Felting class Fun

This is Regina who was in from Brazil to meet her new granddaughter (her daughter is sitting next to her) and she created this gorgeous bunny with big pink ears. 

This is an action photo of Isa (Regina's daughter) who decided to make this cute little Hampster. He's still a work in progress. Truth be told Isa's a bit obsessive detail oriented when it comes to her needle felting so it took her a little longer. 

and finally this is our teacher - the lovely and talented Samantha who is holding this totally real looking gnome (admit it, you'd scream if you woke up and saw him at the foot of your bed) . Sam is a fiber genius. If there was a Superhero that improved peoples lives with knitted and felted stuff Sam would be it. Hey she already does that so I think I'll call her "Fiberwoman" (sorry Sam for when you read this!).  

I have created a dinosaur whom is currently missing his pink spots but when he's finished, DINO (yes I called him Dino) is GOING TO ROCK! 

Alpacas, Lavender and a beautiful day in the country

Some of you may know that I am learning how to knit (see my first knitting post here). Well I guess a more correct declaration would be that I am re-learning how to knit. I first learned how to knit when I was a kid and promptly decided that it was a lot of work and took up needlepoint instead. All that back and forth - knit and purl - was not my cup of tea. Fast forward what seems like a hundred years and Tracey (me) has fallen in love with all things woolly. This includes gorgeous wool blankets, cushions, chunky scarves and floor cushions made out of felt. I can't get enough of it. So I decide to take knitting classes. Then I fall in love with alpaca wool. Then I decide that I have to meet the ones who produce this soft and luxurious wool so off I go to Alpagas des Hauts Vents to meet the alpacas.

The beautiful female alpaca that you see above and below is called Shablis and she is not only soft to the touch but incredibly mild mannered. I rubbed her cheeks and patted her head while she stood there and took it all in, quite content with all the attention. 

I learned a great deal about alpacas today thanks to our host Sara. Did you know that Alpaca's are from the camel family and they have no top teeth so they cannot eat anything hard? The female alpacas also have no "heat cycle" so they can breed at any time. The gestation period is 11 months and the babies - called cria - are usually able to stand and nurse within an hour. 

Each grown Alpaca eats approx. one bale of hay per month and their poop is one of the richest organic fertilizers you'll ever find (for those of you who like to garden). 

 

Alpaca wool is hypoallergenic and doesn't contain lanolin like sheep's wool so you can spin it straight off the animal. Although Sara doesn't spin the wool herself (she has enough to do between taking care of the alpacas, goats, chickens, dogs, cats and kids) she has an on-site boutique that sells her alpaca wool as well as some pretty awesome local creations made using her wool. 

I couldn't leave without picking up a few items such as this beautiful scarf (bottom right with the white) and I can't wait for Winter so that I can wear it!

I can't say enough good things about Alpaga des Hauts Vents. So if you're ever in Havelock or on your way to Parc Safari I would highly recommend taking a small detour to visit the farm. Sara and her husband Jean-Yves will be more than happy to introduce their alpacas to you and your little ones. 

I like to buy locally but if you can't make it to the farm you can always buy on-line. Here is the link to her shop.

If you're ever in Monteal and you feel like taking a drive in the country I would recommend taking the "Circuit du paysan" which will bring you to many local farms, including this one, and other attractions such as a lavender farm called "Lavandou" that I will post about soon.

All photos ©Tracey MacKenzie

Knitting Update & Kelly Connor Designs

As you know I've been taking knitting classes  (yes knitting is cool as demonstrated by the photo above!). At first I was all thumbs as was outlined in my post here but now I'm coming along. I've knitted my way through a chunky scarf (see photo at end of post), I'm almost finished some wristers a.k.a fingerless mittens and I've started some leg warmers (can you tell it's cold here!). Of course I'm still just doing two stitches - knit & purl - however I'm really enjoying it. AND, after a long search I found the perfect knitting bag on Etsy from Kelly Connor Designs in Scotland and I just LOVE it. Get ready... here it is.....

I just couldn't resist. Fact of the matter is that I prefer to knit with chunky wool and huge wooden needles so this bag really said it all lol!! If my bag is a little too much for you then maybe the one below will be more your speed. I know there are a lot of feisty women at knit night who talk very fondly about their stashes!

I would highly recommend checking out Kelly Connor Designs as not only are her bags funny but Kelly herself was such a dream to deal with that I can't say enough good things about her.  Now here is the famous scarf I knitted. A big shout out to Sam and Kim at Espace Tricot for their endless patience and kindness in assisting me along my knitted journey. Love you guys!! xxoo Tracey

Knotted Knitting

Not long ago I decided that I wanted to learn how to knit. My sister can knit anything and she always says how relaxing it is. So I filled my head with pictures of knitted socks and beautiful blankets being masterfully crafted by me. It was a beautiful vision. Doesn't it look easy and sooooo relaxing? I couldn't wait to start......relaxing I mean. Well the photo above is what was in my head when I signed up for knitting classes and the photo below is what is actually happening. So to all you knitters out there, I tip my half knitted square to you for alas my skills lie elsewhere for the moment. In a grave with a tombstone which reads "It seemed like a good idea at the time". 

 via and via