Handbags

Can it really be July?!

I was talking to another breeder yesterday about sending their fibre samples to AAFT and I opened up the AAFT website to send her the link.  As I did so I explored the site and found some really interesting stuff on skirting the fleece, curvature (amongst others) under the library tab - worth a look if you have spare minutes.  http://www.aaft.com.au/uk/uklibrary1.html

I have finally got all the alpacas sheared - but today has been horrible and it is not nice to see them shivering.  Trevor is fine and has been jumping around annoying everyone but Bianca, one of Sam's, has plonked herself firmly at the bak of the field shelter and is not coming out for anyone!  Last fleece sampls are sent off, no babies have arrived - but I am sure I saw something move in Prue so all is not lost.  No photos due to weather!

Sunday saw some visitors who watched some of the shearing, said hello to Trouble and went away with a bag of seconds to make a handbag.  I shall be very interested to see how that turns out as I have not really found a use for my seconds - - yet!

Tonight's challenge is to try to find something to create from a roll of white alpaca felt which has been lurking in the cupboard for two years!

Feeling passionate

We are not getting Angora goats, yet!

No shearing today as the weather has been horrid.  Many of the herds we do are small groups of pets whose owners do not have the facilities to put them in so we need to be very flexible on dates and today was not the day to be shearing outside!

I have no cria yet and, to be honest, nobody looks remotely like they want to produce anything - patience is a virtue!

My love affair with the AAFT continues and becomes more passionate the more I study my stats (which is becoming slightly creepy as I was perusing them in the bath last night) and I have just noticed there is to be an Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing (AAFT) Fibre Testing and Seminar on Tuesday 19th June  at Meon Valley Alpacas, presented by Paul Vallely, no less, the owner of AAFT.
I really want to go to this but a) may have left it too late to get a place and b) have three girls due then - dilemma!!

Rosettes and Fibre

Great excitement this morning when the post came as Yossarian's rosette arrived from the North Somerset Show - they had run out when they got to him and they said they would post it on but, to be honest, we thought they might forget as they were so busy and the weather was so foul - we didn't mind as we knew we had won, but it arrived!  Carl and Sam are off shearing and I have no one to wave it around in front of so I spent ages trying to make him stand still and pose whilst manipulating the camera with the other hand - it did not go well!

An attempt with the halter on - arms not long enough to manipulate camera

An attempt with halter off - ran away and rosette blew away

An attempt whilst ignoring him - he started a fight

Finally it blew away and landed on Bert who posed almost perfectly!  Note - it is NOT her rosette!

Now I have to think of what to do with it.  We are amassing a select collection, including a sash from the GWR but it is hardly enough for a full trophy room according to Carl.  At the moment they are stuck in a drawer.  I did try festooning the kitchen with them but Carl said they constituted a fire hazard and I should tie them up in the barn.  What does everyone else do with their rosettes (and sashes)?  Any other blogger who fancies posting a picture I would be very interested!

And on a serious note - if you are reading this AAFT Paul (and if not, I will email you the question!), I know I should know the answer to this one but I don't and I am never worried about showing my ignorance!  I know the SD of a fibre sample is as important as the actual micron and I know the SD should be as low as possible being a measure of fibre diameter variation within the sample and that it is highly heritable BUT what I want is an SD to aim for!  So what counts as a good SD?!