Fiber Tuesday, Where Alpaca Meets Shetland.
Yesterday was Fiber Tuesday - my monthly day off the farm with my fiber friends! It was a beautiful day and we were able to [...]
Felting – A Magical Process at Overland Park Arboretum
Fiber, (alpaca or wool) hot water, soap and agitation. Put these all together and you can create felt. Felting is an almost magical process turning [...]
Sorting and Grading Alpaca Fiber
Why sort and grade your alpaca fiber? The main reason is to improve the quality of the end product. This can make you stand out from your competitors when it comes to sales!
Blending alpaca with other fibers
I love when my alpaca fiber comes back from the mill. It really is 'Christmas in August'! I use Shepherd's Mill in Phillipsburg, Kansas and [...]
Preparing alpaca fiber for the mill.
You've made the decision to send your alpaca fiber to a mill for processing. Now what? How do you prepare it for the mill? Carefully [...]
Fleece Shows
The AOA National Fleece Show is taking place this coming weekend, July 21 to 24, in Arlington, Virginia. Volunteering at a fleece show and the [...]
Shearing your Annual Harvest
Shearing Day! It comes around every year and requires careful preparation, many volunteers and lots of stamina! In all the hard work and business of [...]
Becoming a Certified Fiber Sorter
Jeanette was delighted to receive her Camelid Fiber Certified Sorter certification from Olds College, Alberta, Canada earlier this year (2009). The first rung on the [...]
The Alpaca Fiber Symposium
In April 2009, Jeanette joined a group of 150 alpaca breeders at Gaston College, North Carolina, for a very interesting and informative symposium entitled, "Today, Tomorrow & Beyond".Article
Shearing the Teaching Herd
For the second year, Jeanette sorted and graded the fiber from the teaching herd at Kansas State University Veterinary School. Jeanette worked with Glen Alpert [...]