Monthly Archives: March 2012

And we have another hand spinner!

Posted on March 30, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Aunt Geri’s first yarn arrived in the mail this week! It is b-e-a-u-tiful. She’s named it “Desert Rain”, which is a lovely name for the soft blue and pastels (as someone who thinks about yarn names quite a bit, I … Continue reading →

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Windy, windy, windy…and fire

Posted on March 29, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

The Ranch is roofed in heavy cement tiles, so when Mom called to have some replaced because they had blown off, she wasn’t really a surprise to hear that only winds above 90 mph can make them budge. The tile … Continue reading →

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From start to finish: Part 5 – Carding

Posted on March 28, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Carding is the process of organizing the fibers so that they are all pointing one direction. It’s essentially a really complicated way to brush hair that is no longer attached to an animal. There are three ways to do it: … Continue reading →

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Kill it, Whisper

Posted on March 27, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Mr. Personality, aka Whisper, has developed a few games to play in and around the barn. Ambush is particularly fun for our little hunter. He likes to hide in the horses’ feed troughs and wait for Zip or Squeaky to … Continue reading →

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In case you needed proof Tuscany is a ninny

Posted on March 26, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Dad managed to catch Tuscany in the act of playing with the gutter end cap, with a new twist… …because the only thing more fun than a gutter end cap is a bucket of water and a gutter end cap. … Continue reading →

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Alpaca bio: Marcello

Posted on March 23, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Marcello is another one of our alpacas that I just don’t “get” (Morocco is the other). No matter how much I interact with the herd, I still can’t pick up on his personality. I’m not entirely convinced he has one.

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Tuscany trains for the circus

Posted on March 22, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Mom was treated to a most unusual act from Tuscany the other day. It seems the great white ninny is practicing his tricks. We feed the ‘pacas “crumbles”, a pellet food, mostly so that we know they are getting all the … Continue reading →

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Mom’s familiar

Posted on March 21, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Familiar – noun, “An attendant spirit, often taking animal form.” Squeaky, the larger of Mom’s two black cats (and the one with the tiny tuft of white on his chest), has become her shadow. He watches over her from the rafters … Continue reading →

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Baa baa Brittany, have you any wool?

Posted on March 20, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Yes, sir. Yes, sir, one bag full! Wait. Alpacas don’t go “baa”. “Mmm Mmm Brittany, have you any wool?” just doesn’t have the same ring though. Mom and Dad sent over pictures of our roving this morning! We have five bags … Continue reading →

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Craft room, mill update

Posted on March 19, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Our fiber is back from the mill! Yay! As Mom pointed out, it’s time to break out the spinning wheel. Now I know I left it around here somewhere… Ah! There it is. Now I only need to figure out … Continue reading →

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