Friday 30 January 2009

Feeling Under the Weather !!


This is a none alpaca posting, but I feel the need to mention that one of my bestest friends is 'feeling under the weather'....my Dogue De Bordeaux...know to us as 'Tadpole', although this is not her real name, this is her pet name, as when she was a puppy she had a big round head just like a tadpole !...hence the name.

She is really called....wait for it ***WARNING***...'Z' theme coming ....'ZONDA'.

Has been off colour over the last few days...so needless to say we have been concerned, I hope that she is now feeling a little better as she appears to have her personality back and a little appetite, as she has been off her food. Its not nice when your animal friends are unwell, they can't tell you whats wrong, so you just have to do your best and go with your gut feeling.

I hope that she continues to get better and we are back to normal in a couple of weeks.

We have been bribing her with lots of nice food...to try and encourage her to eat..chicken and tuna fish....its seems to be doing the trick !

Get Well Soon.....Tadpole !

Tuesday 27 January 2009

Unwanted Showers....subject !!!


Once again tonight, I had the unfortunate pleasure of having an unwanted shower, as mentioned by Perry 'Alpaca Chatter'....so on the subject of these....

I once again found myself in the firing line of my primary spitter......who you are aware of Im sure as Minstrel....she is a spit-fountain on four legs at the moment !

I was duly covered in alpaca feed, semi chewed, I wouldn't care but, she obviously dosen't know the trouble we have in Scotland to get the stuff....so you don't need to waste it, now do you...!!

Never mind, I suppose, I did interrupt the feeding frenzy, by daring to walk over to have a look at how the little ones were doing with their bowls of feed...and the 'spit-fest began..

At this point, I suppose she has made me make the decision to wash my overall, but it better be dry for the morning as I need it, you have to have the appropriate dress code round these parts !....at least I smell a little sweeter. I shall try and dodge her for a while with my clean overall...!

More photos ...... I forgot to post them...




Double Trouble.....and Gizmo !

Yesterday, I was out in the field without my overall....and one of my cats decided to follow me down into the field among the girls...which made for quite an interesting experience. Last years babies, were very interested in the cats as they tried to creep across the field, without the alpacas noticing them...however the alpacas had other ideas...and decided to chase one out of the field.

Zakhura and Zanubis were fascinated by the cats more than me and my wonderful hat and scarf !...however we got some nice photos of the day and it was lovely to see the alpacas enjoying their time just alpaca-ing about.

Monday 26 January 2009


This is the Scarpering !!....after the cat !

Hats, Cats, Scarves and Scarpering !!





Just a few more photos of my little fashion shoot of the day....no mud round here, its too cold, we have frozen mud.....but not squelchy mud, there is a big difference.

So we are a Little cleaner up here in bonny Scotland, for the time being, so out in the field enjoying the winter sun and basically doing nothing other that taking some more pictures of the Zanzibah crew....

Gizmo, is one of my farm cats rescued from the Cats protection league, decided to follow me down the field, then she decided to leap onto the hay net tied on the gate on our way back from the fashion shoot !

Unfortunately, we will not be going to the Alpaca Futurity !.... we will not be picking a show team, but I can also dream on !

So here is my little pick of the day, Zakhura is now nearly 5 months old, my little black beauty !...and Zanubis has just past the big 6 months old !....we will be weaning him shortly, but as long as he is not being a pest, he can stay for the here and the now, with the girls.

I am the human in the background !....with the hat and scarf on, just in case you hadn't noticed !..

Zanzibah Alpacas has a Fashion Shoot !!!...





Well, I don't know if I have mentioned the fact....I have finished my scarf !...so, nows the time to model it around the place !....so imagine the moment, I don't often get dressed normally around the place, I usually bimble around the place in a dirty blue/mud coloured overall !....so needless to say that the alpacas we're a bit amused by the strange person who had appeared in their field to do a fashion shoot, and take some photos. So we had a lovely sunny but cold day, although the sun did seem to be in my eyes where ever I posed !!....I even had a couple of extras...my farm cats who had decided to follow me down into the field, the girls had other ideas and decided to chase them out of the field.

So picture the moment....mad hat and scarf wearing human and fascinated alpacas, more with the cats than the human, although I did turn a few heads...in the field I might add....I am hoping to go shopping later on in the week, any excuse to wear my alpaca items in public!

I know you are bursting with suspense so here are the pictures.....I'm very pleased with my creations, I don't care if I look silly, I like it, I'm wearing it, with pride !......bring on the cold wintry weather....oh ps....I'm still creating the Bag!

Sunday 25 January 2009

I have a HAT....I have a SCARF !!....still working on the Bag !!

I have an announcement to make I have finished my Scarf !!....YIPEE......!!!!

I have been tinkering with the last few minor changes, and I think that I am now finished my scarf !...I can't believe it, I must admit, although I had a pattern, which I would love to be able to read !...first problem,...As usual I end up doing my own thing and usually it turns out very different from the pattern...so never mind, I have a unique scarf, I don't think theres another one out there as I would not be able to make another one exactly the same again, this however is a good thing, if I can convince you of that fact as I usually cannot or don't make the same item over and over again !!...adds to the rarety of the item !...thats my excuse any way...so hopefully all being well I hope to have some photos to show off my new scarf, I know you have seen the hat but I will be wearing the two I can assure you.

There will be some photos coming soon !..

Saturday 17 January 2009

To Card or not to Card...that is the question !



As you know I have been spinning lately and I decided, that I was going to try and do a bit of spinning without doing any carding !...So I thought that I would give it a go straight out of the bag, as collected when sheared.

Believe it or not, although I must admit to the fleece being a little 'Dusty', I spun the fleece with absolutely no problem. I must point out to you at this moment in time that the fleece I was working with was from my lovely Blue/Steel Grey female and she is called Dusty!!.

