Author Archives: cliffhousealpacas

About cliffhousealpacas

Once upon a time, my dad drove by some funny looking animals standing on little dirt hills in a field. Thus, the dream of an alpaca ranch was born. Now, we are embarking on a grand adventure of raising alpacas and becoming fiber artists.

Thank goodness it’s Friday (and look! a scarf!)

Posted on November 15, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

Hi all, Kirstin here. I love those craft shows, but I have to admit, they take a ton out of us. Dad is travelling today, Mom is up to her elbows in…barn stuff. Let’s leave it at that. And I’ve … Continue reading →

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Mileage

Posted on November 4, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

One of the questions I (Kirstin) get most often is “how long does it take you to spin a skein of yarn?” The answer, like the answers to most of life’s deepest questions, is “it depends.” The average is probably … Continue reading →

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The not-so-fun part

Posted on October 28, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

The organizers at our next show expressed an interest in handspun yarn. We have plenty of that floating around, but none of it was inventoried. This weekend, in addition to spinning another 220 yards of Holiday Extravaganza, Momma and I … Continue reading →

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Yarn – Holiday Extravaganza

Posted on October 14, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

I love things that sparkle. I love soft things. Logically, sparkly, soft things are some of my favorite things. Which is, I suppose, how this yarn got invented. Kirstin here, and I’m back in the swing of hand spinning with … Continue reading →

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How to: felt a horse ornament

Posted on October 2, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

Alright, alright. Maybe that post about the little horse ornament who couldn’t was a touch…negative. Well I’ve tried again, and I took a ton of pictures so I could walk you through the process. So read on, intrepid souls, if … Continue reading →

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Another new, old adventure

Posted on September 27, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

Remember when I posted about the alpaca gold and my garden? I worked quite a bit of the ranch’s compost into the soil in my garden when I planted my broccoli, strawberries, and tomatillos. Well, it’s harvest time, let’s take … Continue reading →

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These are…eh.

Posted on September 25, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

Hi all! Kirstin here. I’ve been busily not succeeding at felting horse Christmas tree ornaments. I’m just not feeling these little guys. It’s supposed to be a palomino with a few vaguely native American-y designs. I tried felting on the … Continue reading →

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It’s Christmas in September!

Posted on September 6, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

Hi all! Kirstin here! The rest of the fam is out in the barn, power washing everything to prep for the big charity show tomorrow. They’ve been cleaning, cooking chili, baking cookies, knitting, and organizing their hearts out. ACES (artists … Continue reading →

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Stockings by the fire

Posted on August 23, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

It’s been over two years since I (Kirstin) did any felting at all, but last weekend, I was feeling inspired. With the charity show coming up on September 7th and the Christmas crafting season in full swing (I know, really), … Continue reading →

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Sprint to the finish

Posted on July 26, 2013 by cliffhousealpacas

As I’ve explained before, the family is off to Maui next week. Four days after we get back, we have a huge art show. So not only are we trying to do our pay-the-bills work and pack for a vacation, … Continue reading →

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