Alpaca Farm

We had a very busy day today. First and foremost my parents, brothers and sisters, uncle and cousin, my kids and myself all piled into 3 vehicles and drove to Loudon today to visit a local alpaca farm. For those of you who are not fiber-addicts and are wondering, Alpacas are like little mini versions of Llamas. Okay, so that might not be an entirely scientific analysis but there you go. This was a huge farm by my standards. I expexted maybe half a dozen to a dozen animals but no, they had about 80 alpacas. All different kinds and colors though they all looked the same to me except for the obvious differences like black virus white wool. They also had this ancient dog that I swear looked like a polar bear--I've never seen such a big and wooly dog before! It was super gentle and was really nice to the kids.


The kids had a fun time "meeting" all the animals and even getting to pet to babies. It was so very cold out there though, maybe 50 degrees. The kids were all wandering around in long sleeved shirts under 2 layers of sweatshirts and hats. Rosy cheeks and noses were had by all. Jeremiah played outside once we got back to Mom's house (even though I told him not to) and TOOK OFF his sweatshirt and hat (even thought he's not allowed to) and now is rapidly coming down with a cold.


I finished spinning one skein of that gorgeous gray merino. I bought a 4oz batt and I'm spinning it in 2, 2oz skeins so that I can then ply them together. Out of the first 2oz I got 178 yards of yarn! I am SO proud of myself!! I wound it into a ball so that when I ply it I can put it in an empty baby wipe container, I've found that this makes it easy. I started spinning the second skein but it wasn't cooperating so I quit because I was getting mad.


Since I was hanging around Mom's house (and since I had brought it with me) I spent the better part of the afternoon knitting on my shrug. I am making this entirely without a pattern and also making it up as I go along. I've reached the halfway point now so all that is left to be done is to work down to the second sleeve the way I've already knit. However since I didn't write anything down it's going to involve a LOT of counting. When I get it finished I have some solid black merino I spun and I will pick up stitches all around the opening and knit an inch or two of ribbing all around the edge to finish it.


I also got a picture of 4oz of white merino that I bought and Sunday used koolaid to dye pretty jelly bean colors. I ran it through Mom's drum carder today just to fluff it up and I love the way it came out. I can't wait to spin this....after I'm done spinning the gray and plying it, LoL! So many projects, so little time.


I really need to manage my time a little better. My beautiful son is acting starved for attention all the time, so much so that my MIL is noticing a difference in his behavior. I need to start spending more one on one time with him. It is a hard thing though because Hannah is such a needy baby in that she wants to be held and comforted, paid attention to, all the time. Before she was born I was a stay at home mama to just Jeremiah and it was him and me by ourselves all day. We did everything together and since Hannah was born Jeremiah and Tony do a lot together, but not me and Jeremiah. I see him all day everyday and he gets on my nerves (LOL) but I am sad at the same time...I feel like I miss him. And I feel so guilty because sometimes I have to work not to be resentful or upset at Hannah for "stealing" me or my time from him. This is just something I am going to have to work out, the balance between my children's physical and emotional needs, with lots of prayer. I am not strong enough to do this by myself but the Lord Jesus gave me these beautiful children and I know that He will be my helper and my strength when I need it, to do the precious Job He has entrusted to me.

On a cheerier, springier note-- dispite the nose freezing temps today I got some very pretty pictures of some flowers in the lady's gardens. Poor, bright little flowers trying very hard not to succumb to the frost. Spring SERIOUSLY is almost here. Friday it is supposed to be 70. I might lay on the porch in my bathing suit. :-p