The heat is on...

It has been another hot weekend here on the farm.  The fans have been in use quite a bit already this Spring and the Alpacas have already had a few belly baths to keep them cool.  Today I got the sprinkler out for them to play in.

 Most of the boys ignored the sprinkler because Grumpy had mowed the back pastures early in the day so they wanted fresh grazing but a couple of the boys enjoyed the sprinkler and the pool.

Wonder and Why

We also had a fun evening with our new goslings who are growing super fast.  Sister Bear and Brother Bear had a blast getting to know Wonder and Why.

My new most favorite photo of my children

Our little Robins are out of the nest.  I don't know if they are now in the Maple tree with Mama Robin or where they went but I haven't seen them in a few days.  I hope the barn cats didn't get them.  It seems like they were just little blue eggs.

Finally, I want to thank every person who has served our country in time of war and peace.   

“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien  , The Hobbit

 

Fiber Arts Friday - Captain America

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Knit, Spin, Dye, Crochet, Weave, Quilt, Sew, Embroidery, cross-stitch...the possibilities are endless.  Join in the fun and share your Fiber Arts Adventures.  Come on!  What are you waiting for? 

This week I've been busy spinning a skein of yarn called Captain America.  It's from my new line of Avengers Batts that I now have in the Etsy Shop of Wonder.  My Grumpy was excited to see the Captain America batt so I thought I would spin that up into a yarn so I could display how the finished product looks.  I am very pleased with this Red, White and Blue creation.  I got a total of 224 yards out of my spinning.  The question is, what should I make with it?  I debated about using it in a weaving project.

Also, my Aunt Linda has been a busy lady lately and she gave Sister Bear a brand new Summer wardrobe of sassy outfits that she sewed herself.  Not only are her sewing skills amazing but her choice of fabrics and patterns are too.  I remember when my grandma would make me outfits.  By the time I was eleven I didn't want to wear them anymore.  She was still using patterns from the 1970's and they were so outdated PLUS the fabric was not cool.  Seriously, it was the mid-1980's and I wanted to look like Madonna.  Well, Sister Bear has better outfits than most you can buy in the store and when she wears them to school, the other kids compliment her and want similar outfits.

Obviously, the fiber arts talent runs in the family...even if I missed the sewing bug ;-)  Now, share your adventures in Fiber Arts.

Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend.  I know I'll be visit the Fort Custer National Cemetery at least one afternoon this week to pay remembrance to my favorite veteran , my Dad.  The Avenue of Flags at the cemetery is a breathtaking site.  It really does hit you right in that patriotic bone.

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! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Sunday blessings on the farm

Sunday mornings on the farm are the best.

Our little Robins have opened their eyes

Buddy is still hogging the camera eye.

Kaboom resting in his sand spot watching the girls.

Firework cooling down after being in the sun.

All is peaceful...except for bears arguing over barn chores and even that turns to giggles.

The girls grazing.

I am truly blessed with the wonders around me.

Fiber Arts Friday - Show Prep

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday.  Share your Fiber Arts Adventures!  Knit, Spin, Weave, Felt, Crochet, Sew, Quilt, Embroidery, Cross-stitch, Mixed Media....oh, there is so many possibilities where we can create. Please read all of the blogs that have linked in and also post your adventures in Fiber Arts so we can learn from you.

This week I've been busy with shop updates so if you haven't visited my Etsy Shop of Wonder recently, you should check it out.  Tomorrow is the Michigan Fiber Fiesta where I will be a vendor.  I will be debuting my new Avengers Alpaca Batts along with some other great themed batts from Lord of the Rings, Walking Dead and True Blood.  I've got a lot more ideas brewing so look for some great colorways to come.

Besides spending my Fiber Arts time working at my drum carder this week, I also spun this yarn.  Just shy of 400 yards, approximately 6oz of a Merino/Tencel blend names Teresa dyed by CJKoho.  The other ply is a mixture of three colorways in my Suri Roving line: Kaboom, Haze and Pedro.

Finally, I have been watching a Robin's nest the last month or so and the eggs finally hatched the other day.  The little Robins are now hungry for Mama Robin to bring them food.  She won't let me photograph her.  She hides in my Maple tree and hops just behind a leaf when she sees my camera.  I saw a worm in her mouth so I quickly got away from the nest so she could feed her young.  I sure do love Spring.

Now, share your adventures in Fiber Arts!

Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival!
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

1. Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!  (That's my blog) 
2. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these Wonderful Blogs:

Fiber Arts Friday - Quack Quack Waddle Waddle

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Another week has passed with Fiber Arts Adventures that we want to share.  If you knit, spin, weave, felt, crochet, sew, quilt, embroider, cross-stitch...whew, did I miss anything?  Anyways, if you are a Fiber Artist or enjoy Fiber Arts then share your adventures.

After being on a knitting kick, I got my spinning mojo back this week.  I had a few bobbins that just needed some plying so...I worked through them.  The first skein is comprised of Alpaca donated by Sweet Petunia of Wonder.  I spun her beautiful Huacaya fleece into a fingering weight single then plyed it with 4oz of Merino/Tencel in a gorgeous purple that was gifted to me last year during a swap.  I love how the two colors worked together to create this yarn.  I ended up with 322 yards out of 9 oz for a nice worsted weight yarn.  I had hoped for more yardage but I am pleased with how it turned out.  I can already imagine it knitted into a beautiful shawl.

The second skein is from my Suri blend of 70% Suri Alpaca and 30% Merino.  It was originally a gray with flecks of burgundy in it.  Once I was finished spinning the yarn, I decided I wanted to overdye it so I stuck it in the pot and added about four colors to the yarn painting different sections.  I was curious to see how the color would take.  What surprised me was that the burgundy took over, which I used very little of.  I had used some Gun Metal, Vermilion, Fire Red and Burgundy.  Yes, I was experimenting.  Maybe because I was doing it in a pot instead of lying the yarn flat and painting it, the colors took different.  Maybe because there was already some burgundy in with the Gray?  I don't know.  Regardless, I am very pleased with the rich color which my photographs did not capture.  Why is it so hard to take good photos of dark yarns?  Argh!

So my happiness and relaxation levels are at a perfect place right now.  I forget what a great mood I am in when my waking hours to spinning hours ratio is evenly matched.  Ok, not evenly but enough that I feel cool, calm and collected.

Finally, we got a few new additions to the farm this week.  Grumpy ordered some new chicks because we had been using our own eggs for while and he wanted some new chickens to hatch and work with.  This time he ordered a couple of Goslings to grow into Guard Geese on the farm.  This is one of them.  Isn't she cute?  It will be interesting to see how they interact with our turkey, Mr. T.

So, that's the summary of my Fiber Arts Adventures this week.  What did you do?

Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate: 

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! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Fiber Arts Friday - Yarn Quest Day

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Knit, Spin, Weave, Crochet, Sew, Quilt, Felt...did I miss anything?  If it's a Fiber Arts topic, we want you to share it.  Each week bloggers from around the world link in to share their Fiber Arts adventures.  Welcome to anyone new to Fiber Arts Friday and Thank you to everyone who joins in the fun each week.

 










This week I was a busy gal knitting the Cobblestone Cowl written by KellyJ for Kalamazoo Knits.  It was a pattern Your Local Yarn Shop gave to shoppers who participated in the Southwestern Michigan Yarn Quest last week.  Since Your Local Yarn Shop (YLYS) is also my local yarn shop (LYS) I have been watching KellyJ as she has been working on her new patterns.  I was super excited to cast on this Summer Cowl because I thought all of her patterns were sassy and I love knits I can wear even in the Summer.

I actually bought something from each shop I visited.  Everything I bought was for projects that I have been planning so I was good about the impulse buy.  I also kept my vow of not buying anymore sock yarn.  At YLYS, I bought a couple of skeins of Panda Silk which I knew I would pair with my handspun to make this cowl.  I also bought a skein of Therapi which I will use with my handspun for another upcoming project.

I really did my best not to stock up on Orange yarn.  I am rather happy with my willpower for the day.  A good chunk of what I bought was for weaving projects.  One of the shops, Threadbender, had a very nice selection of weaving cones so I did go a bit crazy there.  I guess this means I had better quit neglecting my looms.   I did manage to sneak on braid of fiber in because...well, good golly, it's purty and I must spin ;-)  I am going to attempt to weave spa cloths so I bought a few types of hemp yarn and cotton.  I'm looking forward to experimenting with those.  Each shop gave us a free pattern too so now I have inspiration to make a few more projects...hmmm, I think I will work through this stash before then next big quest. 

Now, share your adventures in Fiber Arts!
Fiber Arts Friday ! 
To participate: 
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! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs