WinterFest

My BKF and I took our kids (Well, I took the younger of my two. The teen declared that it was just too cold out for her to go.) to Winterfest at The Lands at Hillside Farms. Alpacas were pet, chickens were chased, ponies were ridden... the girls even braved the "stinky" cow barn and were rewarded with calves!

There were ice sculptures and ducks to see, and even a woman spinning some Alpaca fluff. L, who is nearly 10, was quite pleased to be included in the "oh, we're spinners, too" statement.  She was thrilled with all the animals - from the cows to the barn cats. We'll be watching for more programs from this farm. It was a lot of fun for all of us - moms, two year old and pre-teens alike.

Love this chicken. Makes me want a backyard coop!

One of the ponies near the barn - not the one L got to ride.

This old greenhouse made me want to shoot artsy photos!

Black Alpaca

The photo just doesn't do this fluff justice. I ordered this from Jakira Farms to make a -- for my -- for Christmas. The fiber is so soft and lovely. It did take a little fiddling before I could spin it properly on my wheel. (operator inexperience - not at all the fault of the lovely alpaca!) I actually went over to the drop spindle for a bit to get the feel of the fiber. Now, it's spinning beautifully. I have a full bobbin and I'm going to Navajo ply it and see how much I get before I spin the other 4 oz.