Rain is falling, the grass is growing and we are still getting gorgeous sunshine – almost perfect alpaca keeping weather. It is starting to feel like summer. It is also lovely to see the swallows back, swooping in and out of the stable to renovate last years nest. It does mean that I had to rearrange the hay bales to allow for their free flight in and out, they are very put off if the bales are stacked too high or too close to the nest. I also moved a few bales out completely so I could continue topping up the alpacas without disturbing the swallows, I am really looking forward to seeing the chicks before too long.
The original batch of spun floof is now nearly gone, I have been quite busy weaving, looking at different patterns, colours and textures and I am enjoying the process and the results. Last seasons floof has now been spun and my lovely niece, who conveniently lives near the alpaca mill, will be delivering it shortly and this year I have asked for extra twist so I will be able to use alpaca yarn as warp and weft – which means the output will be extra soft. In the meantime, I am experimenting with using either silk, cashmere or bamboo as warp (the up/down threads) as I can find beautiful colours and they are strong enough to take the tension required to weave.
There was 1 disappointment from the mill this year, the 1st fleece from Inti is so full of vegetation that they were unable to process it, the problem is he is so soft and fluffy he is like fuzzy felt (showing my age here) and everything sticks. I have a feeling it will be the same with Fuego, so each morning I am pulling grass, straw, hay and moss out of her fleece just to try and keep on top of it. As you can see she is very good at decorating herself and looks very pleased with the outcome!
I have until next Sunday to work my magic as the shearer is coming early this year and it also coincides with a visit from my niece, so my next batch will be heading up to Norfolk early this season.
Apart from collecting vegetation in their floof it appears Inti and Fuego seem to recognise each other as family and despite being separated they can often be seen sharing a breakfast bowl, with 1 or the other shoving their heads through the dividers.
I don’t really understand the breakfast hierarchy, the boys are relatively simple, Cusco will share a bowl with Jester but Inti is not allowed so needs his own bowl. The girls however are the strangest, I put out various bowls dotted around the hardstand with Lucha being 1st on scene but she will follow me around as I place all the bowls down, have a mouthful out of each bowl and then go back to the first, but the girls just seem to keep swapping and float around the different bowls. That is except Imogen, she really doesn’t like to share, although will occasionally tolerate little Fuego, but as long as they are all eating and getting a fair share, they can swap as much as they like.
I will also find out in the next few weeks if I get any cria this year, with any luck when the shearer arrives we might be able to notice a few signs – but no guarantee, so watch this space.
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