And on her farm she had some goats, E I E I O

Scarlet had her kids Saturday morning while I was at the Guts, Grit and Pink Lipstick Fiber Retreat.  Do you know how hard it was not to get in my vehicle and drive back to the farm?  Super duper hard.  Seriously!  Grumpy figured out how to send photos via text and a video so everyone at the retreat got to enjoy our farm's newest additions.  

I was a vendor at the retreat but stayed Friday night so after we had our sales and then lunch, I didn't stay much longer.  How could I?  Spin yarn and visit or be a goat mom ;-)  I packed up and by 4pm I was home with my family.  We haven't named the kids yet.  We have already decided to sell all but two of the offspring.  The does are already spoken for and the bucks...well, we intend to keep one from each girl so we thought about duplicating the names of Fili and Kili.  If each girl has boys with that name then we get to keep a Fili and a Kili and so will their new owner.  I mean, you can't split dwarves up regardless if they come from Middle Earth or from the Wonder Why Alpaca Farm.

This afternoon we introduced Scarlet's kids to the rest of the goats.  Willow didn't want the new kids anywhere near her even though they weren't trying to nurse on her.  Rosie, Fili and Kili were interested in the new kids but were having too much fun with their newly found strength and coordination.

Earlier this morning, we cauterized the scalps of Willow's kids so that they won't grow horns.  The process is called disbudding.  It wasn't as awful as I thought it would be.  The instrument we used is called an electric dehorner which reaches a temperature of 1500 degrees.  The metal creates a ring.  This is definitely not a toy.  I held each kid firmly while Grumpy applied the red hot heat.  The kid cried for about 20 seconds then calmed right down like nothing had happened.  Other than the awful smell of the burning hair, it was done for each goat in less than a minute.  Within six hours, I couldn't believe how the healing had taken place.  Goats are amazing creatures.

You want to debud the horns before they really start to grow where the blood vessels can really cause pain to the goat.  Why do we do it?  In the end, it's to prevent harm to the grown goat and to us.  Goats love to play fight and we don't want them injuring themselves or their mates.  Their horns can get caught in fences and the hay feeders.  In the end, it's better to cause them less than 30 seconds of pain than to have one injured as an adult.

I can't believe how quickly they grow.  If you look at the difference between Scarlet's kid born yesterday and Willow's born on Monday, the size difference is amazing.

I love that my Alpacas are curious.  No spitting across the fence or alarm calls because of the new sounds and movements.  Now that all of our kids are born, I can focus on the cria that should arrive in the next month. As far as I can tell, both June Bug and Sprite should give birth by mid-June.  I promise not to watch the pot boil until those Alpaca are born ;-)  Maybe.

Fiber Arts Friday - Sunday Market Shawl

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Today I'm going to share my most recent creation.  It's called the Sunday Market Shawl which I found on Ravelry.  The pattern is written by Vanessa Carter.  It was a super easy knit and gave me some knitting gratification that was sorely needed.  I used one skein of Bamboo Pop which is 50/50 Bamboo/Cotton and was delicious to work with.

Here it is as I started to let the stitches drop.
They were a bit sticky so I had to work each row.

I couldn't believe how much length I gained from blocking.
I had hoped for a wider shawl but still pleased with the width.

I love taking photos in the Spring especially when the trees are in full bloom.
This is a Cherry Blossom modeling my shawl.

If you look at my last post, you will see lots of baby photos.  Squeal!  Willow is such a good mom and her kids are beyond adorable.  We have decided to name the boys Fili and Kili after two dwarves in The Hobbit and at the suggestion of my Team Precious in Nerd Wars, the little girl will be named Rosie whose name is inspired by the Hobbit barmaid that Samwise Gamgee ends up marrying at the end of The Lord of the Rings.  Yup!  I managed to sneak a bit of Middle Earth into my herd yet again.


Now we must impatiently wait for Scarlet to have her offspring.  Maybe since she has an Avengers name, we'll pick superheros for her offspring.

I still need to share my bee photos with you.  They've been uploaded but I need Grumpy's assistance in writing that blog post.  I also have a couple of swap photos to show off plus this afternoon I'll be going to my first Fiber Retreat where I will also be a vendor so I should have lots to share in the next few days...hopefully I won't make you wait until next Friday. Now, share your adventures in Fiber Arts!

Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Visit as many of the other participants as possible.  That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Mother's Day...Late

We finally have Goat Kids!  I swore they would be born last week then figured it would be Mother's Day.  Little did I know that it would be the day after the holiday.  I guess Willow wasn't ready to celebrate yet.  I went to my weaver's guild meeting and decided to leave early so I could see my human kids.  Little did I know that as I was pulling into the driveway, my goat kids were being born.

