finished!

At nearly three years into this project, the Alpaca Cape is now Finished!  Although, it's really more of a wrap than a cape.  ;-)

It was primarily a winter project since the heat of July is not the best time to be working on a large project.  ;-)  For example, it took me about two weeks to bind off and another two weeks to weave in the ends.  I just could not bear having this in my lap for more than a few minutes at a time this summer.

I admit that I didn't like this yarn at first.  It's dyed black rather than natural, so it's more blue than true black.  Also the handle was crackly, if that makes sense... I suspect it was from the dye process, but the yarn is much softer after having a bath.

I have about 17 yards of left.  Had I realized I would have that much, I may have done a different bind off technique, but it is what it is.  It's beautiful and I like that it's asymmetrical, 81.5 x 53 inches after blocking.

I am looking forward to wearing this... in January.  :-)

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Alpacamundo Monday: Sunrise

My absolute favorite part of the day is heading out in the morning to feed and check on the herd.

Sometimes the sunrise is the exclamation point.