Pachamamas Way Sanctuary in Durango, CO, founded by Raylene McCalman, was recently featured in an excellent article in the Durango Herald. Sadly, animals- livestock and pets too- suffer in bad economic times such as we are now experiencing. McCalman has given refuge to abandoned alpacas and llamas. She recently rescued 12 abandoned and starving llamas in the area and there are more calls coming in.

Read the Durango Herald article and Pachamamas Way blog too at http://pachamamasway.blogspot.com/

Jeanette Campbell, alpaca  breeder in Kansas, has just opened her new blog with a very interesting article about poor Bolivian women and their traditional textiles. A center has been built as a memorial to serve the needs of these traditional craftswomen. It’s a good read….and so nice to read about good things happening for people in the world today. Click here to link to the story.

Jeanette and her husband, Jim, own Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm in Louisburg, KS. Their website has a wealth of good info on fiber and alpacas too.

My good friend, Su Lenk, of AzSu Alpacas in England is not only a knowledgeable alpaca livestock breeder, but also uses the fiber from her large herd to handknit and felt beautiful wearables. Su has just launched a new site to showcase her artistic handwork available in her on-farm shop, called The Alpaca Barn. Visit this online shop and see Su Lenk’s handmade alpaca hats, gloves, handbags, scarves, fingerless glove (very handy) and much more….the holidays are coming!

Destino's Jeanette

As some of my readers know, I spent many years breeding and raising alpacas. It was a life I loved–living rural, raising beautiful fiber producing livestock and through the process, broadening my knowledge of fiber and related skills. While my farm life is no longer, I still do have a few alpacas.

I am very pleased to be working with Jeanette and Jim Campbell who own Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm in Louisburg, KS. The Campbells have an excellent herd, resulting from a knowledge of livestock farming and a data based breeding program. Jeanette is a fiber expert, having earned her certificate from Olds College in Canada as a fiber technician.

The Campbell’s alpaca herd reflects their knowledge of genetics and a sound herd management program that helped them build an excellent fiber production and seed stock herd. Represented in their alpacas’ pedigrees are the lines well known, generation after generation, to produce quality and healthy alpacas – Peruvian Accoyo’s Caligula, Camilio, Hemingway and Legacy.

In these economic times, the alpaca livestock business has lots of potential for the established farm wanting to expand their base or continue livestock farming on a smaller scale. For someone with a small acreage and interest in fiber production animals, this may be appealing as well. Key to success with this business is gaining the knowledge for good herd management and fiber production….and some business skills too!

If you would like to know more about raising and breeding alpacas, the fine fiber of an alpaca, do visit the Campbell’s website. I am boarding my remaining alpacas with them – 4 very nice females, one of whom is due to deliver mid-October. Of course they are for sale!

Some time ago I wrote a post, “Giving Fiber a Grade,” in which I spoke of the extreme importance of grading and sorting raw fiber before processing to achieve the best possible end product. Some readers will remember that I feel quite strongly that if one is going to raise fiber bearing livestock, then one should educate oneself about fiber. Makes for a more successful business.

I thus offer congratulations to my good friend, Jeanette Campbell, owner with her husband of Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm. Jeanette has been diligently studying over the past three years or so with one of the alpaca industry’s finest and most knowledgeable fiber technicians, Ruth Elvestad.  She had completed her studies, internship and passed the finals with flying colors indeed. Jeanette Campbell is now officially a “Camelid Fibre Certified Sorter.”

I add that application of this knowledge extends to herd management as it relates to breeding selection, nutrition, and care of the alpacas to ensure the best fiber production possible. It certainly shows in Jeanette and Jim Campbell’s alpaca herd at Alpacas of Willowbrook Farm.

Here’s what Jeanette has to say about her experience:

“The first rung on the ladder to achieving certification as a Camelid Fiber Sorter was the Basic Farm Sorter course taught by fiber guru Ruth Elvestad. A two day intensive, hands on course learning about camelid fiber, this course is designed to teach about on-farm fiber preparation prior to sending fiber to a co-op, to mills or to hand spinners for processing.

In addition to this basic course, the prerequisite for taking the 4 day sorter course at Olds College in Canada, is a working knowledge of fiber such as knitting, spinning, weaving or shearing.

This intense, structured workshop, again taught by Ruth Elvestad, consisted of theory and hands-on components as well as visits to working mills. A written and practical test completed the weekend. Course participants then had a 24 month period in which to farm sort and grade 200 Huacaya fleeces and 25 Suri fleeces, before submitting a further 25 Huacaya and 10 Suri individually assessed and recorded fleeces for final examination and grading. The course and certification is accredited by Olds College School of Innovation in Alberta, Canada.

This has been a wonderful experience working with a huge variety of fleeces and helping other alpaca breeders get the best end product from their yearly clip. Learning the benefits of sorting behind the shearer rather than ‘out of the bag’ has also been invaluable.”

Pollination Project is a interesting new endeavor in Nova Scotia that combines how we live, work, create, sustain ourselves in society today. Fiber as in creating, production, and expression is included.

“Pollination Project is an education and development centre situated on a stunning 250 acre site of woods, lakes, rivers and organic gardens on the South Shore of Nova Scotia where we welcome groups and individuals through workshops, seminars and residential fellowships, to explore the inherent connections between healthy food, artistic expression, mindful practices and just society. “

The founders, Camelia Frieberg and Peter Biro, both believe that a sustainable and better society is accomplished through respect for the earth, healthier lifestyles and artistic expression and creative functionality.

