Llama-o-rama!

I love fiber.  I don't necessarily love the animals it comes from, though.  I don't like buffalo.  They're tasty, but their attitude leaves a lot to be desired.  I could take or leave a sheep.  Rabbits are cute.  But I adore llamas and alpacas.  It's been a dream of mine to have a small llama or alpaca farm.

Adorable!

Beautiful!

Sweetness!

Every year on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, Miss Peach, my mother, and I hop into the car and head down the street to the pavilion on the MSU campus to attend Llamafest.  It's sponsored by the Michigan Llama Association, so it's mostly an event for people to show their animals, but they also have vendor space for people selling fiber and yarn, and other fun, related things.  It's one of the few times of year that I can actually relax, mostly due to the fact that it's difficult to be upset or stressed out when there are llamas running around.  (I mean, really.  You've got to work pretty damn hard at being anything but completely blissed out when you've got your hands stuffed into piles of alpaca roving and the air smells like animals and warm hay.  I'm far to lazy to fight the bliss, and honestly... who would want to?)

Don't fight the bliss!

This year was no exception, and so last Saturday, the three of us went tootling down the road to visit the llamas and see what we could buy see.  Imagine our surprise when we walked in and saw... wait for it... a camel!

Miss Peach and The Camel

Yes, I know that camels and llamas are related, and upon reflection it makes sense, but at the time it just did not occur to me and that anyone in the state was raising camels, let alone bringing them to animal and fiber shows.  This guy was pretty well behaved for a camel, he only stole a few things, and only from his handler.  I talked to the lady running the booth and she was so friendly and willing to talk about her animals; she told me all about what fiber comes from what shed, how the down ( which is surprisingly soft, by the way) is good for spinning while hump hair is good for felting water proof rugs.  So cool!  I was ready to buy all of her camel roving right then and there, (at $8/2oz ball... yikes!) but she didn't have a square and I didn't have a checkbook.  So promised I'd come back the next day and sated my need for fiber by buying some kettle dyed sheep roving and some painted llama pencil roving, a new drop spindle from the spinning guild and some really lovely angora with a shetland carrier.

My newest drop spindle, kettle dyed sheep, painted llama and angora.  Let the spinning commence!

On Sunday, armed with the checkbook and with F(uture) H(ubby) in tow, I returned to the Llamafest to acquire some of that remarkable camel down roving.  Predictably, I had missed my chance as she had sold completely out.  I was so bummed that I nearly lost my llama bliss.  But then FH and I made friends with a man who has a farm not to far from here, and watched some of the judging while he explained what was going on.  He invited us up to visit and see how things are run, and mentioned that his wife might be willing to mentor us if we decide to take the plunge and buy some property and a few animals.  FH, who used to show horses in his younger days, seemed totally at ease and thoroughly in his element.  I might just get my farm one of these days.

Someday, this will all be MINE!

See you next time!
Love Stephie



Plans for the kitchen: Corn Chowder from a recipe in an older issue of Saveur Magazine.
Plans for the needles: Mrs. Whatsit, but I'm more focused on the spinning wheel at the moment...
On the nightstand: Dunno yet.  Just finished the Forty Rules of Love: a novel of Rumi last night.
On the boob tube: The 4400, via the ever intermittent power of Netflix