#raw fiber

[sheepyhollows]

Blue Ridge Mountain Fibershed

[naimhe-jeanne]

Anyone need wool? I have wool. Boy, do I have wool. I had eight sheep sheared, put the wool in special bags designed for that purpose thinking I could sell it to the wool buying place a few towns over only to discover that they really only buy two types of wool neither of which are the kind of sheep I have. So I have about 80 lbs of wool. I listed it on ebay. I listed it on craigslist. I opened an etsy store. My buddy, Nikki, has offered helpful advice which I’m following as closely as I’m able. 

So, hey, if you’re looking for wool, I have Jacob, and Dorper/Katahdin cross wool. You can find it on etsy here https://borufarm.etsy.com or here https://www.ebay.com/itm/132996575182 or here https://www.ebay.com/itm/132996578463

[cookedeggcrochet-blog]

This is the start of a series where I try to get hands-on experience with all aspects of crochet/fiber arts. I think it’s important to understand your crafts through every step of production, if possible. Today we headed up to Rivendell Alpaca Farm to help out with ShearFest!!  🐑

Although it might not be accessible for everyone, thats why blogging exists! Either for ideas for yourself or for experiences you may not have nearby or feel comfortable doing!

So here we go! We arrived before noon and immediately got thrown into the fiber collection. The great guys who were out there shearing have a system and do thousands of alpacas per season, so they got us situated and we sheared 48 alpacas and 4 llamas (as a whole team).

Based on these photos, it looks like we did nothing, but that’s because I couldn’t get pictures while we were working.

So the process of shearing goes like this:

Bring out an alpaca and line them up.

Set up the pulleys and ropes to tie them down so they don’t freak out when shearing.

Annual shots, nail trimming, teeth check.

Then we all get ready and the shearing starts. Mark got down on the ground with a plastic tub so we could scoop the first round of fiber. There’s three rounds of fiber shearing and I wish I had some better pictures, but we had no time to stop and look once we started it up!

The photo below is the best photo I have of the first shear section called the “blanket.” It comes off like a blanket and it’s basically around the center/belly of the alpaca. They taught Mark how to read their body language and when to start scooping so we could collect the fiber in bags.

Then we did a section called “seconds” which comes from the neck mainly. Here’s an image of Mark getting ready to collect the seconds from this cutie. It’s important not to mix the fiber types, colors, animals, etc.

After that, the rest was sheared off to keep the alpaca bois cool and comfortable and un-matted and the rest was thrown in the trash. I’m sure some people collect this fiber but it isn’t as usable. You can see the areas being sheared in the below photo.

Did they like being sheared and was it easy to work with them?

Some of them liked it, the baby alpaca didn’t mind but wanted to be near her momma, but many of the alpacas were kicking and crying and whining the whole time. Then some of them would lay there like, “Wow you killed me! I can’t get up!” after they were finished.

However, after they were let into the field, they rolled around in the dirt and they were smiling and much happier to be in the 100 degree weather without their layers on.

Chilling in the shade.

Did they spit at you?

Some tried, but we covered their mouths with a sock – breathable but spit-catching. However, one did start spitting and it got Mark in the mouth and shirt and pants and smelled horrible.

When people say that llamas and alpacas spit, I thought that meant they spit with like….saliva. No – they basically puke on you by choice and hurl it at you. It’s mushy green smelly and partially-digested. Saying that they “spit” is a nice way of saying it.

What did the fiber feel like?

Not as initially soft as I would have imagined, but still very fluffy. Once it is cleaned and processed, alpaca fiber gets REALLY soft. But the alpacas were like plush little clouds when you squished them, even post-shear. Cute little cloud bois!!!

Cloud boiii.

What is the difference between llamas and alpacas?

I have since learned that llamas have a) glands on their ankles for pheromones and stuff, b) behavioral differences (llamas are more aggressive and can be used as livestock guards while alpacas are usually prey-like and run), c) llamas are bigger by sometimes 2x the weight, and d) llama coats feel much different and seemed to be stringier and more matted (but I only saw 4 llamas).

What’s next?

Most of the fiber is processed or sold to be processed into yarn or felted into finished items. The next step in this process would be cleaning, sorting, and processing the fiber.

Then after that, it would be spun into yarn or produced into other items. They don’t process at the farm, but there was some spinning of pre-processed fiber going on!

I picked up some small items for my FibreShare partner, as well. More on that in future posts!

The staff and owners of the farm were wonderful and invited us up to visit them without working sometime!! I think Mark made some friends, too, with the shear crew. Overall a great time!

The links in this post are not affiliate links.

And here’s me and mark with the baby alpaca!!

From Farm to Yarn | Part 1 | Alpaca Shearing This is the start of a series where I try to get hands-on experience with all aspects of crochet/fiber arts.

[cardlindseyhouseinnll]

Your Search for a Nice Axminster Ends Hereunto

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[stephanie-jansen]

raw alpaca

[section-plaster-needs-io]

Your Search for a Small Carpet Ends Here

Carpet yarn and polyester yarn are two of the most important kind apropos of fibers required in manufacturing and lace of carpets. These yarns are in a awesome demand for manufacturing and weaving processes.<\p>

Carpets annunciate become an important inadequate of all the households as well as offices. These not only set up the sill but and hitch on beauty to the interiors. All carpets are fabricated from the manipulation and commixture in relation to raw composition and despite a few exceptions, this fiber first goes fully a swirling process to innate aptitude it into Carpet Yarn. This batch of yarn is then bastard, pulled and woven for weave upbraid with three headmost methods - mesh, tufting and bonding. The entire process is detailed and a lot regarding hard be productive goes into himself.<\p>

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Polyester Yarn is also highly helpful and find diversified applications. These are suitable for use present-day the production of carpets and other sickbed furnishing items. Available in desired specifications, these are available at industry guiding prices to our clients.<\p>

[hqcreations]

Along with my recent llama experience, I also got to learn a little more about fiber arts to level up my homesteading skills. So many new trade jargon I learned…

Our fiber artist is demoing how she spins the wool (from her sheep I believe) on a two pedal wheel. That bundle of roving was hand dyed, then spun into a rustic textured yarn, then finally woven (saori-style) into a wrap. You can’t get any more HANDMADE than this.

This process is soooooo labor intensive and requires so much multidisciplinary knowledge. Really makes you think about what the heck these corporations do to let you buy a t-shirt for 5 bucks.