There are some excellent fiber classes offered at Pollination Project. One that I find especially relevant and useful is “Fibre Foundation: Your Animal and You.” This class is for those wishing to raise fibre producing livestock, selecting the right breed, husbandry for the best end product, then what to do with the fiber clip, as in skilled processing.

Visit the Pollination Project site and learn more.

alpaca fiber

As some of my readers know, I raised and bred alpacas for over 10 years– a great and rewarding business for a fiber artisan! Each spring, the alpacas were shorn, their fiber graded and sorted and readied for the mill. Shearing day was my favorite aspect (other than cria births!) of my alpaca livestock business….but also very important. The “clip” as the shorn fiber is termed, tells you much about your breeding program’s strength and the quality of your fiber production.

Data is kept on each alpaca year to year, such as weight of that alpaca’s fleece, staple length and strength. Then the fiber is graded as to micron or degree of fineness, and sorted by grade and length. (For full explanation of this process, see post “Giving Fiber a Grade“)

The data collected -weights, length, micron, etc- is compared to this particular alpaca’s data from previous years. It is also compared and analysed with sire and dam and siblings. Why? Genetics. Fiber quality and characteristics are genetically based and passed on to offspring. If you want to produce good fiber and improve your production year to year, then a “selective breeding” program is essential.

I no longer have my farm, but I’m off next week to help at an alpaca farm nearby with their shearing. I will be helping with the grading and sorting as about 150 alpacas are expertly shorn. It will take at least 2 days and I can wait to get my hands in that gorgeous fiber again!

Well, I just have to brag a little too. One of my alpaca herdsires was a dark brown fellow named Calvin Klein–good breeding male based on his fiber stats. Calvin is now owned by Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm in Kansas and produced a beautiful young male, Duncan Brown. Congratulations to Jeanette & Jim Campbell, Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm, and to Calvin too, as Duncan took a blue ribbon at the big alpaca show in Kansas City last month.

Jeanette and Jim Campbell of Willowbrook and owners now of both Calvin Klein and Duncan will be doing their shearing soon too. Jeanette is an expert at grading and sorting and the Campbells have a strong breeding program with great results in terms of excellent fiber production and healthy breeding stock too.

When animals are shorn, or combed in some cases, the harvested fiber must then be sorted as to micron range, hand, color, and length. Why? Imagine your hair as very coarse on top of your head and fine on the left, but fine and broken on the right. Just what would do with hair like that!!! So if you combined all these variances together, the resulting end product would be frightful to say the least.

Let me give you some definitions:

Micron is the measurement of the diameter of a single strand of hair. The fiber is ‘graded’ for micron range, ie fine, medium, coarse.
Hand refers to the feel of the fiber on the hand. Good sorters assess the fineness and uniformity of the fiber by feel as well as eye.
Color is the hue of the fiber.
Length is the measurement of a strand or bundle of fiber. Fiber is sorted by length, usually about a 1 inch variance. Fiber which has wide variances in length would make for very itchy fiber indeed as the shorter lengths would stick out.

Another factor to consider is “tensile strength” which is simply the actual strength of the fiber. Animals who have been ill, had poor diets or suffered stress will likely have weakened and broken fiber. Even if it could withstand the processing, it would be weak yarn and frustrating to work with.

The objective in sorting and grading shorn fiber is to combine like fibers to then be processed into a particular type of yarn for an appropriate end use. Will the yarn be used for fine textiles or lingerie, knitting sweaters with bulk or drape, will it be suitable for weaving rugs or scarves? As noted in a recent post here, “What Makes Good Fiber,” transforming fiber from the alpaca, sheep, goat or rabbit into sensational, beautiful yarn takes knowledge and skill. You as the consumer, can feel and see the difference.

Coming up: What are micron ranges for sorting?, Characteristics of Alpaca Fiber, Fiber Weights and Best Uses and much more!

Here’s a good news piece about Lonesome Dove Alpacas owned by Julia and Dave Swickard of Stillwell, KS. There’s also a great picture with the alpaca of “Santa Fe Sushi,” who is my alpaca boarding at Lonesome Dove Alpacas. Here’s the link:
http://www.kmbc.com/money/17741606/detail.html?taf=kc1”

I raised alpacas for over 10 years, attracted to the business because of the beautiful fiber. Through those wonderful years, my knowledge of fiber and skills in fiber arts grew. Last year I transitioned from farm to my studio in town to focus solely on my fiber business. I still own a few of my alpaca livestock and board them with knowledgeable caretakers, like the Swickards.

With many thousands of alpacas now in the United States, it is a livestock that is here to stay. Those raising and breeding alpaca livestock with knowledgeable husbandry and an viable end product as goal, the future is bright. The alpaca is a ruminant, clean, and environmentally friendly. Quality alpacas produce fiber comparable to cashmere in properties.

As interest in fiber arts and the trend in cottage industry has grown, the demand for all natural fibers has increased dramatically. Fiber artists and entrepenauners wanting small, manageable businesses have found raising alpacas, various breeds of sheep, angora goats and other fiber producers to provide a renewable source of good fiber. More and more “fiber shows and festivals” are appearing on the calendar and growing.

Coming up this week: The Fiber Materials You Use…

Bonnie Samuel Design's Blog is about natural fibers, the animals and plants that produce it, and creating with fiber. Fiber and creating with it, has been a great part of my life path and happily, is my business too.

From time to time, this blog will feature other people who create with fiber…the knowledgeable and accomplished weavers, knitters, spinners, mill operators, educators in the field who will enlighten us with their views and insights on fiber and their creations.

Check back soon, sign up for the feed – the first blogpost on fiber will be posted very soon.