Another Week at Elmlea Farm

I debated on writing this post for a while, but a question I had posed to me by a caller kinda pushed me to bring it forward.  The owners of Elmlea Farm, Lee and Elmer are away this week...so this is not being written by either...I have been at the farm for a year and this is my personal observation.  First and for the record, Elmlea Farm is a HOBBY FARM.  They do this because, well it's sort of in their blood!  While we all enjoy the animals, the "farm" work itself, well it is hard and it is time consuming and it does come with it's challenges.  For example, it rained so much this week that the sheep and goat barn that was all nice and clean needed...NEEDED to have some extra straw put down as Patrick's wool was starting to shrink because he was so wet!  HA!  Sheep humour!!

Inky Scarecrow

Alpaca Girls

As you know we are a fibre farm and we do not eat our Sheep, Goats, or Alpacas, yes you can eat Alpaca. We do sell goat and lamb from local farmers but not from us.  We do raise chickens and turkeys to eat.  We have ducks too and even though they are threatened with going to the oven, it has been ages since we have had duck on the table!

Chickens

We do sell eggs and as the laying birds age they just live out their lives here, no stewing pot...but that is just us.  An old hen, while healthy may not be the prettiest looking bird anymore....but this "old hen" with out her feathers isn't always the prettiest bird first thing in the morning either!
This brings me to the reason for the blog....the caller wanted to see about getting eggs from us and wanted to see the animals and know how they were treated.  I completely understand that....after seeing some of the big commercial farms being reported on lately.  It is so deplorable, unnerving and sad to see this, but as a city girl myself...we the consumer are partially to blame.
I know that the turkeys and the meat chickens here will be eaten and that is their destiny...but as they grow up  they are outside in the daytime and in at night.  I probably talk to them way too much!  And they have space and are well cared for.  If there is anything that they need we tend to it.  For example, we have a rooster who has a bad "toe" currently and he has been having his foot soaked and creme applied and he even has a wrapped bandage on it.  I call him "Handsome".  Poor Handsome is currently isolated and he is not happy about that and yes he is in a cage....but that is to keep him safe.  Over the winter a hen was being picked on too much so "ugly hen" was taking out from the others and placed in her own area...as were two other hens...who are actually very gentle and pretty...and they had their own heat lamp and area as well and I said they wintered in the "deluxe hotel!"  Eventually "ugly hen" went back with everyone else when she was better, as for the pretty hens well they "raise" the new laying hens, seems to be their calling and they are good at it!  There is no over crowding, though in the winter I am sure they get bored...but they are chickens!  A dozen eggs costs you $ 3.00.  Yup a whole $3.00, they are usually brown, and varying shades of brown and varying sizes and there a lots of double yolkers.  Eggs are collected twice a day and we have an ebb and flow in production.  But you can certainly go to the store and buy your perfect eggs for less money.  I have no problem with that...I too have done it.....BUT...here is the catch.....those perfect white eggs, or brown are not coming from chickens that are outside...chasing butterflies.  You can't have it both ways!  You can't pay $ 1.99 and want the chickens in the "deluxe hotel"... they will be in a tight quarters to put it mildly.
Turkeys....turkeys are not the smartest birds and sometimes at night it can take me over 20 minutes to get them in...just because they can't move 6 inches to the right and go through the opening....then panic sets in and they have to run around frantic.  By the way we are talking about a 2 foot wide opening that I walk through...open gates!  Anyway...again you can't have it both ways with regards cost.  The cost of our turkeys per pound is higher than a grocery store...for 2 reasons we have less than 30 and we grow them up right...not over feeding, etc.

Spinning

Now if we move on to the fibre side and a skein of yarn.....cost wise.  Yes you can go and buy yarn cheaper than here from a department store, but our fibre is a labour of love.  Are these animals treated right, well Patrick the Old English Babydoll sheep seems to like placing his head on my lap for a sleep and a cuddle and yesterday I cleaned his ears and trimmed his hooves as he lay there.  The little goat Louie stood for me as I trimmed his hooves...no collar, no leash...just letting me hold his leg up and trim.  They have trust in us.  We feed them, house them, protect them and care for them.  That is the one part of animal management and then we shear, sort, pick, wash, comb, spin, dye the fibre to create the yarn for your use.  This is not a compliant...again it is a labour of love and it does the soul good to see what can be made, but this is why the yarns here are NOT $ 10.00 or less for a skein.  I have found that people also like to purchase some yarn and see where it came from...look at the animals.
So that is my view and the way I see it.  I hope my little explanation sheds some light on what we do.  And that it may encourage you to shop from your local farmers.

Bye for Now

As always the store is open from 10 am to 5 pm Thursday thru Sunday.  This weekend the Havelock Jamboree is happening so feel free to drop in if you are in the area.  705-778-2070

New Yarns and Socks in Fabulous Colours!

