| OUR BLOG PAGE |
May 28, 2008 I think I finally have the Alpaca Blanket Project website finished. To all those who check in, welcome!
This is where I'll be posting updates and photos as we go along.
Memorial Day weekend was Fleece Weekend here at Elderberry Creek Alpacas. Aside from a quick trip to Salem to
get Roxie and Maggie groomed, it was mostly fiber sorting time. We got through probably 800 pounds easily, getting
through most of the white, the fawns, and browns. I can at least see the floor in the basement now! Got another 30
pounds today from Lost Valley Alpaca Ranch (thank you!) to add to the box we got yesterday from Albuquerque
Alpacas (again, thank you!). Got a couple more phone calls from folks interested in sending fleece but still having
questions. So far the response has been uplifting.
Got some nice pictures to share while I took a break from sorting/grading. Peter looks so studious! When we got
done we walked out of our sorting room to discover that the girls had been pulling their own samples from our
discard tote and had them displayed very nicely on the living room carpet! At least they were discards! Bad dogs!
This is where I'll be posting updates and photos as we go along.
Memorial Day weekend was Fleece Weekend here at Elderberry Creek Alpacas. Aside from a quick trip to Salem to
get Roxie and Maggie groomed, it was mostly fiber sorting time. We got through probably 800 pounds easily, getting
through most of the white, the fawns, and browns. I can at least see the floor in the basement now! Got another 30
pounds today from Lost Valley Alpaca Ranch (thank you!) to add to the box we got yesterday from Albuquerque
Alpacas (again, thank you!). Got a couple more phone calls from folks interested in sending fleece but still having
questions. So far the response has been uplifting.
Got some nice pictures to share while I took a break from sorting/grading. Peter looks so studious! When we got
done we walked out of our sorting room to discover that the girls had been pulling their own samples from our
discard tote and had them displayed very nicely on the living room carpet! At least they were discards! Bad dogs!
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June 4, 2008 Well, the meeting with Pendleton is definitely on! Peter spoke with Mr. Bishop today and all we have
to do is schedule a time to be off work to go to Washougal for the meeting and tour the mill! VERY exciting. If we
have enough fleece for the first run ready they can actually do the first run in July. If not, we'll have to wait until
maybe October for the next opportunity. But fleece is starting to come in as folks get their shearing done. From the
fleece that's coming in I would venture a guess that the first blankets will be white and fawn. I get to pick a pattern.
Yikes! Also talked some about the process, finishing, type of weave. All details that will have to be decided on
before the first run begins.
Got our own alpacas sheared last Thursday. Both of them screamed like little girls! But at least their fleece still
looks pretty good. Amazing how our perspective on shearing and fleece has changed since taking Ruth's class! It
was so much easier to quick-sort what we were going to keep and what went into compost. Ruth told us that a
practiced sorter/grader can skirt a fleece in just a couple of minutes from being shorn. I didn't believe it then, but I'm
more inclined to believe it now. Not that we're that fast yet, but probably could get it done reasonably in less than 5
minutes!
We'll be making fiber pick-ups over the next 4 weeks:
June 7 we'll be in Eugene
June 14 we'll be in Portland
June 28 Peter will be speaking at the Boring Herdsire Showcase and Camelid Conclave at Starr Alpaca Farm. (If you
want to bring fiber for us to pick up, great, but please bring it the day of the show, not prior.)
Anyone who has fiber for us to pick up can call to let us know where to meet or pick up (503)769-9466. And we now
have West Coast Alpaca Transport helping pick up fiber along the I-5 corridor. Anyone who would like to meet John
along his route needs to pre-arrange this by contacting him by email: john@alpacadelapacifica.com or phone:
805-553-0777 or visit his site at www.westcoastalpacatransport.com. We are very grateful for his help, so we hope
everyone will do their best to help him keep his busy schedule! (Thanks John!)
to do is schedule a time to be off work to go to Washougal for the meeting and tour the mill! VERY exciting. If we
have enough fleece for the first run ready they can actually do the first run in July. If not, we'll have to wait until
maybe October for the next opportunity. But fleece is starting to come in as folks get their shearing done. From the
fleece that's coming in I would venture a guess that the first blankets will be white and fawn. I get to pick a pattern.
