2014 First Cria Born!

Mocha and Cria Girl July 2014

Good Friday Morning!  This morning Mocha had a baby girl!  She is a pretty dark brown and as all cria's she is all legs!  This is the first of our cria for 2014, both Mom and baby are doing well.

Yesterday we had a group stop by the farm, they had stopped by to see the animals but to learn about what we do with our animals, our industry.  They learned about the different fibre goats, the Olde English Babydoll Southdown sheep and of course our Alpacas and Llamas.  They enjoyed seeing how the animal's fleece was made into different products.  The store was a great hit and buying socks and yarns from animals you just met makes it all a bit more special!

Mocha and Cria girl 2014

The store is open from 10-5 Thursday thru Sunday.  If you would like to have a group come for a tour the cost is $ 20.00 per person and you can come anytime during the week, we can discuss options and what you would like to see.  As always we are NOT a petting farm, but we do have a few VERY social representatives from each species who love the attention...we even have "Pretty" Hen!

The store has local beef and lamb from other farms, we have eggs, chicken and turkey's which we are taking orders for now.

To get in touch with us please call 705-778-2070 or you can email us at elmleaalpacas@gmail.com

See my legs, they are new!

Mocha and baby

Knitting with Mohair and Mohair Blended Yarn

Happy Monday Everyone!

As you may have noticed there has been a theme to my last few posts.  I am hoping that by "teaching" everyone a few extra things with regards to different yarns and crafts that you may want to try your hand at creating!  I am looking outside and thinking I can't wait to be able to find a few hours; later on as Spring progresses and the farm "clean up" is done and sit outside and make a few things while enjoying the warmth of the sun.  Yes I am positive we WILL have warmth...soon!

Angora Kid

Also everything that I am showing you, you can find at the store.  Today I am talking about Mohair and knitting with it.  As you may remember...Mohair starts here with an Angora Goat just like our newest member of the family, Macy!  I have Mohair and Mohair blends in a beautiful array of colours!  Remember the store re-opens May 1st but you can certainly arrange a time to stop by just by calling 705-778-2070.

Here is an article by: The Halo Effect: Tricks and Tips for Knitting with Mohair

Posted by Ashley Little on Jan 27, 2014 in Knitting 

The soft halo effect that mohair yarn creates can add instant softness and elegance to any knitting project, but there are a few things to keep in mind when knitting with mohair. Here are a few mohair tips, plus a few of our favorite mohair yarns and patterns to knit.

About mohair yarns

Mohair fiber comes from the angora goat (not to be confused with the angora rabbit that produces angora fiber). You’ve probably also noticed mohair labeled as kid mohair. This mohair comes from a kid — a baby goat — and is both finer and softer.

A few things to keep in mind when working with mohair:

Drape

Mohair’s soft texture allows it to drape beautifully. Keep it in mind for wraps, scarves or any other type of accessory that calls for a luxurious, elegant drape. You’ll see many examples of this in the patterns below.

Ripping mohair

Mistakes happen and sometimes we need to rip our project. Because of the long, delicate fibers, ripping mohair can be a challenge. Be sure to rip your work out slowly, gripping the yarn as close to the work as possible when you rip.

Texture

Mohair creates a beautiful drape, so why not leave it at that? Don’t go too insane with the texture of your stitches. You don’t need to add any fancy cables or special stitches to the design because mohair is already making a statement on its own.

If you’re a fan of lace knitting, consider mohair for your next lace project. Its airy texture goes hand in hand with a lot of beautiful lace patterns.

Mohair patterns to try

Mohair is versatile enough to work well in many different kinds of knits. Check out these Craftsy patterns for inspiration and ideas for your next mohair knitting project.

Photo via Craftsy member irissch

Sequined mohair lace vest

Have you ever worked with Artyarns before? The sequins and beads of their mohair is already attached, so you can knit up your project without worrying about attaching them as you go. This lace vest uses just two skeins of Artyarns Beaded Mohair and Sequins for a vest that’s loose but also slightly clingy because of the mohair fibers.

Get the Sequined Mohair Lace Vest pattern.