Willow ended up giving birth to four beautiful kids but only three survived.  The final one was black with a little white spot.  I'm not sure what sex it was.  Grumpy wanted to remove it before our human kids got out to the barn.

Baby goats make the most adorable little sounds.  I am going to try and get a better video of them.  It was just dark enough in the barn that my video didn't turn out very well.

We are going to try something that some farms have done and have been successful with.  We are going to let Willow nurse her kids for the first few days then we will let her be with her adult friends during the day but  back with the kids at night.  Around that time, we will start to milk her after she has let her little ones nurse.  That should give her a better milk production.  We'll then use that milk to bottle feed the kids.  It's a win/win for milk production, bonding and letting the little ones trust us.  We'll see how that goes.

We ended up with two bucks and one doe.  I will try to get better photos of all three of them...and names because we all know that discussions over names is always fun ;-)

Buck - Not yet named

Doe- Not Yet Named

Two Bucks - Not yet named

Fiber Arts Friday - Magic!

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Somehow I've managed to knit a bit even though this week has been another busy one.  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous which means my evenings have been spent outside with my animals.

The goats still haven't given birth.  I give up!  My gestation calculator must be off.  Maybe next week I'll be able to share some Wonder Kids. Both of our girls are bursting with pregnancy and I just want them to give birth.  So...cross your fingers for Willow and Scarlet.

In order to take my mind off the pregnancy, I have decided that my Etsy Shop of Wonder needs to be busy so in celebration of Mother's Day, Magic and Goats please use COUPON CODE:  GOATKIDS for 15% off purchases of $25 or more.  (If you are international, please PM me a request and I will work out shipping for you)

My lunch time knitting has been slow too because I've been trying to walk during the lunch hour with co-workers.   When I'm not walking at lunch, I've been working on these socks.  They may take all Summer but that's ok, it's officially sandal season.  The sock pattern is the Hermione's Everyday Socks and it's a fun pattern that's easy to memorize.  I started the socks awhile ago and didn't share because I thought the first one would magically finish itself.  Well...I did turn the heal so I am considering that a magical win for this Hogwarts student.

 I decided that after knitting a few pair of socks, that I'm learning how the wear and tear of my handknits are working so I took some experienced advice and went from size 2 down to a size 1 for the bottom of the foot only.  Look at the stitch difference.  Wowza!  I'm using a Zauberball, by the way, and loving it!

 I decided that I needed something besides socks to knit that was mindless, so I cast on the Sunday Market Shawl.  This skein of yarn was purchased during the yarn quest and I am loving it.  Bamboo and Cotton 50/50 just feels amazing. I love that I can just knit away and then at the end....more MAGIC!

I have been working on this at night when I finally am ready to unwind.  I can't wait to finally drop the stitches.

The other big news on our farm is that our Honey Bees finally came.  HOORAY!  I will be sharing photos of Grumpy wearing his cute bee suit with his bees this weekend...so stay tuned.  Now, share your adventures in Fiber Arts!
Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Visit as many of the other participants as possible.  That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Fiber Arts Friday - FO and Yarn Quest

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Happy May!  Some of us are finally experiencing Spring and Summer weather here in the North while I've seen postings of snow even yesterday from our friends out West.  To keep the feel of Spring here, I shall share my most recent woven cowl.  After what seems like FOREVER, I finally finished it.  I forget how much longer it takes to weave fingering weight yarn versus worsted but the extra time was well worth it.  I still need to twist the fringe but the weaving is done so I'm calling it an FO.

I also went on the West Michigan Yarn Quest earlier this week with my dear friends, Melissa and Terri.  We made it to seven of the ten shops.  We had a great day with lots of yarn and laughter.  We started with the New Ewe Yarn Shop in Newago, Michigan.  It's just over two hours from my farm.  The yarn shop was very nice and the customer service was too. Besides yarn, the shop has a nice selection of quilting fabric.  I would gladly revisit the shop if it wasn't so far away.  I bought a "skein" of beaded cotton.  I'm not sure what project it will work into.  There is only 75 yards so I'm thinking it might be the ends of a woven piece.  My mind is turning with ideas.

Next we visited the shop in Rockford, Michigan.  I wasn't as impressed by this shop.  I ended up with some sock yarn but found the selection rather bland to chose from.  They did have a nice gift bag for all of us visiting on the yarn quest including lotion samples and a cute note pad.

Off we went to Ada, Michigan to visit the Clever Ewe.  I like the set up of this shop and they are helpful.  Their selection of yarn was very nice and when I was looking for a Dk version of the Madelintosh green that I fell in love with in Worsted Weight, they were quick to help.  I enjoy the shops in the downtown Ada area too and wished we had more time to linger.  Ah, a return trip is called for especially with an ice cream shop across the street.

