Winnie Winnie Wenge

It's an exciting time for Arrow Acres Farm.

Our breeding program is established and proving very strong. 

Our beautiful Bay Black female will going to the Breeder's Edge Auction in two weeks.

If you are new to alpacas, an auction is where you take your best animals for selling.

It's a high quality event that allows other alpaca breeders to enhance their herd and for sellers to make a profit on their animals.

This is Wenge (Wen-gay) We call her Winnie here on the farm.

My mom and Liz spent some time today to work on her fleece to spin into yarn.

This is the raw fleece right off the animal. This is what it looks like before it has been processed and washed. When it's complete it will shine!

 

First step was getting the mini drum carder turned on! They feed the fleece into the carder to make all the fibers go in the same direction.

 Then they roll off the first batch.

Looks like alpaca cotton candy!

 Then it's off to the spinning wheel.

As Liz was spinning the yarn, my mom got working on more fleece to create the roving.

 

All of this shown here is done on a small scale. The majority of this work takes place in a large fiber mill with giant carders and machines that spin the yarn.

So it's always fun to see it done by hand at the farm.

I'll take some pictures of the yarn when it's all spun and off the wheel.

Here is some information on our girl, Wenge.

ARI#: 32515251
DOB: 6/7//14
Color: Bay Black
Status: Maiden Female

               CCNF Royal Ring of Fire
Sire: CCNF Smoke Ring
               Maid Marian D531 AOA

               Peaceful Valley Tristan
Dam: Emelise’s Geneva
               Emelise Sterling Silvia

Wenge (Wen-gay) is named after an exotic wood known for its dramatic brownish black appearance. Her gorgeous color makes her a stand out in the pasture.

Grey and color breeders should take a close look at her pedigree. Her sire is our LRG Multiple Champion, CCNF Smoke Ring. Her grandsire is CCNF Royal Ring of Fire, who has sired a myriad of Champions in all colors. Her grand dam, Maid Marion, being LRG has the honor of producing the finest fleece at CasCadNac Farm which amazingly beat out the elite whites.

Like her sire and dam, Wenge possesses amazing fleece with dense, uniform crimp and long staple. She added the bright color as a bonus.

Wenge also shares her parents’ sweet and gentle disposition. Wenge is well-grown and ready for the show ring. Take her to the Fall shows, rack up the ribbons and then breed this beauty. We suggest a breeding to one of our up-and-comers -- Arrow Acres Stone, an A Paca Fun Farm's Intrique son, or Arrow Acres Mr Bates, our MFI Formula One son. Both are ribbon-winning grey males that the judges have been loving. As another option, we are offering a transferable breeding with CCNF Smoke Ring to any of your owned girls. Take her home, show her, breed her, enjoy her!

Outside and other random pictures

It's true. It's not a joke. It's warm enough to be OUTSIDE without freezing!!!! Woohoo!!!!

Please stay like this. I would be eternally grateful to the weather gods.

MomMom....we're talking to you!

So in the spirit of nice weather, here are a bunch of random, totally unrelated photos of some time spent outside, cousins playing with bubbles, wearing out a dog and some fiber goodness.

And not to mention the farm now has a new beautiful herdsire.

My mom and dad won some MAJOR awards at North American this past weekend.

Well, technically the alpacas won the awards, but you know what I mean. Very exciting stuff.

Here's a photo of the new guy and my mom.

His name is Smoke Ring and he's a light rose grey.

He won Reserve Color Champion. Can't wait to see him in person!

And now for the random photos.....

A little boy who insisted on wearing his 11 year old's mickey mouse tshirt.

Caught him terrorizing his goldfish. And I'm proud that they're still alive. Might be a record for us.

Saying good morning to the alpacas.

 The new pen. Quarantine for the show animals

Going over to cousin Wade's house to play with bubbles. Chase is showing them to him.

 

 Pop!

Littlest cousins

 

Look at this beautiful baby. Wade is almost 7 months old and cute as a button.

 Hi neighbors!!!!

 Baby feet. The only time feet don't make me want to vomit.

 So darn cute

 Hi Mr.Wade. Almost nap time.

 Finn not missing out on the bubble popping.

Counting the steps

 A new skein by Lizzie

 Lizzie is now dyeing her own roving for spinning! So fun.

 Hand dyed roving being spun into yarn....

A custom knit sweater I'm working on. It's the second sweater I've knitted for the same baby. First one was made for her before she was born. She's too big, so making another one. It's for her christening which is this weekend. I've been knitting non-stop since getting the yarn on Thursday afternoon. My arms were completely asleep when I woke up this morning!!!!

 

So how was that for random?

I hope it's getting warm where you are too. We need it!!!!!

A cowl fit for a cowgirl

Check it out...

It's alpaca, it's a bandana, it's a cowl.

And I love it!

Ravelry notes here.

Since the camera was out I took some photos of a few more things.

Not sure if I ever shared, so here's some more.

Rose Grey Loop

Ravelry notes here

I'm the only one in the family that doesn't spin. So I can admire the yarn.

Check out this skein made by my mom.

I would love to knit something with it.

I casted on to make a white bandana cowl last night. Such a nice quick project. I'm hooked!

I'm still reading Rules of Civility. I should have had it finished weeks ago, but just haven't had time to sit and read straight through.

Don't forget to check out all the other great knitting projects going on over at 

Ginny's Yarn Along link.

Happy Knitting!