Yikes! Also talked some about the process, finishing, type of weave. All details that will have to be decided on
before the first run begins.
Got our own alpacas sheared last Thursday. Both of them screamed like little girls! But at least their fleece still
looks pretty good. Amazing how our perspective on shearing and fleece has changed since taking Ruth's class! It
was so much easier to quick-sort what we were going to keep and what went into compost. Ruth told us that a
practiced sorter/grader can skirt a fleece in just a couple of minutes from being shorn. I didn't believe it then, but I'm
more inclined to believe it now. Not that we're that fast yet, but probably could get it done reasonably in less than 5
minutes!
We'll be making fiber pick-ups over the next 4 weeks:
June 7 we'll be in Eugene
June 14 we'll be in Portland
June 28 Peter will be speaking at the Boring Herdsire Showcase and Camelid Conclave at Starr Alpaca Farm. (If you
want to bring fiber for us to pick up, great, but please bring it the day of the show, not prior.)
Anyone who has fiber for us to pick up can call to let us know where to meet or pick up (503)769-9466. And we now
have West Coast Alpaca Transport helping pick up fiber along the I-5 corridor. Anyone who would like to meet John
along his route needs to pre-arrange this by contacting him by email: john@alpacadelapacifica.com or phone:
805-553-0777 or visit his site at www.westcoastalpacatransport.com. We are very grateful for his help, so we hope
everyone will do their best to help him keep his busy schedule! (Thanks John!)
June 6, 2008 Help! We're being buried in alpaca fleeces! Where is my basement? Where are my dogs?!?
Not being very spatially oriented, I could not have imagined what kind of volume this many pounds equalled!
According to my most recent records, we have 2358 pounds of fiber in our basement. But that isn't including
the recent additions! WOW! These pictures just don't do it justice, But when you consider we will need 1000
pounds for a run, and then we are splitting it into 6 colors and 6 grades...My family thinks we're nuts.
Not being very spatially oriented, I could not have imagined what kind of volume this many pounds equalled!
According to my most recent records, we have 2358 pounds of fiber in our basement. But that isn't including
the recent additions! WOW! These pictures just don't do it justice, But when you consider we will need 1000
pounds for a run, and then we are splitting it into 6 colors and 6 grades...My family thinks we're nuts.
A panoramic view of our basement. Or what's left of it...
| Shipping by any means necessary! Check out all the stamps! |
| Peter weighing new arrivals |
June 16 So busy! We had our meeting with Pendleton Mills in Washougal,
Washington last week. We got a personal tour of th plant before we sat down with
the Vice President of Pendleton and their fleece buyer for our formal meeting. The
Washougal mill is one of 7 facilities in operation and is their weaving mill. It was
started in 1910 and some of their equipment dates back to that time and is still in
use today! We got to see several styles of cloth being made, as well as the dyeing
section, the carding and spinning machinery, and even the storage areas where
hundreds of bales of fleece were waiting to be made into products! It was truly
awesome. They offer tours, and if you are ever in the area, please GO! We met
with the Vice President, Charles Bishop, who with his brothers is a fifth generation
owner/operator of Pendleton. We talked over the amount and grades of fiber we
and our supporters had and the details of the blankets we will have made. We
actually got to see the second run of llama blankets between the weaving and
napping process. It was exciting to think that soon it will be alpaca blankets being
woven! Two hours after our tour began, it and our meeting were over. They have
our information and will be getting back to us about price, a time frame, etc. It
looks like they will be able to make the run around the end of August, which still
puts us on course for Christmas release! As promised, here are pictures to share.
