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!

Cashgora Goats

What a beautiful sunny Monday, well deserved after the weekend we had!  Snow, snow and more snow! The ground hog saw his shadow....really, what a surprise!  Another 6 weeks of winter....although at this rate we maybe looking at another 9 at least....ughhhh.

So today a few things to talk about.  First, I will be in Maynooth, February 15, 2014 from 10-4 pm at the library.  I will have knitted and woven hand made goods as well as socks, insoles and yarns made from various fibre.  I may also bring a few decorative barn boards that were made at Elmlea Farm from recycled barn boards some dating back 75 years at least!

And secondly today I am sharing pictures of some Cashgora kids.  We have had a few different breeding at the farm but this one is a breeding of our boy William, who is 75% Angora and 25% Cashmere.  He was bred to one of our registered 100% Angora females, Sunshine, and they produced two babes, Sam and Sally.  The kids are also 75% Angora with 25% Cashmere.  What is the benefit of blending these two fibres?

You take the durability of the silk like fibre of Angora(Mohair) with it's high luster and sheen and combine it with the cashmere that is also light and strong but has an excellent insulation factor.  This blends into a beautiful luxury yarn.  If you are interested in  purchasing fleece, yarn or a finished hand made item, give me a call at 705-778-2070 or email me at elmleaalpacas@gmail.com

Sunshine, Sam and Sally

KIDS

The first kids have arrived!These two Angora x Cashmere bucklings are everything I had hoped for. They have the mohair fibre characteristics with some cashmere finesse. They are healthy,happy and sooo much fun. But because we 3 bucks already they are for sale $150.00 each.