Next up was The Grand Skein in Grand Rapids.  This shop is ok.  The yarn selection is nice and so is the set up but every time I have visited the shop, I found the customer service lacking.  I know I have Grand Rapids area friends who read my blog and visit that shop so you may have different input but for a shop that is within driving distance, I would choose one of the other Grand Rapids shops over this one any day because of "not so welcome" feel I had.  I didn't buy yarn, although I did buy some knitting notions.  I wasn't even offered the free pattern that I should have received as a member of the quest.  I bought another Knit Kit which is sold by KnitPicks because I always seem to have my current one in "the other bag".  The shop also had an extreme discount on the ChiaGoo needles so I bought one to see what I thought.  I was surprised that a few shops carried KnitPicks items  I didn't buy any yarn from the shop because they didn't carry any yarn that I couldn't buy anywhere else.

Customer Service is never lacking in Caledonia, Michigan.  Henney's Yarn Shop is a nice little shop with a wonderful shop owner.  I always feel at home when I visit the shop and find nicely priced yarns too.  I bought a skein of Bamboo Pop from her which I'm going to knit the Sunday Market Shawl with.

We finished our Yarn Quest in Hastings, Michigan at The Lady Peddler owned by my friend, Jill.  Visiting her shop is like coming home.  Jill is an amazing knitter, spinner and designer.  This year at her shop, I didn't buy yarn but I did buy two books from MaggiKnits.  Jill has some of her designs and inspired by Maggie designs in her shop so I bought two of her older pattern books.

Last, but not least, is Your Local Yarn Shop here in Battle Creek, Michigan.  I actually visited them last Friday after work.  I love Linda and Kelly and am so lucky that their shop is just a few miles from my farm.  I had been to the eye doctor before I visited their shop and even with my eyes fully dilated, I found a couple skeins of sock yarn by Studio June then I plopped down on the couch and visited with local knitters who are always a lot of fun while my vision returned.  I've decided that the green sparkle yarn will become Mine's a Martini sock written by Fiona from the A Little Bit Sheepish blog who frequently links in on Fiber Arts Friday.

Now that I have all of this new yarn and knitting notions plus patterns...I guess I had better cast on ;-)
Share your adventures in Fiber Arts!
Fiber Arts Friday ! 
To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Visit as many of the other participants as possible.  That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Fiber Arts Friday - Spinning the Wheel

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  This week's post will be short but full of handspun yarn.  I'm still working on my woven project.  I thought for sure that it would be completed but when I came home from work each night, I found that my heart wanted to make yarn instead of playing with it.

First, I found one last batt of my Thor yarn and created this Navajo Ply yarn.  I am going to attempt one more knitted hat for Grumpy with this yarn and hopefully I will get a better fit for him to enjoy next Winter.  Yes!  I said next Winter because I am through with cold weather.  We are at the end of April and still have 30 degree weather.  This has to stop.

80 yards - Blend of Alpaca/Silk/Wool - 2.4oz

I also spun another roving from Felting Sunshine.  Kelly does such a wonderful job dyeing her fiber and I love the texture it creates.  For this 100% Farkland wool, I spun a 2-ply yarn.  I'm very pleased with the finished product.

188 yard - 100%Farkland Wood - 4.2oz

Now, share your adventures in Fiber Arts!

Fiber Arts Friday ! 
To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Visit as many of the other participants as possible.  That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Alpacas, Llamas and Showmanship, oh my!

Saturday was spent in a very cold barn at Michigan State University for the Llama and Alpaca Youth Show.  It was the first time our group has participated in this show and it was a lot different than the county fair.

The kids have been working hard with a herd of Alpaca that aren't even a year old.  Seriously, all but two of the Alpacas our group showed were born between June and August of last Summer.  Each week they have met either as a group or just as family units to train their Alpacas.

My wonderful friend Nancee who owns the 4 Musketeer Alpaca Farm in Bellevue, Michigan works with the kids each year and teaches them showmanship, performance and obstacle with the Alpacas.  They learn about Alpacas and how to care for them along with working as a group.  She is an amazing woman and our kids are very lucky to have her.

This is a photo heavy post so I apologize if your page takes a bit to load.

This was the first show Brother Bear has participated in.  He was very nervous and wouldn't smile for me in any of the photos.  I was super proud of him.  He has worked very hard with his Alpaca and did a great job along with the rest of the kids in our group.

Sister Bear was able to present the Michigan Flag for the opening ceremony.  She had a bit of a time doing it because Mr. Tumnus didn't always cooperate.  Again, I was a super proud mom watching her put all of her Alpaca handling skills to work.

The kids have a lot more work to do between now and July when the 4H County Fair takes place but now they have some experience along with the Alpaca that they are handling.


I attempted to attache the video I took on the opening ceremony but Blogger didn't want it to upload.  It did get posted on Facebook so if you are a fan of my Wonder Why Alpaca Farm Page, check it out!