On our NH Alpaca Farm

Just got my issue of Hobby Farmer, what I found interesting was that there is this store in South Carolina called Sublime to Sophisticated...and I swear it's a store just like/ very similar to Barnstead Community Market.  They focus more on local artisans, point being it was an affirmation that this good...

For today I will be out in the yard burning brush, and cutting some firewood.  Although I still have plenty, I need a stash.  These are trees that have been cut a couple of years ago, they dry and once they into fireplace size they may or may not be used, it my emergency stash.

Yesterday I made some Pita bread, I made a batch of regular white bread and another of whole wheat.  When they cooled I placed the in a bread bag (the ones you buy bread in), 2 bags 8 loaves mixed each one. (This is French for each bag had 8 loaves of both the white and the wheat)  Placed it on the counter.... went and did some errands, got home and the dogs had eaten one of the bags.  Dang nab bit.   I hoped they enjoyed it.

Irene and I went to the NH Forest and Farm Expo, we attended a few workshops and of course went to look at the displays.  Great source of information, NH Made was there and the Farmers Market Association, they had lots of wonderful info.  What I find difficult at this point is I have so many ideas--I have a hard time focusing on one thing... (hence look at my crappy e-store) good golly.  Although I have to admit I have a hard time with the uploads... they take forever. 

Last bit of news, I believe I will be carrying Darn Tough Socks, they are a Vermont Manufacture and it's a nice merino sock, waiting for confirmation.  I really want people to think quality socks and automatically associate it with the Barnstead Community Market.  These are a quality sock and will be the only non alpaca sock the store will carry.  They have good kids socks too, this is one of the items that if your family spends a lot of time outdoors in the winter getting a nice warm sock for your kids can be difficult... we'll have them covered.... and their feet too!
Until next time, take care.

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This is the name of the new store.  It will feature alpaca products along with other artisian "type" products.  We have a potter, a candle maker, a bread maker and hopefully we'll have a nice variety of products to suite various needs that folks have. 

I am trying to find a POS system.  What could be so difficult!? What makes it difficult is my head is everywhere.... like doing this and thinking about that...and that...  I am so hoping that this works out good for everyone.

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My store is open, I called looking for help with the store and somehow it got switched open. I have to decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. With it open I really feel like my feet are to the fire, which in this case is a good thing. BUT it is nowhere ready to be open. It's like shopping in a construction site. I have wanted to get my yarn up and out there, as well as the other products. Some of them are featured in the store, which is looking more real all the time... fingers crossed, pray throw salt... whatever it takes. I really enjoyed the store. So please bear with me while I muddle my way through the creation of the store. I promise to the best of my ability I will make it worth wild (while)... what is that saying?

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I purchased the upgraded store.......... 6 months ago.  I really have to shake my legs and get this up and running. 

 I have some beautiful new yarn -- sheep, yes I know sheep maybe a 4 letter word, but really this is lovely.  It's actually more of a fiber soup... it has blue face leicester, merino, alpaca and silk.  It has such a nice sheen to it, it's soft but not the baby soft of alpaca, but it's not icelandic sheep course either, it would make great mittens, hats, socks and I would venture to say the top layer sweater.   Of course I had it made up into the 3 ply worsted weight, I can't help it, it's my favorite yarn weight.  I try but I always fail when it comes to the last moment. 

I have some brown alpaca, about 16 pounds and I also have 16 pounds of suri alpaca in brown.  I am putting these two together, I am thinking half to be made into scarves and half into knitting yarn, which I will probably add some other beast.  The suri, is really nice very very silky and shiny for the yarn I am not sure what I'll add I have to see it then I'll know.    For the scarves I think the just alpaca, both breeds, will make a very nice scarf.

Laura Bushky did a beautiful job on the last batch of scarves.  They're very elegant and classy looking... I may have a picture on the farm web site, and of course it would be great to have one in my online store... do I think???   Actually I should be working on that right now...... darn

So many thoughts so little time

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This site and store is awesome.  The Alpaca is sooooo good and hard to find such quatily.

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Hello All Happy New Year to everyone. I am hoping for good things for 2012, like a better economy and families having an easier time making ends meet. 

Where I haven't done this in a while I have lots of ramdom thought, that are somehow related, but I feel the need to get them out there.  In reference to the 99% who marched on wall street, my advise to you is to go home, and only buy US made and better yet buy local.  Your money in your neighborhood, what could be better.   If you buy local/US made, jobs will be created at home.   The MR Big will not get a piece of that.  Also, if you really want to hurt them, support your local small bank and credit unions.   When I taught economics, this was your dollar vote.  Everytime you make a purchase/place money in the bank you are saying, "I agree with this, I approve, I like."  So get out of the parks go home, move your money to a small institution and buy stuff from folks around you who make it.    It won't take long and they'll feel it....Okay I feel better about that.  But mostly support your local small farms, they not only perserve green space, they give you things that are just plain better for you.   

