This new fascination and hobby that I had never considered before all started with a little encouragement from Farmer Schuster at the farm where I volunteer. He had bags and bags of alpaca fiber, and little interest in spinning it into yarn. It would need cleaning (a lengthy, laborous task), and I would need the skills and tools to turn it into a money maker. I originally had this idea of having a craft table with all my vibrantly colored yarns beautifully spun and wrapped. With the help of old library books and youtube, I realized it wasn't about making money, but a process-based art form. It's so soft on your hands, and soothing to watch. So, I enrolled in a class! For only $30 I got an hour and half of hands on learning from a little shop in Farmingdale, NJ.
The process of carding is something I'm still learning and practicing.
Before carding, you have to go through the fiber and pull out the little "junkies". It takes a long time, but there's something soothing about it.
It wasn't too long before I dyed my first batch. I purchased some Jacquard dyes and decided I was going for a "pumpkin" color. It was unexpected that the yarn batch would turn out neon orange.
It's not hair, it's alpaca yarn!
Maybe next year I'll make this investment...
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