my latest hand knit Calorimetry
So last week I was Magic-Linked in a Ravelry discussion. If you don't know about Ravelry, the online community (like Facebook) for Knitters, you can see my article explaining it here:
Article Explaining Ravelry - Fiber People's Facebook
"Magic-Linked" is when one of the 599,615 (as of today) registered members of Ravelry mentions you in an online posting.
Ravelry sends you a message when this happens, and the message begins, "Are your ears burning?" It then goes on to tell you where to find the message that was talking about you. How cool would it be if in REAL LIFE you got a message every time someone talked about you behind your back?
Yeah, maybe not.
Anyway, my Magic-Linked message came from the Ravelry forum of a Florida yarn store, and the author of the message was planning to go to the Florida Alpaca Breeders Show in Jacksonville this February.
I blogged about that show last year here:, FABA Alpaca Show
This person wondered if -I- would be at the show this year. However, the really interesting part of this person's post came earlier when she wrote this about the Florida Breeders alpaca show:
There is usually fiber to be given away… if you find a breeder that just doesn’t know anything about the fiber end of the industry, they are glad to be rid of it (shameful for them, but a great opportunity for you spinners!).
ETA: Look for animal booths with nothing made from fiber…just little samples or nothing at all. That’s a good clue that they only are into the breeding.
Shameful indeed - but right on sister! If alpaca breeders are "glad to be rid of" their alpaca fleece, and making that obvious to their own potential customers, then why expect the customers to be eager to pay good money for it?
This person then goes on to say that she wonders if -I- will be at the show because I had said last year that someone should get a booth there and sell the alpaca fleeces and fiber that the breeders didn't seem interested in selling.
I did talk about this to some of the show's organizers, but they weren't too interested, so there you are. They told me that they have an alpaca fiber show IN AUGUST IN FLORIDA!
Oh, yeah, that's a lot better than having an alpaca fiber show and sale in February in Jacksonville.
Maybe I'll sneak in to this show wearing dark glasses and an alpaca fur mustache, and try out this idea of just asking for free alpaca fleece from the alpaca breeders with no fibery things at their booths. If I do, I'll definitely sneak the camera in with me and report back to you all.
Not that I really NEED more fleece to spin. I still haven't gotten around to spinning the two llama tops I bought in Christmas, Florida at the Cracker Christmas Craft Show in December. I would bet my best spinning wheel that the gray llama top shown here is a 15 micron or less, and it wasn't for sale until I stood there, basically stalking the owner, who was processing it in front of an audience. She had to sell it to get rid of me. Poor thing.
llama top for hand spinning - gray
llama top for hand spinning - fawn color
But now that I have gotten a call from the editor of Camelid Quarterly asking me if I was planning to enter their Camelid Fiber Contest, I may have to just jump on that llama top and get to spinning after all. The deadline is Jan. 31st!!!
Meanwhile, here in lonely, little Scottsmoor, Florida, we had an entire week of actual cold weather, and even a little - okay, a minuscule amount, - of snow!!!
It was really just rain with a (very)few tiny pellets of ice in it, but we're counting it. I had a chance to wear all of my hand knit alpaca and wool socks!
The wicked witch color alpaca socks
The aloe-infused wool socks
I also used the cold as an excuse to knit two more Calorimetrys (see previous post). I changed the pattern though, so that I could use that huge, slubby yarn that I love so much. This one is Wool / Cashmere from the "Queensland Collection" and it's called Big Wave. I found it here:
Big Wave yarn
Big Wave yarn
One of these was for me and I have loved wearing it! No itch, and stays in place without smashing the hair against your head. Wish I'd know about these years ago. The button and the oblong shape are the key I think. I'll get around to posting my changed version of the pattern on Ravelry any day now.
hand knit Calorimetry showing button
So, back to real life, but to all of those people on Facebook who are asking me to "adopt an alpaca" from your virtual, Facebook Farms, please stop! It's cruel! You're making me miss my alpacas more than ever. Get a real farm if you want one so badly!
shut up!
Speaking of missing alpacas, Thank you, Thank you to my ever-faithful-friend Sue from Wildwood Alpacas for sending me this photo of Francesca, daughter of my girl, Glad.
beautiful daughter of alpaca Galadriel
Can I have her fleece if you're not using it Sue?
Just kidding!
PS>
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