These days I see knitted things everywhere. This is my son’s favorite. He wants to know where he can get this car. It is attractive, non?

But  what girl can’t resist a little “bug” as we used to call them? Though I’d be concerned about getting a snag…

This adorable hand-held sized VW Camper Van was blogged by made by a pattern by Leah Sutton and blogged by handknittedthings.blogspot.com

Hooray for something we can actually knit!

Happy Fiber Arts Friday Folks! It has been a year now since I turned this fiestivity (I know that’s not really a word, but I like it) – over to Wonder Why Gal. And I could not be MORE THRILLED that I did. How ’bout you?

I mean that girl rocks! She is the ultimate fiber diva as far as I am concerned. Always into new things, always with the passion for the fiber…I mean…WOW!~ I am sooooooo happy that she is doing Fiber Arts Friday now. So please continue to participate, and keep sharing your fiber activities. She has taken my original idea and made it even better than I ever could have.

Thank you Andrea. From the bottom of my heart. I love you!

My friend, Leigh Thomas of Hill Country Alpacas in Texas makes the cutest beanies from alpaca! She raises awesome alpacas, and she uses their fiber to make lovely products too. She knits these beanies, felts them, and adds the cutest embellishments. See for yourself.

Embroidered beanie

Alpaca Beanie with Dots (back)

Could you not just die at how cute these are? She has a new Etsy store.

Also – You can visit Leigh’s blog Day at the Ranch. So stop by and give her some comment luv,

Visit other Fiber Artists Participating in

Needle Felted Beads by Elizabeth Carls

I am on a Felt Lovin’ Craze!

Elizabeth Carls has some fabulous felting tutorials on her blog. Both for needle felting beads (above) and for wet felting beads as well. She is a super talented crafter and blogger you will have to check her out if you don’t already know her.

I recently got back some of our alpaca fiber that we had sent to be processed into felt sheets. These sheets can be used for needle felt backings or for sewing or a variety of other crafting purposes. We had them processed with sheep’s wool for a blend of 30% wool and 70% alpaca. The result is that they feel TO DIE FOR! I used 2nds and 3rds, aka neck and leg fiber.

**Lesson Learned: The white has noticeable debris in it. I can’t tell if it’s because my white animals are just the messiest on the farm (Murphy’s Law), or if it shows up the most, or what. I have a few guesses. The main one is that my white alpacas are my finest one and so most things stick to the finest fibered alpacas. (Think velcro)

…Interesting...

Roo and Katy

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of meeting a fiber diva, Roo of Moonwood Farm whom I had long admired – in the flesh! I had heard about this incredible lady and I had almost gotten the chance to meet her at SAFF. But every time I had gone past her booth, she was mobbed with admirers. It’s true. She is so charismatic, and her fiber is to die for. When I heard she was coming to my farm, I knew I was in for a real treat!

My dear friend Pam Pullins, of Sweet Home ALApaca was bringing some alpaca girls down for breeding, and she was bringing Roo with her. Roo is someone who is well-known in the fiber world, to which I am a novice. And Roo is newer to the alpaca animal world, to which I am not. So this was a joy for us both.

It was so much fun getting together! We talked alpacas, fiber, and girl stuff. We got to giggling so much that Pam and I couldn’t stop.

I was doubled over laughing, we had so much fun. I wish they lived closer so that we could get together more often!

Pam and I really couldn’t get our serious face on for the camera, oh well.

Roo and I had a lot of fun getting to know each other and talking alpacas, fleece, and drum carders. I’m hoping to get a chance to learn from her in the future. She is an awesome talent. You can see some of her fiber art in her Etsy shop.

Moonbeams

Above are strips of fiber from Roo’s Moonbeam Club – 4 months subscription – long ago sold out, of course. Color me gorgeous, aren’t they to die for? Now do you see why I just had to meet this woman! She is an Alabama treasure. (Oh, yes, she is in Alabama!)

And, for an added bonus, how sweet is this, it was Roo, who went home with the sleepy Loretta from the How To Put Your Alpaca To Sleep Post. What a fun day we had. Makes me motivated to start playing more with fiber!

This is my favorite yarn! It was inspired by some yummy yarn that the incomparable Spazzyarn spun out of merino that was very similar. I fell in love with her hand spun merino Neopolitan and bought it last year.

I had not picked up knitting needles since I was in 7th grade. But her yarn inspired me to get fiber-y again. That and the fields of alpacas in the backyard…

I have to admit though, when I got the merino in my hands I was shocked at how un-soft it was. Let’s face it – I only knew alpaca. That was all I ever felt. And alpaca is just SO soft. I’m spoiled. So I said, “Spazzy, my love…let’s do this in alpaca…” and a project was born.

(above) The merino Neopolitan knitted up in a scarf for my baby.

Here is what the lovely Spazzy has spun. You can purchase it in the Alpaca Farmgirl Shop.

]]> http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2010/04/alpaca-neopolitan-hand-spun-yarn/feed/ 11 http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2010/02/fiber-arts-friday-hand-spun-for-doll-hair/ http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2010/02/fiber-arts-friday-hand-spun-for-doll-hair/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:37:28 +0000 Katy http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/?p=5306

At a recent fiber show, I met the most beautiful, creative woman who introduced me to the concept of using hand spun yarn for doll hair. Now we’re not talking just any dolls or just any hand spun. These dolls are exquisite, and their “hair” is elaborate, art yarn. Wow!