Impossible to show the magnitude of this plant; you'll just have to try to go see it
for yourself. But this will give you an idea!
Washington last week. We got a personal tour of th plant before we sat down with
the Vice President of Pendleton and their fleece buyer for our formal meeting. The
Washougal mill is one of 7 facilities in operation and is their weaving mill. It was
started in 1910 and some of their equipment dates back to that time and is still in
use today! We got to see several styles of cloth being made, as well as the dyeing
section, the carding and spinning machinery, and even the storage areas where
hundreds of bales of fleece were waiting to be made into products! It was truly
awesome. They offer tours, and if you are ever in the area, please GO! We met
with the Vice President, Charles Bishop, who with his brothers is a fifth generation
owner/operator of Pendleton. We talked over the amount and grades of fiber we
and our supporters had and the details of the blankets we will have made. We
actually got to see the second run of llama blankets between the weaving and
napping process. It was exciting to think that soon it will be alpaca blankets being
woven! Two hours after our tour began, it and our meeting were over. They have
our information and will be getting back to us about price, a time frame, etc. It
looks like they will be able to make the run around the end of August, which still
puts us on course for Christmas release! As promised, here are pictures to share.
Impossible to show the magnitude of this plant; you'll just have to try to go see it
for yourself. But this will give you an idea!
| Fleece bales waiting to be processed |
| Scoured fleece bales |
| Fleece going into the carding machine |
| The wheels of the carder go round... |
| ...and round... |
| ...and round... |
| ...and comes out in a big spool of lopi |
| Lopi being spun into thread |
| Lots and lots of thread |
| All the threads are rolled onto large rolls holding the warp according to the pattern to be made. These women are counting green, red, and white threads for a plaid pattern. |
| Another large roll will be wound for the weft making the pattern. |
| Really, REALLY big rolls! |
| It takes a lot of weft and warp to make product! |
| Each thread of the warp is meticulously counted and placed by hand! |
| With amazing results! |
| Pendleton is renowned for their attention to detail. Finished product goes through a quality check. If one thread in the weft is left out or misplaced, it is mechanically woven in. |
| Some finished fabric |
| Look familiar anyone? These are the llama blankets waiting to move on to the napping process! |
This is fiber
that has
been dyed
before the
spinning
process. In
some cases
the fabric is
dyed after
weaving.
| Spools of colored thread waiting to be rolled for warp and weft |
| Bolts of cloth |
Fabric destined to be blankets will go through the napping process where the fabric is brushed out and then the nap trimmed to a specific length. The finished product is a soft throw! |
What an amazing tour! They also have a gift shop where you can find finished products
from this mill (their weaving mill) and their other facilities. Pendleton currently has 75
outlets across the US, with 7 processing facilities in Washington and Oregon. Their
company has been processing and making woolen products and apparel for 5
generations beginning in 1895. Our project will be their first-time venture into alpaca!
from this mill (their weaving mill) and their other facilities. Pendleton currently has 75
outlets across the US, with 7 processing facilities in Washington and Oregon. Their
company has been processing and making woolen products and apparel for 5
generations beginning in 1895. Our project will be their first-time venture into alpaca!
July 8 - "The hurrieder I go the behinder I get." Everyone remember that old saying? With our deadline quickly
approaching, we have been trying to plow through the paperwork and the fiber that is filling every corner of our house to
have enough of the right colors and grade for the first run. Thanks to all our supporters, we have received 4400 pounds
of Huacaya and Suri fiber in various grades and colors! Our trip to the Boring, Oregon, Herdsire Conclave a couple of
weeks ago netted about 1700 pounds! We had to call our daughter to bring our pickup because our van (which holds
quite a bit) wouldn't hold it all! Thanks to all of you for your support and faith in this project! Then came the news that
my mother, who has been battling cancer for 15 years, needed to have her children start staying with her at night. So
after some frantic scheduling we decided that I would be there 3 nights of the week. That leave Peter to sort and grade
fleece all by his lonesome while I work on the paperwork on our laptop from my Mom's newly-acquired DSL. It's been 3
weeks of this arrangement and it still feels somewhat foreign to me, although now I can put the dishes away in my
mother's kitchen without losing them forever. It's during this time I have come to greatly appreciate family and their
support. My husband is the greatest and deserves the Deserted Husband Who Keeps The Gears Running Award. My
brothers and sister and I are rediscovering that bond we had over 30 years ago when we were kids and that the
closeness our parents tried to instill in us is still there. And then there's Hospice and my mother's whole care system.