I am so happy this is working .... More blahblahblah to come

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When looking back on last summer we were in the throes of some really hot weather, this year we had 57 at the end of June.  Go figure.  We have had the pleasure of adding 3 more boys to our little herd.  They are Manny, Dustin and Bandit.  We purchased them from Ande Acres Alpaca  and apparently on of the owners is a BIG Red Sox Fans.  I think most of us New Englanders are Red Sox fans at one time or another during the season.  Manny is cute, he is a cinnamon brown but he has a little cow face, it's tan around the mouth and nose with a brown face, I almost expect him to moo.  

Over the last month I have added a partner to my alpaca business, I am hoping a new set of eyes and different way of looking at the world will move us forward.   The web site is going to get revamped, I am hoping it's a little more interesting.  We will see, I don't want to let too much out of the bag yet!  Until next month, so long.

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It's been a long time since I've sat down to update this blog, or even take pictures of the boys but this weekend I'll do both!

Looking forward Yuri and I have decided that we need to incorporate more into our fiber farm.  Next summer we will have Heirloom Tomatoes, complementing herbs, cut flowers and eggs.  I don't want to do all kinds of vegtables, there are so many variety of tomatoes that I would like to focus one one vegetable.  I'll do the farmers markets that run from late spring to mid fall, all along bringing our alpaca products along for all to see and feel.  I am also going to have recipe cards for, what else, tomatoes. 

Many years ago, I think 18 or 19 years, I had over 50 tomatoe plants, I think I had only 3 or 4 varieties at that time. This will be 12 varieties and 12 plants of each.  I have to cross my fingers that this will be enough... live and learn.  What I would like to have is some paste tomatoes, low acid, and unique flavors.  So when folks are looking at tomatoes they're not just looking at red and round.  There will be various colors and shapes; hopefully this will sppark some interest. 

My little boys that I brought home last year (alpacas) are growing and growing.  They are as big as the adults, Lance is even bigger, Eric still has his cute little baby face with his adult body, Arthur and John are growing but they are definitely on the smaller side.  I am not sure if I mentioned this but this year when we clipped Arthur and finally trimed his head hair we found he had 2 different colored eyes, one green and one blue...maybe that explains his odd behavior at times.. who knows. He's still a cutie who reminds me of a space cadet...

Our goats have managed to totally destroy their pen, they have the run of the yard and they've done an excellent job this year of keeping the recently cleared pasture area clean.... Go Billy, Basha and Kousa..... They like to spend their days sunbathing in the driveway.. so if you stop by you'll see them laying there looking at you like ... what are YOU doing here?   Did I mention they're so FAT... OMG they waddle. They have always been a source of amusement for Yuri and I.  Yesterday I was going out to feed them and they were in the front yard (this is a nono) and I said to them, "Hey whats going on?"  They all turned around and ran to the back yard, they know... but how?

Soon we will begin to make a chicken coop.  Yeah more fertilizer!! sure whatever. I just want it to be easy to get eggs.

I think we will start with 12 chickens, this is really Yuri decision, he's going to be the chicken whisperer.  I mentioned to him that we should get some unique looking ones for fun.... not sure how that will go....I hope through all of this that the store will be built in the garage.  Really a very simple place with shelves, baskets and a small refrigirator.

Well I think that is it for now, I will add some pictures later today. 

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Its been almost a month since I have written anything!! This summer has been hot hot hot and really I am looking forward to that time when it's cool enough for a sweater in the morning.... but quiet nice in the afternoon.  Being NH this is probably only a few weeks in the entire year, oh well something to look forward to.

I have had a wonderful month of learning.  I have been spending some time at Sallie's Fen Mini Mill.  What an interesting environment!! She does other fibers other than just alpaca, this week the prettiest pale gold color came through, it was from a sheep a little on the coarse side, but the color!!! Gorgeous!   It reminds me a little of baking bread-- you have smells textures and all kinds of interesting visiuals going on, you can get so creative with fiber, from colors, to texture and how you set everything up to get a given result.   It really gets my juices flowing...

We had our Market Days in Concord.  Certainly was one of our better shows, still not seeing what I would like, but again what a great learning opportunity.  Next year I am not going to put energy into these spring summer shows, I will focus more on fall and the holiday season. 

