Brigadoon Fiber Farm

With remembrance day around the corner I'm always humbled by those around me that have/do serve. We take it for  granted as it's  our everyday and pays the Bill's. The majority of our friends and family serve and it's  become common place for us. 

As a fibre artist I also remember the woman on the home front that poured their heart and souls into the war effort and knitting for their loved ones overseas. Ww1 was the first war fought on this scale, encompassing multiple countries and continents. Supply routes and supplies were limited. Governments weren't expecting the war to drag on for more than 6 months, let alone 4 years. Winter supplies for millions of men wasn't planned, nor was moving it across the Atlantic and war torn countries to the front line an easy feat. Thus, millions of women rallied and readied their needles.

Many women's and aid groups produced pattern books distribution of wool and collection sites. They packaged and sent thousands of crates overseas. The men freezing in the trenches were appreciative of the warm, hand knit clothing, but also reminded of home and the support of the community behind their efforts. Along with the fortifying effects it gave the men on the battlefield, it gave the folks on the homefront another meaningful task to complete and keep their minds off the war and their loved ones safety. Organizations hosted competitions for speed, number of items knit and more. It rallied the women to knit more, benefiting the soldiers and improving moral for all.

Follow the link to wartimecanada.ca for a wonderful collection of downloadable wartime knitting booklets in pdf format. Enjoy and happy crafting.

Wartime knitting patterns

Yesterday, our farm was included in a story in the Daily Gleaner!

We had a wonderful reporter visit us, take some photos and chat about our great opperation here. We're honored to be part of it and love seeing our animals in print!

Dubbed the green sheep and the miracle fiber, alpaca gets a lot of love from knitters and crocheters. Alpacas are really cute, fluffy animals whose fleece is prized as a luxury fiber. They are tough little creatures and they have been part of our fiber story for millennia.

Is alpaca fiber really all that? Yup! Here’s ten reasons why you should you consider adding alpaca yarn to your stash.

1 - Alpaca is softer than cashmere, and you won’t have to unravel thrift store sweaters to feel good about using it.

2 - Alpaca is stronger than sheep’s wool. Alpaca fiber is hollow, making it firm but fine and soft. It is 7 times warmer and stronger than sheep’s wool, producing garments that last longer.

3 - Alpaca farming is sustainable. Alpacas are free roaming on farms and serve as guard animals (edited: we DO NOT condone using Alpaca as guard animals. They are not Llamas.) They are shorn once a year. Since alpaca is a natural fiber, it will biodegrade at the end of its useful life. This might be a long time since garments made from alpaca fiber can last decades and look as good as new.

4 - Alpaca fiber is available in a range of natural shades. Alpacas can be white, brown, fawn, black and lots of shades in between. The variety of natural tones means you can use undyed alpaca yarn and avoid the issue of pollution from dyes.

5 - Alpaca is a great alternative to wool if you are allergic to sheep wool. Alpaca fiber is hypoallergenic and doesn’t contain lanolin. This means it doesn’t need to be treated and it traps less dirt and allergens. If you are allergic to sheep’s wool, wearing a sweater made from alpaca yarn won’t bother your skin.

6 - Great for Sensitive Skin – for all the above reasons, alpaca yarn is ideal for knitting hats and clothing for babies and children with sensitive skin.

7 - Can alpaca be felted? Yes, and nicely! Like all animal fiber, alpaca yarn is feltable. The result is light, soft and warm without the coarseness of felt from sheep’s wool.

8 - Alpaca fiber is considered naturally flame resistant.

9 - Alpaca fiber is naturally water resistant and water repellant. It wicks water away and absorbs very little.

10 - You can support you local economy by using alpaca yarn for your knit or crochet projects. Alpaca farms are easy to find and they usually sell their fiber or handspun yarn and/or supply local yarn shops.

And #11 – Bonus Reason to love using alpaca yarn: Alpacas are just too darn cute!

Reposted from http://sakeenah.com/alpaca-yarn/

This morning we were surprised to see Bacio in labour! After weeks of watching her belly roll and checking every few days I had determined to let her do her thing and stop checking 4x a day. I looked out the window and saw something unusual with the herd and it clicked - "BABY"!.

