Monday, October 21, 2013
Farming For Fiber
We enjoy visiting the shows, following all the beautiful champions on FaceBook, and having the honor of turning them into awesome yarns, roving, and batts. Shows are a vital part of the alpaca world. It gives the public a chance to see, touch, and learn about the softest animals that walk the earth. We viewed out first alpacas in 2008 at the MAPACA show in Harrisburg PA, it was love at first sight.
After months of research, visiting several farms around Pennsylvania, and a truck load of upgrades at our own farm the foundation herd arrived. We were nervous new parents to six fuzzy critters and three were due to give birth.
We had every intention of showing the coming cria once they were old enough, however by weaning time we found that our little herd had grown to 18, opened a alpaca retail store, and plans were in the works of bringing a mill up to PA from Texas. We could not fit showing into our new found hectic schedule.
It is funny how plans change as time goes by. Choices are weighed and made. Where and what one thinks the future holds is nowhere near the outcome that transforms. It had been several years now and our tiny little mill runs 18 hours a day, six days a week. Our humble retail store has grown into a hubbub for shoppers, knitters, and a section is now devoted to weaving products for our mill customer's stores.
Do we regret not showing alpacas? Sometimes but who know what the future holds for us here at Lazy Meadows. We do know we will continue to make award winning yarns for our customers, we will create beautiful products for your stores, and teach each and every person who enters out doors asking for help. Other than that we have given up on trying to predict on what will be.
We are fiber farmers, fiber artists, and fiber junkies. Not a bad outcome if you ask us.