Thank You

This past Friday and Saturday we held our first Holiday Open House of the Season.

Beautiful clear blue skies, brisk air and happy people...it was a great two days.

 This is what I have learned and experienced in the past year of having alpacas on the farm...

It's refreshing to see people that you don't know walk onto the farm and smile.

Recognizing the little girl that was here in the fall and now she's a little bit bigger.

It's fun to answer people's knitting questions or just sharing in their yarn enthusiasm.

Seeing teenage girls giddy with excitement to see the alpacas...no phones, no texting, no ipods, just pure happiness and smiles,

Seeing people walk into "our world", one that is maybe a step back in time. 

Watching the alpacas curious little faces get up close to their visitors.

The smell of a good ol' wood stove that keeps us warm.

That a coop can be the perfect "club house". (I think it makes up for the treehouse we never had)

Families coming out together to enjoy the alpacas.

Little tiny kids squealing with joy...and their grandparents smiling along with them.

Beautiful alpaca yarn made into amazing knits.

That alpaca socks are the greatest things your feet will ever enjoy.

But most of all, family is the best...alpacas bring us all together and I think we're making this little corner of our world a little bit happier. Cheers.

Here are some pictures of the showroom and open house preparations that I took on Friday.

 Chase hanging out in his stroller.

 Shea having some fun

 MomMom still watches over us....

 Liz loading the wood stove with some more logs. It smells so good and keeps us nice and toasty.

 Clementine peels and cloves simmering on the stove.

Cousin MaryAnne (MAD Creations) knitting up a storm, keeping us company and making us laugh.

 Chase sleeping right in the middle of it all. He's a good little boy.

 Liz was spinning Wadamo's roving into yarn.

At the end of the day, I have to say a big Thank You to everyone that came out to visit us. You have given this farm life again and it's wonderful. 

We will be open again the next two weekends (Friday and Saturday 10-4)

If you are in the area, we would love to meet you, so come on by!

-Leanne

Wednesday Yarn Along

Happy Wednesday! I'm late in posting today, so please forgive me. Had to take the little man to his well visit at the docs, shots, and all that fun stuff. Wears me out! Plus he's been fussy man for the past few days...new teeth love to do that to them. Anyway, on to the knitting!!!!

Andee's Latest and Greatest!!!

Helix Scarf made out of alpaca yarn.

 Cute booties! Um...Chase would like a pair, hint hint.

 Tara and Andee's Creation:

There is a very very funny story that goes with this gift. I don't even know where to begin. Put it this way, a friend of Tara's lives in NYC. He is fascinated with our alpacas. In a very strange and funny text message conversation, he requested an entire alpaca suit, a one eared hat and eye patch. Again, there is no way to explain this story on here without reading the original text message. But trust me, it was very funny and the recipient was shocked this morning when this package arrived for him. Now we just need a picture of him wearing it.

Tara crocheted the scarf using alpaca yarn and Andee designed and knitted the hat. Doesn't everyone want a one eared hat? Don't ask....

Leanne's Knitting and Reading this week:

And then there were five....

From the time I can remember, I wanted to be a wife and mom. A mom of three to be exact. I didn't think I would have my third, but this year we welcomed Chase into our family. We had four stockings hanging every year and Chase needed his own. The four stockings I had were store bought, but knitted and very nice. I had the idea last year to knit new stockings for my older two boys. well, that didn't happen in time for last year. But I did get most of one done. So I drug it out of the basket and finished it up this week and added Chase's name to it. I'm so happy to have a mantle with 5 stockings hanging from it. Now Santa has to fill it up for my little men!

 Chase's new stocking is the one on the right.

 Checking it out...well, trying to eat it.

 This hat is something I did this week to. And I'm reading, Sister. Very good so far.

 Another hat picture. It's based on a Susan B. Anderson, Itty Bitty Hat. I winged it and figured it out on my own. But I really need to buy that book. Oooh! Xmas gift idea.

I hope you're all having a good day!

Happy Knitting.

-Leanne

More Handknits

These hats and scarf will be available for purchase at the Holiday Open House.

Knitted by Andee

The Showroom is Shaping Up

We have been busy getting our showroom ready for the Holiday Open House. Just a reminder we will be open to the public on the first three Fridays and Saturdays in December from 10:00 - 4:00. If those times do not work with your schedule please give us a call and we can set up a time for you to come visit our farm.

We have lots of wonderful items made from alpaca fiber such as- mittens, gloves, sweaters, hats, scarves, toys, blankets, yarn and much much more.

Wednesday Yarn Along

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things for the weekly yarn along.

This week the fall weather has been beautiful, the leaves were at their peak and temperatures were just perfect. Our knitting group met last week and I have a few pictures to share.

On the knitting and reading front:

On Leanne's Needles:

I started this cowl this week. It's a gift for Xmas. It's the herringbone stitch and I'm enjoying it. I am using the yarn that I dyed last week. It's an alpaca wool bulky yarn.

I just started the book, The Good Daughters and so far it's great.

 

On Andee's Needles:

I made a reversible Arrow Acres hat. I used Eco Baby yarn: black, dark gray and light gray.  I really love how the edge detail comes out. It looks like it is rolled under.

 

 

I also have another reversible hat on my needles. One side will be solid black and the other side has a dark gray stripe. 

 We met last week for knitting club at Quinn's new digs. This house was previously my great-grandparents, Grandmom and Grandpop Outback's house. They got that funny name because they lived "out back" from my dad's house where he grew up. His other grandparents lived "out front". (I never thought it was odd that we called them this!) 

I was named after them, Lee and Elizabeth Sherman (I'm Leanne Elizabeth)

This house has been rented for years and my cousin and Quinn moved in a month ago. It is fun to be back in this house after so many years. We sat around remembering my great-grandparents and the funny thing is, that we ALL have the same memory of cheeseballs. Grandmom Outback would always have the blue Peanuts container of cheesballs. We thought it was funny that the memory she left us was cheeseballs. Later in life she developed alzheimers. Those memories are much stronger in our minds because she was sick for most of our childhood. But before that, good ol' orange cheeseballs!

 This is the kitchen with the original green table. Quinn, you need to buy some cheeseballs for us next time!

Happy Knitting!

-Leanne