Dear Ellen,
We had an exciting weekend up in this neck of the woods. Although we held the ceremonial groundbreaking last week, the real groundbreaking was this past Thursday. We got up early on Saturday and headed to Fair Winds to check on our hole in the ground. 
Let me tell you…it is a BIG hole! We walked all around it and down into it. There are big piles of dirt around the edge…top soil in one pile and subsoil in several other big piles. And piles of rocks and stones near the culverts where the driveway crosses the dry-bed creek.
After we spent time really soaking it in and then spending a few minutes with the site foreman placing our septic field, we got back on road headed for the Howard County Fairgrounds for the Maryland Alpacas and Fleece Festival. We attended two seminars — “Preparing to Bring Your Alpaca Home” and “Getting Started in Alpaca.” I was surprised by how many questions Dale asked. He seems to be gaining a lot of interest. I’d like to figure out if we really want to do this. A big piece of that decision will be arming ourselves with as much information about caring for a herd as we can. As charming as they are, I realize that there will be a lot of work involved. After the seminars we wandered around the barns patting their 
fuzzy heads and necks and talking to owners. We’ve now got a list of farms to go visit and we made a lot of furry friends. Dale thinks the Suri alpaca look like they have dreadlocks. The cria are SO adorable. 
I did some market research by buying some yarn made of 4 plies, each from a different alpaca in a different shade. This technically doesn’t break my yarn diet…it’s research after all. 
I did buy one other skein of lettuce colored lace weight…again, no diet violation — what diet doesn’t allow lettuce? At the end of the day we ended up coming home with an alpaca of our own. He’s still nameless though. Readers? Any ideas??
Love, Jan
Jan and Ellen are identical twins who have always had an innate fashion sense. Crafting is an integral part of their lives and they stay stitched together sharing their love of knitting, family and community.
November 22nd, 2010 at 7:28 pm
1. Your alpaca should be named Calomel. It means black beauty or something like that and I was just researching it today. It’s scientific name is mercuric chloride, not nearly so appealing, but interesting in that many were once convinced ingesting it was actually good for you. Much like raising alpaca.
2. Why alpaca when you could raise rare breeds of sheep??? Now that would be really good for you. And be far more interesting to spin and have a better market.
3. Yay for big holes. In the ground, not other big holes. Unless they are pie holes filled with pie.
4. On which note, Happy Thanksgiving!
November 23rd, 2010 at 6:56 pm
That’s the kind of groundbreaking news we like to see! It’s exciting that things are getting started. If Dale is caving into alpaca cuteness, I’m afraid you’re sunk. A reluctant spouse is about the only thing I can think of that would save you from a herd, if nothing else stands in the way. I have to agree with Ellen about the sheep, though. I know someone who has Rambouillet, and their wool is gorgeous.
And also, if you are planning to get a herd of any kind, isn’t it about time you learned to spin?
=P
November 23rd, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Wow. Dreams are really coming true over there–wow. Cool!