I hopefully have enough grey spun up now, all I have to do is spin a bobbin of brown, blend them together and I should have enough to complete my Scarf !!.. here's hoping.

So, I have managed to reduce the man hours by not carding and quite frankly, with this particular fleece I don't think that it has mattered at all.

So I have decided that I don't think that it really matters at all, its just up to you, if you card or not.....so from this to that, straight off the alpaca, courtesy of my grey girl Dusty.

Wednesday 14 January 2009

All Boys Together !



No doubt some regular blog readers will recall, the problems I had last year to introduce my younger boys, with my older males...after lots of trials and tribulations, I can say that as of now, we are getting on much better !

So this year let harmony reign, and here's the proof of the pudding ...all boys together...nosing at the view across the field.

Zaninni, still has no front teeth !...there still coming slowly. The boys are enjoying the milder weather and the lighter nights...there even staying out until 4pm !!....I'll have you know !

Today I have moved my two 'Pet' Highland Cows onto their new field for the moment, so they to are enjoying their new greener pasture !....Hence the nosey neighbours !

Saturday 10 January 2009

The Snow has all Gone !



The snow has all gone and its definitely warmer, although not quite a heat wave just yet!

So just a little reminder of what the scenery was like a couple of weeks ago ! Alpacas and snow...how lovely, no doubt before we know it, spring will be here and we will be moaning about the weather !

So here's a couple of photos, just to remind us of the babies in the snow, I wonder if we will have any more....I bet we do !....not quite time to cast aside those thermals just yet...!

I have been Spinning....around !!



Well, today I treated myself to a little therapy....Spinning of course !..I must admit to really enjoying spinning, I find it very therapeutic and think that its marvellous to own and love the animal, then to be able to turn this fantastic fibre into something really quite special, something quite unique.

So I did a little carding yesterday, and then the fun begins, I have even considered getting an electric attachment to my spinning wheel apparently you can get these ! It would save the 'old' knees !. I can't spin it up fast enough !

I am in the middle of a bit of a project...I've made the hat !...I'm making the bag! and then I'm making the scarf!!!!....so lots of alpaca fleece needed. I must confess to being a little impatient, by the time I've carded it, spun it, washed it and waited for it to dry, I'm a bit impatient, cause I want to turn it into something nice.

So I am persevering.....I will have enough for all my little wish list of items, by the time I've finished them all it will be winter again and time to get out the woollies !!

Thursday 8 January 2009

Confidence comes with Patience !!

Meet Zanzibah Zerquo....hes now about 17 months old, he is very nosey !! Just in case you had not noticed. He is also known for being one of the louder hummers in the herd, I think he just likes to hear himself !!

When he was a baby he was very stand-offish, just goes to show, how their confidence can be boosted, with lots of patience and contact, he is now very friendly and really quite nosey ! He will happily run over to you when he is out in the field, it is a lovely reward to be able to be around happy confident alpacas in human company.

I have made a decision with all my baby alpacas I breed, to try and get their confidence around people, all my babies are halter trained and it really does make a big difference when you have 'hands on' approach especially with routine husbandry and just being able to deal with them on a day to day basis.

Some of my older girls are not so well handled, they have been known to be a bit of a handful at times, mentioning no names !!....two multi coloured ones spring to mind !... you have to be brave and be prepared to get regularly involved in a 'Spitfest'!!...visors to the ready...and a good shower after !

Nice 'n' Nosey !


Monday 5 January 2009

Frolicking in the Frost !... - 3 Degrees and its Freezing !




I know, its not -7 over here, unlike some in Speyside ! But its freezing over here, the fire is on, the log store is going down at a rapid rate of knots.

However the alpacas are still frolicking in the frost, the ground is rock hard and they have the 'canny' knack of tip-toeing round the fields....and enjoying the fact that we have no squelchy mud !

Obviously their fleece is just what you need in these sub zero temperatures. All appear to be unaware of this cold snap !...but I guess its nothing compared to where they come from in the Andes !... I must admit to being welded to my thermal underwear collection, and my toes have been cold lately....If I could knit some alpaca socks....I would !

I Have an 'EWOK' !!



Well I have been informed that I have an 'EWOK' in the herd....I must admit not to knowing what an 'EWOK' was, Im not a Starwars fan!....but I have researched the internet and found pictures of what one looks like...I must say there is a definite resemblance.
So here is the Scottish equivalent of an 'EWOK' hope you agree, Zanubis is getting hairier all the time and he loves to cover himself in anything he can find !!

All I want for Christmas is my new Front Teeth !!




Now, Im sure you have heard how the song goes.....all I want for Christmas is my New Front Teeth !!....Zanzibah Zaninni is wishing just for that and here they are.

He has been cutting his new 'Adult' teeth now for two weeks, he lost his other ones just around Christmas time...he lost the front ones and was a 'toothless sight' to be seen. I have been watching how he's getting on and his mouth looked sore, there taking some time to come through, but we are getting there..

So here he is smiling for the camera !!....say Cheese !!!

Bring On 2009 !!!......A Happier New Year I Hope For Us All !!


This is the first Blog of 2009.....so here goes, believe it or not I have had a bit of a quiet time, but I now have something to report about..

For Christmas I got a lovely addition to my Chicken Collection also !!, no not a real one, unlike some not so far from me, the new additions to the Coire Alpacas are doing well in their new home, I to have rescued chickens from their maker, I really enjoyed giving them a new home, and the egg rewards were definitely appreciated, so I hope that they enjoy their new free range home, scratting around the garden, just doing what chickens do best. Its really rewarding to give them a life and a chance of a new home....good on you!!

What do you think of this fella !!....a Christmas present from my husband !!