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Field Trip: A & R Alpaca Farm
Some of my friends from our knitting group drove to A & R Alpaca Farm near Circleville, OH for the day. Kelly Halley, Marsha Moses, Mitzi Cyrus, Dar McIver and I.
Marsha drove as she had not brought her knitting along. Lots of chatting and knitting along the drive. When we got to the farm, Robin was waiting for us with a luncheon of sandwiches, cookies, chips and drinks. She is so welcoming and genuinely sweet. That is one of the reasons I suggested that the group make the trip. Robin took us on a walk around the nearby paddocks explaining all about the care and breeding of the alpacas.
Her love for them was evident as she talked. She knows the names of all 105 and recognizes their individual skeins of yarn. The unending daily care takes a great amount of dedication. Her husband Aaron and her son do a lot of the labor as well. Breedings are very selected and controlled. The lucky boy is invited to "get a girlfriend" in the breeding barn.
Robin explained how each new baby is registered along with their color as matched to registry criteria. Each male and female parent, along with the baby are registered with their DNA. We wandered amongst the young females. They were sweet and soft but a tad leery of strangers petting them. Head zone, yes. Neck, no because that is where predators may attack. Back, yes. Rear end...no...just no. One female was being annoyed by a younger cria when she assumed it was Misty and promptly spit in her face.😂 Another tidbit is that alpacas like to have a "toothpick". They burrow their heads in the hay and hope a piece will stick in their topknot and hang down their face. They will move it around to chew on for a while and stick it back up in their hair to wear with pride.
While the raising of the alpacas is Robin's primary concern, there is the need to generate income from the herd. Robin was not familiar with all things yarn and knitting but our group of ladies were glad to give her some pointers. We opened her to the world of ETSY, RAVELRY, Facebook and fiber fairs. We LOVED her yarn. The current supply is all Dk weight in a wide range of natural colors.
Buttery soft to slightly coarse depending on the animals and their age. No dyes were used. Some of the fleeces were blended to give more color shades. I especially liked the gray blend as well as the single fleece grays. It was amazing how many subtle color differences there were in the shades of fawn and brown. We suggested that when the new fleeces are spun that she include fingering and worsted. We all left with ample purchases and we did a "show and tell" for the rest of our group on the next Tuesday. Robin also carries apparel and gifts made from the alpaca. She had several crocheted pieces that were quite nice plus stuffed animals. She and I have a deal that I will make some of items for sale and we will split the profits. She had allowed me to select 6 skeins on my previous trip.
I selected all 6 of a light cream color for marketability ( although the gray is my fav). I took her a lacy cowl from Louise Knits
and I'm working on my first pair of Susie Rogers' Reading Mitts .
I made one mitt with only the alpaca but I messed up on some stitches and will rip it out and redo. I made a second mitt combining the alpaca with mohair and I loved the result! One of my knitting friends asked to order a pair which made me feel really good. I told her I would prefer to make some and let her choose rather than to take orders. This will take the pressure off of both of us in case she doesn't like them. I also need to decide a price which will be based in the cost of the supplies. I'm thinking that the plain alpaca will be $36 and the ones with mohair added will be $5 more. I will also make them using Louisa Harding Grace Silk and Wool plus mohair just like the pair that inspired me at Kanawha City Yarn Company. Those will cost less which I will calculate later.
Buttery soft to slightly coarse depending on the animals and their age. No dyes were used. Some of the fleeces were blended to give more color shades. I especially liked the gray blend as well as the single fleece grays. It was amazing how many subtle color differences there were in the shades of fawn and brown. We suggested that when the new fleeces are spun that she include fingering and worsted. We all left with ample purchases and we did a "show and tell" for the rest of our group on the next Tuesday. Robin also carries apparel and gifts made from the alpaca. She had several crocheted pieces that were quite nice plus stuffed animals. She and I have a deal that I will make some of items for sale and we will split the profits. She had allowed me to select 6 skeins on my previous trip.
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