For the last 18 months or so I have been trying to teach myself  how to knit!! I purchased a magic loom, this gave me my first bit of success... so I had enough confidence to try it again with needles.  I went to my friend the internet and looked at some free patterns with directions I could understand... (knit purl) and I found this hat that you made ribbing for the 1st 4 inches and then you knit a row and purl a row 2 stiches in 2 combinations... I can do this........easier said than done.  It took me probably 8 tries... I couldn't remember did I just knit? or Purl or what.... and there were a few more technical errors.  Sallie gave me some advice I read a little about circular needles and the 9th try was a go...... the end result actually looks like a hat... no, I can't believe it either.   So now that I have that one under my belt I started hat number 2, this is for my niece Laura, my sister's eldest daughter. I also became brave, AGAIN and tried the moss stitch... same deal knit purl in another combination.... I made all of my neices hats, on the magic loom, I decided to try to knit Laura's, I make the hats and I think of my sister and all her babies who don't have a mom anymore.  I knit to keep them warm for her, each stitch a prayer, and a thought of her and them....  Cancer sucks.

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Can you believe it's July?  I can't, where does the time go?  I have been busy sorting Quinns fiber, he really isn't that bad, staple lenght isn't so great 2 inches, but it's soft and has a nice crimp  His blanket I will be blending with a synthetic, this is so I can offer his yarn at a lower price, and it would be great for kids clothes.  I am thinking they can have the benefit of alpaca and toss it in the washer.  Mom's can breathe easier with the blend  I am just thinking of when my children were little, I wanted them to have good stuff, but I also recongnized that they would use it for a short time.  So I needed a balance. 

Today 7/11, I will be washing and I think dyeing Quinn's seconds.  I purchased some Jaquard dyes, mostly primary colors.  I want to felt with this fiber  I had metioned in a previous blog about the really cool web site Rosiepink.com, anyway they do the coolest stuff with felt.  I recently visited another web site that uses felt to make clothing, again really cool stuff  So I am skipping the hole kid kit thing and going to try to something more challenging..  I also found needle felthing, again a complete new experience for me... where did I live before?  how did I not know about all this really cool stuff.  I will admit that for most my life my interest were elsewhere.  I really love animals, and really love my alpaca, so this is how I got here by way of having my furry friends  Thanks guys!

I am finding that growing older is such a gift, you are so incredibly free of all the junk that being young gives you. I don't find that I need anyones approval to head off on my own.  Which is big, I think of when I was younger and wouldn't do something I wanted to do, because I need someones approval... what a waste.  This is my skiing regret...now I am too broken for that one, but I did manage to get 20 + years  of some excellent skiing in.  Off the track-- anyway all I can say is

FREE AT LAST FREE AT LAST--- THANK GOD I AM FREE AT LAST! 

I think of my little blog like Lucy Van Pelts .05 psychiatrist booth.  Mostly all thoughts from the heart with a few questions along the way..

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I am  pretty happy with myself! I found some shears on the internet (got to love the internet) for a very good price.  We still haven't sheared the 2 new guys and I know they're warm... guys it's coming off, real soon.

I am really looking forward to felting, I've done my reading and found the necessary supplies (notice found not bought), and I have a set of hand carders coming.  I think this week I'll get the screen I need for sorting the fiber.  You lay the fiber out over the screen and any vegetation fall through.  Then I'll start washing and dying what I plan to felt. 

I read this wonderful artical about a mother-daughter felt studio, it was so interesting they actually produce artwork with felt.  They're on the internet too, the web site is Rosiepink.co.uk  They're really very inspiring, all I want to do is make a solid color felt that was until I read the article... check it out, well worth the visit.

I am amazed at the number of fiber related business in the UK I thnk this has more to do with the fact that they have retained they're industry and still need their sheep and processing plants and all the other supporting industries.  What have we done?  Somehow become more technical meant we didn't have room for this basic, fundamental industry.  I think it's satisfying even on the simplest level to create and make by hand (or machine) items that will be used for human comfort, much in the same way as baking bread satisfies that need.  Well speaking of bread... time to feed the hubby and send him off to work!! 

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I believe that our latest aquisition, a white male with blue eyes, is deaf.  I approached him the other day made some noises very near to him which would have been enough to scare an alpaca; he didn't even look up.  This doesn't matter to me, as long as he is happy otherwise and I know he doesn't let the other guys run all over him, now we know.   Mr. Black our other aquisition seems to be happy.  As the days go by the two new boys are working their way into the fold of the herd.

They still are quite interesting to watch, I think Eric and John are feeling like a couple of teenage boys, they chase each other around the paddock and pronk about (jumping all four legs leaving the ground at the same time -- jumping).  The other day it was shortly after sunset when the began their playing.   They chased each other around for about an hour before settling down for the night.  

What is it about animals that make them so interesting?  I could watch them as easily as reading a good book or watching a good movie and honestly I think I would rather watch them.  I can understand why some people spend their lives in observation of various species, other than our own.  They are all so fascinating!

My Yuri is busy redoing the roof of the barn.  His initial design is not so pretty...so he having a do-over being careful to salvage every board.  In Russia, most of the construction is flat roof.  This of course has more to do with the Soviets warehousing people in the large apartment buildings and most of the populations living in the citys.  He lived in Minsk, when the Chernobyl melt down occured, the people from the area around the nuclear plant were sent to Minsk to live.  They built warehouse after warehouse, all ugly concrete buildings.  Neighborhood after neighborhood having the same look to it.  Anyway point being, he really didn't see alot of variations or experience building them.  He's very good with his hands and can really make just about anything, but if he uses his knowledge base for design............ Well that was a lot about nothing...

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Summer is certainly here and the alpacas are looking for a cool place to lie down.  They certainly like the cooler weather much better than the heat.  I can relate to that, I perfer it to be a little cool as to warm or hot...

Last month we aquired two additional alpacas, they are Dragoon and Mr. Black.  I still need to get these two guys sheared.  We will purchase some shears and Yuri will do the honors.  They both have some nice fiber.  I took the blankets from Lance and Eric to be processed.  Lances blanket is going to be made into scraves.  I will blend his fiber with Arthurs and I want a gray scarf with a white and black stripe down the sides and across the bottom.  Eric, John Quin, Dragoon and Mr. Black will be yarn blended with Merino.   These should prove to be nice knitting yarns. 

Last month was a bit difficult.  My sister Denise, lost her battle with cancer, my heart has be heavy and my intrest in moving some of farm activities waned a bit, but now it's time to pick up and get going. Life goes on, so it must. 

I am often reminded that encounters with people, pets, &  wonderful animals we share our lives with  are a gift and the moments we have are the gift.  When it's over we have the lovely memories and a tender place in our hearts.  This is what we cherish about that experience the journey of knowing that being.  My little dog Penny taught me that, I lost her to brain cancer, but I often thought --at least I had the opportunity to have this little dog for a friend and companion.  It helped eased the pain of losing her and it taught me that life was fleeting and the gift we get are the days we have together.  It carries over so well for anything we love. 

We had our second show in North Conway this weekend-- this was a break even show.  We made enough money to cover the rent of the space.... but really if that was covered then the product cost were not.  We did make a lot on contact passed out brochures and educated on alpacas, so all was not lost. Our next show will be in Concord NH Market Days.  I would love to have my yarn for this show, but I am not sure if it would be processed by then.  Time will tell.  That's it for today.

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On Monday May 10th we sheared our alpacas.  I have to say this was lots of work, and it was really physical.  It actually started on Sunday, we don't have a large barn or an area where we can bring them to so we had to set up what we have.  On Sunday I went to the barn, swept it out and washed the floor.  Sommetimes during the winter they used the barn as their toilet.... I told them over and over not to poop in the barn but did they listen?  noooooooo So I really scrubbed it out.  We then set up a temporary pen for the next morning. 

I was really nervous waiting for this guy to show up.  I hadn't heard from him since I made the appointment and wished he had called.  I wasn't sure that I had prepared everything properly and not knowing was a stressor.  He did arrive a few minutes late but that's okay. He did arrive.

The shearing itself was at best stressfull.  The alpacas are not crazy about this and my little guys were down right scared.  Lance thought he was a horse and bucking all over the place... Oh boy... not fun.  Eric tried to sit or cush and so did the little guys. Two hours later it was done, I was exhausted and really I didn't do that much, and my alpacas looked like dandelions or a dandelion/poodle combination anyway not so cute but more funny.  

Anyone who is local to the area know that on the night of May 10th 2010 the temperature dropped below freezing... talk about Murphy's law... it had been relatively warm over the past few weeks and the alpaca were miserable.  We shear them and what happens it freezes and they're still miserable... Luckily it should warm up over the next week.  

I have an appointment with Sally Fenn Alpacas, she has a mini mill and I am hoping that my fiber will get processed there.  That's another story... for another day but for now the first shearing is over and it proved to be a learning experience.   See my pictures of the shearing, in the "about us" Section

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My boys are so warm... I can't wait until they shed their winter coat.  Monday the 10th our shearer will come and give them all a nice close cut.   They spend their days in the barn out of the sun... which is okay but they poop in there and I really wish they wouldn't... but hey..

May 28 the vet will come and give them all their check up and any vaccines they need.   Does anybody else hear the chachink.....

Once all these little things are taken care of it'll be easier.  Enjoy the weather!

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