I ran out with the camera and clicked a few photos. We hung around to ensure everything went smoothly. Bacio is not a first time mom and knew what she was doing and birthed without a problem. Aribella was born at 9.10am on the first sunny day we've had in 2 weeks.

A beautiful stunning white female.

Mom and Baby are doing wonderful!

Last night our beautiful girl Brenna left us. It was sudden, a shock and I pray no pain. A giant hole remains where she lived in our lives and it will be difficult, if ever, it heals. She was my shadow and got me through more than I can count. We were blessed with 6.5 wonderful years with this amazing creature. Moving her to our farm was the best thing we could have done. She took to it like a charm and loved all the baby animals. While I was pregnant, she was glued to my side and then when Liam was born, she adopted him right away. I was safe knowing she was always on guard in our home. She knew when we needed a laugh, to cry together or just be still. Her 'drive by lickings' and everything she was will never be forgotten. A piece of my heart is gone with her.

She's crossed the rainbow bridge and has all of heavens meadows to frolic in. She'll be buried on the land she took so much pride in protecting. Liam, Cadan, Jason and I have the roughest, most protective, most wonderful guardian angel there could be.

Rest now dear heart.

You'll be missed more than you can ever imagine. Always and Forever.

Merry Christmas from our family and farm to yours. We hope you all had a wonderful day full of love and laughter, surrounded by family and friends.

All of our posts lately seem to do with settling down to bare winters best. I suppose it's what happens when I'm snuggled under a blanket with any number of house animals, a roaring fire on, some knitting, a tea and a view of our pastures covered in frost.

We're looking forward to the arrival of some additonal stock in time for Christmas, or whichever winter holiday you celebrate. Socks (both high and low cuff), hats, touques, mittens and gloves will all be in stock! Make sure you place your order early on as all of our hand made items are one of a kind and our ready made alpaca items are all first come first serve. Once our supplier runs out - that's it until after Christmas.

CLICK HERE to see our online boutique or CLICK HERE to contact us about picking up at our shop or online ordering.

Our mill made alpaca produts are all made with Alpaca collected from Alpacas raised in North America (both Canada and the US). They are milled in North American mills and provide a wonderful, cost effective alpaca product. Sourcing these products within Canada and the US ensures we activly support and promote the Alpaca industry in North America.

Although we do offer products made from the fiber of our own individual animals, we don't always have enough fiber and yarns to supply our wonderful customers with socks, mitts and hats that they would like.

We're still looking for a cost effective 100% Canadian company to supply us with these items. When we find one, we'll be sure to let you know!

Until then, rest assured the alpacas that gave their fiber for your snug toes, are happy critters living at a farm near you!

We woke up this morning to a thick layer of frost on the ground. Winter is starting to settle in. Although the Alpacas are still enjoying sun bathing in the mid afternoon, morning and evenings are chilly. With a roaring fire and a cup of tea I'm watching our girls eat frost coated grass. Hay is free fed, but our ladies are tenacious and will eat every last bit of grass until the winter cold has killed it off. Even with access to a barn full of straw to bed down in, our silly 'pacas still prefer to bed down at night in a group, outside. Which means, everyone looks a bit greyer in the morning with a fine layer of frost on their coats. Being that these species originated in the higher planes of the andes in Peru, Bolivia and Chile, they are adapted to colder climates and do well in our Canadian winter freeze. We do have to watch to ensure they are all getting enough roughage, but they are by no means lacking!

If you're disbelieving of the warmth of alpaca, come out and visit before the suns burnt off the last bit of frost. See it sparkling on their coats as they run to the barn for their grain ration. They are not cold - even with their last shearing this summer and their full coat hasn't grown in yet. If it can keep these creatures warm on a morning like today - your toes, fingers and noggin are going to be quite happy in a toasty warm alpaca product!

The fire is going finally, Kid is off to school which means when my tea is done, I must dawn my own winter accessories and venture into the cold for morning chores, bringing the boys to their pasture and of course, everyone's favorite time, morning grain ration.

Keep warm!