WOW!  The second week of August already!  Where does the time go?  The days have been nice but some of the nights are actually getting cooler I am sad to say. However, as Canadians we know that there is still lots of time left to enjoy and relax the weather and to engage in our hobbies, especially while on holidays!  So with that in mind, I have something for all you yarn crafters out there or for you who would like to get something for your crafting friends.

Our new yarn and socks have arrived and both come in great colours and yes even styles!  Styles for yarn?  Well a bit of an exaggeration but we just got in some Boucle yarn!  And in stunning colours too!  Boucle is somewhat of a novelty yarn but what it means basically is it is a looped yarn and very pretty!

Boucle

We have stunning purples, reds and light blues.  Also we have received new colours in our Alpaca/Wool blends, the Black and Purple are gorgeous.

Alpaca/Wool

 And let's not forget the Mohair/Wool blends with it's rich reds, oranges, cranberries, greens and purple too just too name a few of all the colours we have available.

Mohair/Wool

Next we have socks in great new colours....we have PINK and yellow and blues and greens...of course we have our standard colours too of neutrals and blacks and greys.  In our socks we carry a relaxed fit which is a bit looser in the calf area great for anyone who doesn't like a tight sock or who has circulation problems. We have our standard high sock and then our thermal socks in both an ankle or sport sock length.  I should also mention our insoles are in...and yes we have your size!

New Sock Colours

Thermal Socks

The store is open from Thursday thru Sunday 10 am - 5 pm, but you can always call and see if we are around or make an appointment.  There is an array of hand crafted items in the store along with many more fibre products ranging from batts, to roving to wool yarns.  And on the farm side we also have some lamb and beef in along with chicken and eggs

How to Wash Fleece

With our shearing all done for the Alpacas, Goats and Sheep, washing the fibre is the next step.  Just a quick aside as the fleece is being sheared from the animal it is skirted, sorted and picked quickly.  Of course some things still manage to find their way deep into the fleece and will get pulled out later.  If you have animals you shear and don't know how to start the process of using the fibre you have, here is where to start!

10  Easy Steps to Washing Fibre

What you need to remember about washing fleece is consistency in temperature and NOT to over manipulate the fleece...other than that it is a very simple process.

Here is what you need! The fibre, a netted bag, soap, we use a sodium lauryl sulfate(Orvus Wa paste is great), a sink or tub of some sort and though not needed a spin dryer works wonders and really speeds up the drying process!

Netted bag and Orvus Soap

sinks

Unwashed Alpaca Fleece

Step 1:  Fill sink with warm water....use enough water to cover bag of fibre.  If you are washing WOOL, and this applies to WOOL only...you use HOT water...you do this to get the lanolin out of the wool.  Make note of the temperature of your water for all fibre.  You want it to stay as close to this temperature as possible each time you fill the sink.

Step 2: Add a handful of soap to the filling sink.

Orvus soap...note it will turn clear when heated

Step 3: Add fibre; which is in netted bag.  Let bag soak for 15-20 minutes...tops...you must monitor the temperature of the water!!! Do not let the water get really cool.

unwashed fleece in netted bag

Step 4:  Drain water and repeat as necessary...you want the water to be relatively clean

another washing is needed

Fleece in soap and water

Step 5: When the water is clean enough fill the sink with only water to rinse the fibre.



Step 6: Drain the sink and hold the bag up to let water pour out... DO NOT RING OUT THE ACCESS WATER BY HAND!!!!!!  That would be a MANIPULATION!





Step 7: While still in netted bag put fleece in spin dryer for about 1 minute....if you do not have a drier you must let the fibre drip.....but only until water stops dripping


Spin dyer...fleece in bag

Step 8: Remove fibre from bag

wet compacted fleece

Step 9: Pull fibre apart.....this is IMPORTANT...if you do not, the fibre will not dry properly and may also "wet felt" during the drying period

pulled apart wet fleece

Step 10:  Place the fibre on a airy drying area



Remember....consistent water temperature.....do not handle the fibre too much ....and pull fibre apart after spun or dripped dried and before drying process.  You will see how the fibre "gains" size when you pull it apart and after it has dried from being washed compared to prewashed size.

Washed Alpaca Fleece, note the difference between washed and unwashed

Knitting Machines: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Knitting Machine...Part 1

I love my knitting machine, I hate my knitting machine, I realize this every time I go to use it.

The Good:  I can knit a pair of mitts in less than 2 hours, a shawl in about the same amount of time and use beautiful lace stitches.

The Bad:  When getting into rhythm half a dozen stitches fall off and you create a loop at both ends.

The Ugly:  Creating a garment too big or too small or trying to ensure that the scarf made with Alpaca and/or Mohair doesn’t have totally curled edges.