What great folks! We'd be lost without them.
So to all the folks who think we've lost their request to be added to the website and those I keep forgetting to email, we
beg your patience and indulgence. The hurrieder we've been the burieder we've gotten. Life doesn't slow down for
events like this, so on we go!
A couple of notes from the Sorting Room: If you tumble your fleece to get out the straw and junk, you'll be tumbling the
second cuts and medullation right into the main fleece and it is impossible to skirt it so it is unusable to the Project.
Fleeces we cannot use include those that are so full of hay, straw, and other contaminates that they cannot be cleaned
without hours and hours of work, 33 micron fiber and higher, really medullated fiber (crazy-lots of guard hair), fiber that is
really short (less than 2 inches) and fiber that's full of second cuts. Check our Fiber Prep Tips page or email us if you
aren't sure.
approaching, we have been trying to plow through the paperwork and the fiber that is filling every corner of our house to
have enough of the right colors and grade for the first run. Thanks to all our supporters, we have received 4400 pounds
of Huacaya and Suri fiber in various grades and colors! Our trip to the Boring, Oregon, Herdsire Conclave a couple of
weeks ago netted about 1700 pounds! We had to call our daughter to bring our pickup because our van (which holds
quite a bit) wouldn't hold it all! Thanks to all of you for your support and faith in this project! Then came the news that
my mother, who has been battling cancer for 15 years, needed to have her children start staying with her at night. So
after some frantic scheduling we decided that I would be there 3 nights of the week. That leave Peter to sort and grade
fleece all by his lonesome while I work on the paperwork on our laptop from my Mom's newly-acquired DSL. It's been 3
weeks of this arrangement and it still feels somewhat foreign to me, although now I can put the dishes away in my
mother's kitchen without losing them forever. It's during this time I have come to greatly appreciate family and their
support. My husband is the greatest and deserves the Deserted Husband Who Keeps The Gears Running Award. My
brothers and sister and I are rediscovering that bond we had over 30 years ago when we were kids and that the
closeness our parents tried to instill in us is still there. And then there's Hospice and my mother's whole care system.
What great folks! We'd be lost without them.
So to all the folks who think we've lost their request to be added to the website and those I keep forgetting to email, we
beg your patience and indulgence. The hurrieder we've been the burieder we've gotten. Life doesn't slow down for
events like this, so on we go!
A couple of notes from the Sorting Room: If you tumble your fleece to get out the straw and junk, you'll be tumbling the
second cuts and medullation right into the main fleece and it is impossible to skirt it so it is unusable to the Project.
Fleeces we cannot use include those that are so full of hay, straw, and other contaminates that they cannot be cleaned
without hours and hours of work, 33 micron fiber and higher, really medullated fiber (crazy-lots of guard hair), fiber that is
really short (less than 2 inches) and fiber that's full of second cuts. Check our Fiber Prep Tips page or email us if you
aren't sure.
July 19 - Sometimes it's hard to tell if the fiber is really getting sorted or if it's just moving from one room to another! To
date we have gotten approximately 2500 pounds of huacaya fleece and 850 pounds of suri! But that's not much when
you start dividing it down to color and grade. And then you consider that we have gotten quite a bit of what would have
been really nice fleece except for it being:
A) too dirty [We can only clean so much. When there is excess hay, vegetation, poo, etc there is only so much humanly
possible we can do, and it will not come out in processing!];
B) too short. [It needs to be at least 2 inches long folks!];
C) tumbled with second cuts [second cuts are those little pieces that result from the shearer making 2 passes over
the same spot. If those go through into processing they cause a little knot in the thread called a noil, which can get hung
up in the machinery and break or make it through and just look messy in the weave. When tumbling to get debris out,
second cuts are impossible to get out and make the fleece unusable.];
D) micron over 32 [Pendleton already makes sheep blankets].
