Alpaca vs. Llama

Okay, I'm not familiar with livestock. I wasn't sure there's a difference, but I now know better. And the alpacas were totally cute. I'm not sure I want to bring one home, but the little baby named Nick was adorable and I definitely could have brought him home.

I went to an Open Day at an alpaca farm here in CT. their website is http://nealpacas.com and I figured I should check it out because it would be fun to see the fiber still on the animal. My instructor was there, doing a spinning demonstration and she had tons of the alpaca that she handspins. Some really, really gorgeous stuff. If I hadn't finally finished the Christmas project for Mom, there was a beautiful hank of natural soft brown spun with a midnight blue/purple merino/tencel, I think. It was gorgeous! $65 for the hank, but there was enough on there that I could have done a stole on large needles with a soft, subtle pattern and I know Mom would appreciate it.

But I've already got Christmas for Mom. I'd love to do something for Mom-In-Law, but even though she does do handcrafted items, hers aren't as labor-intensive so I'm not sure she'd appreciate it quite as much. I'm still tempted to do something for the Aunt-In-Law, but I'm still thinking on that one.

What I did get was a really cute little item for my swap partner. It's the cutest little needle-felted pumpkin. Very New England. Very different. So that will be my special little treat to include in the package. I've gathered yarns and I just have to type up the little pattern that I use. You can add a false cable to it or simply do it straight on. It looks complicated, but it's really very simple, but it gives added texture to the yarn, which is why I like it so much. I'm sure someone out there has named this stitch, I just never bothered to look. It's something I kinda of made up as I went, so I'm not going to bother trying to find a name...

One other thing I found and grabbed before anyone else saw it was a bag of pure white alpaca. 8 oz. for $24. This stuff is totally clean and absolutely gorgeous. When I learn what I'm doing, this will be my treat for myself.

Oh, and Laurie got to sit and try my Kromski. She wanted to try it Friday night, but we never stopped talking long enough for her to sit and spin. So I brought it with me, treated her to a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and let her sit and try my wheel. She was very pleased with the Kromski. She said it's smooth and really well-balanced.

I'm hoping we can get together again and just sit and spin and chat. It's weird to meet someone for the first time and feel like you've known them forever, but it's like that with Laurie. So I hope she'll become a new friend and not just a teacher, though, Lord knows, I've got tons I could learn from her.

The other thing is that I went to the business meeting on Saturday night and I'm totally excited about the new direction the group is taking. They're now headed exactly where I wanted to go. Think of it something like this... Everyone is standing in a group and I'm waving at them. "Hey, guys! C'mon over here! We should be doing this and this and that." They're kinda looking at me, unsure. Then this other group that's highly successful and really growing exponentially comes along and shoves the whole crowd from behind, "Yo! Get on over there!"

Lots of herding sound effects and whips whistling and cracking, but the herd starts moving exactly where you want them to go. Very kewl! LOL!

So I'm getting some of the new training materials. I want to get together with all the people I've sponsored into the business and get them moving right alongside me. Add to that a couple of students I've approached to start the Gen-Y kids doing exactly where they're already entrenched and I should have some explosive growth of my own in the next year. Wouldn't it be totally exciting if these students never had to get a job like the rest of us in their lives? If they worked really hard right now, they'd never have to. The time they have now could be used to build a business that would carry them for the rest of their life and they'd never have to fall into the job trap that their parents have depended on. Oh yeah, I see potential and a way to fix that problem. All I need is some ears to be open and a brain to engage.

So, my plot for world domination continues...

In the meantime, until I achieve that goal, it's off to work for another week of knitting. I have Cherry Tree Hill in Spanish Moss on the needles. I should be done with that by mid-week, so it's a good thing that my shipment of Lorna's Laces arrived on Friday. I have it wound into balls and ready to go. I just have one more shipment due. I ordered yarn and some roving from Lisa Souza. She was getting ready to run off to Stitches East, so I knew that would take time. But I should be good until that yarn shows up. Lots of projects. Lots of yarn and roving. Not enough time to get it all done.

Ain't it typical... LOL!