There are three kinds of machines:   1. Fine or Standard has needles 4.5mm apart  2. Mid- Gauge has 6.5mm needles 3. Chunky or Bulky has 9mm needles.  These names refer to the weight of yarn that you can knit with them.

Double Bed Singer Bulky

Single Bed Brother Bulky

There are single bed machines which knit flat pieces and double bed machines also called main bed and ribber which will knit tubular pieces.  There are also manual, punch card and electronic machines. You can get Intarsia carriages for some models and Lace carriages for some.

The most common names under which knitting machines are sold are Passap (no longer in business), Singer, Brother (the easiest to get parts for) Bond, SilverReed (still producing a limited number of models)

People seem to think if you use a knitting machine it’s not as personal as hand knitting.  Knitting with a machine does not mean you are only moving a carriage across a bed over and over again without any thought.  One of the main reasons people stopped using the knitting machine is due to the precision required to actually produce a garment.  There is much hands on work required besides moving the carriage, you must cast on your stitches, track your rows, decrease or increase stitches by hand.  Then there is the planning of the piece, making a swatch, choosing a pattern, the yarn and then working to produce a good looking, well finished piece that fits the recipient. This is just as much of a personal journey as any hand knitting piece I have made.

Machine knitting has a place in the fibre spectrum and I seem to surprise myself with its endless possibilities every time I sit down to use one (I have 4) of my machines!

Felting, Fibre, Turkeys and Eggs

Another rainy day on the farm!  Which is good and bad....good for the gardens...bad for haying!

Rovings for spinning or felting

Today is just an update day....we have been shearing, shearing and shearing...and are almost done.  We did something a little different this time,  I kept some Alpaca fibre separate for those of you that enjoy felting.  It is something that I am quite enjoying.  You can felt in many different ways, such as Nuno felting...adding layers of fibre such as merino to silk to create a wearable items, i.e. a scarf, Needle felting, where you can create free standing objects ..animals are very common..."statues" you would almost say, Wet felting where you take wool and create sheets of felt and Resist felting where you use cardboard or plastic to create a form.  So as you see fibre doesn't just have to be made into a yarn for knitting and crocheting but it can be used in it's raw state as well to create other items.  I have both yarns and fibres.  We have Alpaca, Llama, Mohair, Merino, Wool, and Cashgora here for sale plus a few other specialty bits and pieces.

Turkeys from 2013

In other news the baby turkeys have arrived and we have more coming this week.  And although it is only June we do start to take orders for Thanksgiving as much as we don't want to rush the seasons, if you want a turkey you need to book early.  Last year we couldn't meet the demand!  Something else I want to mention and for those of you who have been here you know our turkeys when old enough get to be outside in a secure area in the sun and locked away at night.  It's a good turkey life!

We also have farm fresh eggs!  Nothing compares to farm fresh eggs!  The colour is brighter and the taste richer...enhanced.

We still have kids for sale...the boys have been wethered now.  We have a Nigora, Jake who is all black, and two Pygora/Nigerian Dwarf crosses, Louie and Jerry as well as Mick our Olde English Babydoll.

As always the store is open Thursday thru Sunday 10-5 pm or by appointment.

And don't forget if you are interested in booking a farm tour...give me a call at 705-778-2070

Our New Yarns Have Arrived!

Spring has hit the store walls and the colour is just bursting! 

Elmlea Farm Store

We have a beautiful array of colours, both dyed and natural.  There are 2 ply and 3 ply.  Mohair, Wool blends as well as Alpaca, Mohair and Alpaca, Mohair and Wool blends.  
Of course we have our pure Alpaca yarn as well as wool and numerous other specialty blends!  

New Colours

Drop by and see what we have to offer! We are open Thursday thru Sunday, 10am-5 pm or you can call for an appointment.  We take Visa&M/C or cash.  

Alpaca Corner, Hand Spun or Dyed

Mohair Blends

Just one more thing.....

A short week over.....although in farming there are really no short weeks...or weekends....actually that is a lie...weekends mean MORE work!


Today I just have two notes...one...I am very excited that our new yarns will be arriving on Monday!  These yarns are processed from our own Alpacas and Goats.  As you know I do process some of the fibre right here on the farm but we also send some out.  I will have nature colour Alpaca yarn and a nice blend of Alpaca and Mohair in lovely colours!  I can't wait!  You will have to drop in next week to see!


And secondly "Baby Mick" needs to find a home.  Mick is  black registered Olde English Babydoll Southdown lamb.  Babydolls are smaller than most sheep growing to a height if 17-24 inches.  They are stocky and hardy but their miniature size makes them easier to handle!  They are great nature mowers, weeders and heck they will even fertilize and they go!
Now besides that Babydolls are sweet in nature and are great companion animals and you can use the wool!  So any of you knitters or spinners out their their wool is great to use alone or to blend!  We are asking $ 600.00 for Mick.  Please feel free to drop by and see him and his parents Inky and Liz. 