We have also gotten fleece that are contaminated with lice/nits and a couple that were even moldy. Right after shearing
is a great time to powder for lice. Those little beggars are just out there waiting to dine on your favorite alpaca and ruin
his/her fleece. And remember, if you fleece is damp at shearing time, let it dry out before sealing the bag! It can and
does mold!
We really do appreciate our supporters. I've said it before, without you there wouldn't BE a project! But to get a
quality product we have to grow and prepare the ingredient--your fiber! During the donation phase of this project we
aren't so picky--we did ask for anything we could get just to get it off the ground. But once the payments start, more
consideration will have to be taken about the quality of what comes in. Plus it's such a shame to see so much time and
money spent on shipping only to have it end up in the "unusable" pile.
Take a minute to read our Fiber Prep Tips, and if you have questions please contact us! We are doing this project
for all of us, and the final product will represent what we have produced on our farms to show America.
The deadline is looming, but we will continue to take fiber! Spread the word! We're a little short and could still use more,
especially white!
PS: We are attempting to put together a sorting/grading class in our area next month. Let us know if you are
interested in attending. It will be offered through WABA, but we will be able to let you know when, where, and
the cost. We hope those who live in our area will consider attending!
date we have gotten approximately 2500 pounds of huacaya fleece and 850 pounds of suri! But that's not much when
you start dividing it down to color and grade. And then you consider that we have gotten quite a bit of what would have
been really nice fleece except for it being:
A) too dirty [We can only clean so much. When there is excess hay, vegetation, poo, etc there is only so much humanly
possible we can do, and it will not come out in processing!];
B) too short. [It needs to be at least 2 inches long folks!];
C) tumbled with second cuts [second cuts are those little pieces that result from the shearer making 2 passes over
the same spot. If those go through into processing they cause a little knot in the thread called a noil, which can get hung
up in the machinery and break or make it through and just look messy in the weave. When tumbling to get debris out,
second cuts are impossible to get out and make the fleece unusable.];
D) micron over 32 [Pendleton already makes sheep blankets].
We have also gotten fleece that are contaminated with lice/nits and a couple that were even moldy. Right after shearing
is a great time to powder for lice. Those little beggars are just out there waiting to dine on your favorite alpaca and ruin
his/her fleece. And remember, if you fleece is damp at shearing time, let it dry out before sealing the bag! It can and
does mold!
We really do appreciate our supporters. I've said it before, without you there wouldn't BE a project! But to get a
quality product we have to grow and prepare the ingredient--your fiber! During the donation phase of this project we
aren't so picky--we did ask for anything we could get just to get it off the ground. But once the payments start, more
consideration will have to be taken about the quality of what comes in. Plus it's such a shame to see so much time and
money spent on shipping only to have it end up in the "unusable" pile.
Take a minute to read our Fiber Prep Tips, and if you have questions please contact us! We are doing this project
for all of us, and the final product will represent what we have produced on our farms to show America.
The deadline is looming, but we will continue to take fiber! Spread the word! We're a little short and could still use more,
especially white!
PS: We are attempting to put together a sorting/grading class in our area next month. Let us know if you are
interested in attending. It will be offered through WABA, but we will be able to let you know when, where, and
the cost. We hope those who live in our area will consider attending!
August 2 - We are within weeks of our deadline to submit fiber to Pendleton Woolen Mills. It looks like the first run will
be either grade 4 or 5 with white and a light to medium brown. However, we are also close to having a grade 3 run as
well. Right now we need a little more white Huacaya and about 100 hours of fiber prep time. I cannot help out this
weekend due to having bilateral surgery to release the tendons in my thumbs. By Monday, I should be back at it again.