I had to take these pictures in low light with my phone and with my main computer down I apologize for the quality of them…please use your imagination. I wish I had been able to pick up the texture and sparkle and the fabulousness of the yarn in these pictures. Trust me it was knock-out!

These beautiful art dolls are completely hand made. Aren’t they divine?

She used alpaca in some of these yarns for the hair. It amazes me the many ways you can use fiber, and alpaca!

Participating in Fiber Arts Friday, now hosted by Andrea, Wonder Why Gal, at the Wisdom Begins in Wonder Blog. Visit her and see what other bloggers are doing with fiber this week.

]]> http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2010/02/fiber-arts-friday-hand-spun-for-doll-hair/feed/ 12 http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2010/01/fiber-arts-friday-hand-spun-yarn-2/ http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2010/01/fiber-arts-friday-hand-spun-yarn-2/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:40:35 +0000 Katy http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/?p=5160

Learning to spin yarn has not been an easy pursuit for me. But after several classes and a good bit of practice, I’m starting to see some progress. It has helped me to use colorful fiber that I liked working with. The natural browns and off-whites looked so much like kitty hairballs that it was discouraging.

With gorgeous, bright colors it’s hard to not love the outcome – even if it is a bit over twisted.

My workload on the farm has increased heavily recently so I am having to cut back on some of my “responsibilities”.  After about a year of running the Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival here on the Alpaca Farmgirl Blog, I am sad to say that I will not be hosting it anymore. That’s the bad news. But the GOOD news is that it is just moving….

…to Wonder Why Gal (Andrea’s) Wisdom Begins In Wonder Blog beginning next Friday.

I would still LOVE to see what you are doing with Fiber Arts. Please feel free to send me anything you’d like to share and I will blog about it. I’m always up for good ideas for fiber! There will still be Fiber-y posts here each Friday, but the Mr. Linky will be moving.

So next week link your fiber blog posts to the Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival at Wisdom Begins In Wonder. Your hostess there, Andrea, raises suri alpacas. Her passion for alpacas and fiber is contagious. I believe she is the perfect person to carry the torch for Fiber Art Fridays!

Picture this but as a HOUSE! photo from the Yurt Alert

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about yurts on an alpaca farm in the Green Alpaca video. I just learned about Kate Pokorny’s mission to crochet a yurt. Her plan is to create a functional yurt out of a continuous strand of felted wool to create a lovely self-supporting housing structure, like a wooly igloo. In this short video Kate talks about her project:

Kate is working with Kickstarter to raise funds for the yurt. Your donation will help her be able to create the wooly yurt, and depending on the level, you can get your own mini-yurt or even a visit to stay in the yurt. Learn more about donating here. Read a great article about Kate knitting an entire house at The Daily Green and at The Daily Grommet. You can learn more on Kate’s site, the Yurt Alert. Please consider donating (even a dollar) to this project. It’s huge!

So what have you Fiberistas been up to this week? Baking? Shopping? Wrapping? Cooking? Have you had time for your fibery pursuits? Let us know below. Link your blog posts.

(And Don’t Forget to Shop with our Fiber Arts Friday Participants this holiday season. Their links are to their shops. Consider buying handmade from these fiber artists.)

Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival!

To participate:

1. In the Mr. Linky wigdget below add the permalink to a specific blog post that features something Fiber Art related .
2. If using a blog, Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s shops! Use the button or a text link to http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com.
3. Visit as many of the other participants’ blogs as possible. Leave them some comment luv.

Santa Reindeer Knitting Pattern

What’s not to love with this precious reindeer pattern from Fuzzy Mitten? You can purchase the pattern here. The minute I saw it my Christmas spirit soared! Be sure to visit all the Black Friday Fiber Arts Participants’ shops and think handmade this holiday season.

What have you been up to this week? Share it with Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival!

To participate:

1. In the Mr. Linky wigdget below add the permalink to a specific blog post that features something Fiber Art related .
2. If using a blog, Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s shops! Use the button or a text link to http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com.
3. Visit as many of the other participants’ blogs as possible. Leave them some comment luv.

This week on Fiber Arts Friday we want to highlight our Fiber Arts Friday participants’ shops. You can link your blog if you want, but you are welcome to use this week as an opportunity to promote your Etsy (or independent) shop.

Buy Handmade this Christmas and shop with our Fiber Arts Friday participants!

Fiber Arts Black Friday Carnival!

To participate:

1. In the Mr. Linky wigdget below add the permalink to a specific blog post or store that features something Fiber Art related .
2. If using a blog, Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s shops! Use the button or a text link to http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com.
3. Visit as many of the other participants’ shops as possible. Heart their products you like on Etsy and shop til you drop!
   
4. Tell your friends about this carnival. Let’s all help each other and promote each others’ shops on Facebook and Twitter. Stumble and/or Digg this post. Blog about it. Spread the word! Vote for small farms and indie artists with your dollars this holiday season. Happy Holidays!