Don't forget the store is open Thursday thru Sunday 10-5 pm.  We take Visa and M/C and of course cash.


Drop by and see us this weekend or next week! 

The Picker and Fiber

As mentioned earlier in the week, the shearing has started, fibre evaluated, washed and picked....what do I mean by picked?  Picking is when you put fibre through a manual machine to "open" it up and prepare it for the next step.  The manual machine is called a Picker....and it looks harmless enough on the outside but on the inside....it looks like a medieval torture device!  

Picker

And if you don't wear your gloves and get "picked" I can tell you it feels somewhat like that too!  However, it rarely happens you get picked, you just need to watch what you are doing.  

Inside the Picker

The fibre used in the pictures is Alpaca.  You don't always have too pick fibre.  When you do, the added benefit is that along with "opening" up the fibre it cleans the fibre ...making it easier to remove any bits that maybe there.

Pieces of Alpaca Fibre

Alpaca Fibre

Opened Alpaca Fibre

Notice the difference in the Alpaca fibre after it has gone through the Picker....it is fluffy so to speak!  The fibre is broken down into manageable pieces to process.  A small tight piece of fibre comes through the outside "opened".
Next week I will show you what happens to this "opened" fibre!  
Have a great weekend.  Sunday is suppose to be lovely!  If you want to drop by the farm store please call(705-778-2070)or email
first.  And don't forget to call if you need extra eggs for Easter!

Shearing at the Farm

April 1, 2014....FINALLY April.....but not too much has changed weather wise...although there is some thawing!  So what's happening on the farm?

Well, with the "warmer" weather sheering has begun!  First on the list are the goats....next sheep followed by the Alpacas.  It really is quite the process, first we sheer the animal, evaluate the fibre and from there the washing and picking begins.  In fact Omar's fibre is washed now!  You may remember Omar, the handsome black Angora ram.  

Currently we have 4 babies, the older bucklings born Dec 31, 2013, Mick, born in March, the black babydoll, who is for sale and our newest Macy, a white angora, just born last week.  Up next is Jill and possibly Meg.  For those wondering about the Alpacas...they should have their babies in the summer, July/August.  Remember we have Alpacas for sale too, you can call our check them out either on our website www.elmleafarm.com or through AlpacaSeller.ca.

This past week I took a break from hand knitting and created a new sweater on the knitting machine, it is so fast!  For those of you who have ever though about buying a knitting machine...do it!  It is such a time saver. While I enjoy hand knitting, every now and then a machine is great for the instant gratification!  I will show you the finished product next week, just being washed now.

I am looking forward to reopening the store and having visitors!  Until then, the store is open by appointment.  Just call 705-778-7020.

Saint Patrick's Day

felted sheep picture

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  

Beautiful sunny day today!  Cold but....I have just the thing for that...or should I say few things for that!  Today I am featuring all things "green" or at least with some green.  

I have attached a small sampling of what we have available in our store: we have rovings, made of many fibres, Mohair, Wool or a combination.  

Also I have yarns, 100% Alpaca, 2 ply hand dyed or 70/30 Mohair, Wool 3 ply for sale.  There is still time to get caught up and a few knitted projects before Spring!!  Drop by and see the other fabulous colours we offer!

Yarns, shawls, roving

A lovely selection of scaves and shawls and something I haven't posted in a while a 100% Alpaca felted rug!  Talk about nice and cosy.

100% Alpaca Felted Rug

Hand knit, woven shawls and scarves

Remember in the winter it is best to call us first at 705-778-2070.  Please look at our website,  www.elmleafarm.com and see the Alpacas that we have for sale.  Or why not follow us on FACEBOOK!


Have an enjoyable St. Paddy's day!

Til next time....

Perfect Stocking Stuffer

It's a snowy day on the farm.  Snow is beautiful that is true and it does get one into the holiday spirit!

It was so nice having people drop in to the store all weekend, just what we like!  Always nice to visit.

The response to our new products has been great!

I have shown one of our core products today, because this is a perfect stocking stuffer!   There are a range of sizes available from 5-13. The insoles are 50% Alpaca, 50% Wool.  Absolutely ideal for inside your boots to keep the 'ole toes toasty warm whether you are walking about or tobogganing and with this snow that doesn't seem too far fetched...heck even snowmobiling!!!!

The store is open 7 days a week until December 24, 2013 from 10 am to 5 pm.  We have lots of fibre products ready, from batts to roving to yarns.  As well as our one of a kind knitted, woven, crocheted products there are hand woven baskets and refurbished barn boards!

There are farm fresh eggs, poultry and assorted local meats available too