Carol hasn't been able to help much lately as she has been helping to care for her mother who has terminal cancer, but
she keeps track of the paperwork and updates the website through the miracle of wireless Internet in the few moments
she can find.
All that everyone has done and all the great comments, responses, and fiber donated to the project is greatly
appreciated and is making the ABP a success. Thanks so much to West Coast Alpaca Transport for providing free fiber
transportation along the I-5 corridor in WA, OR, and CA.
Of note, one of the major issues to date (other than time and storage space) is the amount of second cuts. When they
are excessive, the fiber is not usable for the ABP. Please ask your shearer to do the clean up after you have bagged the
usable firsts and seconds. Please check out the Fiber Prep Tips page of our website. Carol has done a terrific job of
keeping this site up and useful;give her a call or email and let her know that all those hours and hard work are
appreciated. Thank you!
We now have fiber in one bedroom, most of the basement, the old library, the storage room, the small shop and the
garage.
I figure that we have almost enough fiber for the first run (need a little more white Huacaya) and almost enough for a
second run. Also, we have about 1/3 of the total needed for the inventory fill phase of the project. Once the inventory fill
is complete, we will be able to pay (the supporters) for fiber. It still looks like $8-10 per pound will be likely. This has been
a lot of work and a lot of fun. Thanks to all the supporters (those listed on the site and many others who have helped
along the way). You have made this all possible and our dream of 4+ years is becoming a reality.
Providing we soon receive enough fiber to complete the first run, the finished blankets (throws) should be available mid
to late October. The cost is (marginally) coming in at about $40 per throw (plus shipping). If you have not done so
already, please send us an email letting us know how many blankets you would like to purchase (providing there is an
ample supply, which it looks like there will be). - Peter
be either grade 4 or 5 with white and a light to medium brown. However, we are also close to having a grade 3 run as
well. Right now we need a little more white Huacaya and about 100 hours of fiber prep time. I cannot help out this
weekend due to having bilateral surgery to release the tendons in my thumbs. By Monday, I should be back at it again.
Carol hasn't been able to help much lately as she has been helping to care for her mother who has terminal cancer, but
she keeps track of the paperwork and updates the website through the miracle of wireless Internet in the few moments
she can find.
All that everyone has done and all the great comments, responses, and fiber donated to the project is greatly
appreciated and is making the ABP a success. Thanks so much to West Coast Alpaca Transport for providing free fiber
transportation along the I-5 corridor in WA, OR, and CA.
Of note, one of the major issues to date (other than time and storage space) is the amount of second cuts. When they
are excessive, the fiber is not usable for the ABP. Please ask your shearer to do the clean up after you have bagged the
usable firsts and seconds. Please check out the Fiber Prep Tips page of our website. Carol has done a terrific job of
keeping this site up and useful;give her a call or email and let her know that all those hours and hard work are
appreciated. Thank you!
We now have fiber in one bedroom, most of the basement, the old library, the storage room, the small shop and the
garage.
I figure that we have almost enough fiber for the first run (need a little more white Huacaya) and almost enough for a
second run. Also, we have about 1/3 of the total needed for the inventory fill phase of the project. Once the inventory fill
is complete, we will be able to pay (the supporters) for fiber. It still looks like $8-10 per pound will be likely. This has been
a lot of work and a lot of fun. Thanks to all the supporters (those listed on the site and many others who have helped
along the way). You have made this all possible and our dream of 4+ years is becoming a reality.
Providing we soon receive enough fiber to complete the first run, the finished blankets (throws) should be available mid
to late October. The cost is (marginally) coming in at about $40 per throw (plus shipping). If you have not done so
already, please send us an email letting us know how many blankets you would like to purchase (providing there is an
ample supply, which it looks like there will be). - Peter