Naturally Appealing Alpaca Boutique

Here are some of the colored yarns we offer in the store that may or may not be in the online store.
Naturally Appealing Alpaca Boutique

 Red - 

1 skein available, 100% Alpaca Fiber

Dyed over white from Alpaca named "Ace of Hearts". 

This skein is about 165 yards of sport weight. Priced at $22.75

 Blue -  left one is a little darker and Right is a little lighter. 

Both are hand spun and hand dyed

100% Alpaca Fiber

Darker blue skein is about 172 yards priced at $34.00 (1 skein available)

Lighter blue skein is about 160 yards priced at $37.00 (1 skein available)

Purple  

Hand spun and hand dyed

100% Alpaca Fiber

skein is about 167 yards

 priced at $38.00 (1 skein available)

 Green  

Hand spun and hand dyed

100% Alpaca Fiber

skein is about 136 yards 

priced at $32.75 (1 skein available)

Light Pink and Brown 

Hand spun twist with hand dyed pink, natural color brown

100% Alpaca Fiber

skein is about 153 yards priced at $30.50 (1 skein available)

Natural Color Brown 

 from Alpaca named "Robbie".

skein is about 225 yards, sport weight, 

                                                                   100% Alpaca Fiber

 priced at $21.00 (5 skeins available)

 Natural Color Brown 

 from Alpaca named "Betty".

skein is about 175 yards, Bulky wight

100% Alpaca Fiber

 priced at $21.00 (7 skeins available)

 Red -

 1 skein available, 100% Alpaca Fiber

Dyed over fawn  from a blend of Alpacas named "Mary Jemison and Abigail Gibbons". 

This skein is about 165 yards of sport weight. Priced at $22.75

 Black - 4 skeins available 

Natural black color

80% Alpaca Fiber blended with 20% Merino wool 

This skein is about 400 yards of sport weight. Priced at $28.00

 Maroon  - 

3 skeins available 100% Alpaca Fiber

Dyed over white from Alpaca named "Ace of Hearts". 

This skein is about 165 yards of sport weight. Priced at $22.75

Starting on the left to right 

Natural tan, lace weight, 100% Alpaca Fiber

2 skeins available, skeins are 400 yards priced at $21.00

Hand painted, lace weight, 100% Alpaca Fiber

1 skein available, skein is 400 yards priced at $22.75

Gold -Hand dyed, lace weight, 100% Alpaca Fiber

1 skein available, skein is 400 yards priced at $22.75

Hand painted, sport weight, 100% Alpaca Fiber

Dyed over white from Alpaca named "Ace of Hearts". 

1 skein available, skein is 165 yards priced at $24.50

Prices are based on wight of fiber and the processing that it went through. The more the processing the more the price. Tax and shipping will be applied. 

Thanks for shopping our yarn store.

Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch 

Schedule a visit today 

JuliesAlpacas@gmail.com 

Sept. 1, 2012

Visitors checking out the herd. Let's take a walk along. . . . . . ..

 Meet Banditt, one of the many gentle alpaca geldings on the farm. Banditt. He would love to participate in a 4 H project or a family gathering.

This is Pacha. Father to many of the black alpacas on the ranch. Bay Black in color, see the brown on his legs? His son, Peter is in the picture as well. He is the black alpaca standing to the far right.

Pickett

Pickett closest to camera, Pacha closest to the fence. 

Pickett is brother to Pacha through the same father " Shazam".   Banditt, Pickett and Pacha are all available to be included as this months special --- 3 Fiber Alpacas(non-breeders) for one thousand dollars. ---- Other alpacas can be choosen to make up this special, too. (Sept. 2012)

Jingles is an Akbash. That's a turkish guardian dog. 

Jingles loves children and a good belly rub. 

Let's walk on and meet some more fiber alpacas.(non-breeders)

2011 Cria boys. How grown up they look!
White- Montgomery, Dark brown - Lawrence
Left light brown - Joshua and right light brown  Kemble

These boys are all still intact. Eighteen months or older is the correct age to geld an alpaca. 

These boys could be gelded as early as December 2012 

or you could decide to use them as stud. They sure are beautiful. 

Moving on to the next field of boys . . . .

Franklin front/ George left rear

 Franklin is being sold as a breeder. He not only has wonderful fiber, strong bones and great conformation but he is friendly and gentle too. George is still intact and could make a good stud but is being sold as a fiber alpaca (non-breeder).

Franklin left / George right 

Now let's walk passed the some female alpacas to get to the 2012 crias. 

Here come the girls. 

There go the girls.

Here we have Racer.  

Look at that face. 

What's not to love? 

Racer is a 2012 cria 

selling as a fiber alpaca 

which means you can choose to use him for stud 

or geld him based on your breeding program. 

Shh.....Shh..... Nursery

Baby "Yankie" just born this morning at 5:15AM (9-1-12)

Happy Wade

Wade is the youngest of our fiber boys. He will need to stay with mom for 6 months. (Feb. 2013) but for now he appears to be very happy. 

Our walk is just about over. Here is one of our most friendly alpacas.....

Dorothea Dix also known as Tawney

She loves the visitors to touch and talk to her. 

Franklin says, "You all come back now!" 

Thanks for the visit. Hope to see you soon.  

Call to schedule your very own tour. 

Come shop at our Ranch Store called "Naturally Appealing Boutique" 

visit us on line www.QuarryCrittersAlpacas.com 

Satisfying dreams one fiber at a time 

QuarryCritters@earthlink.net

What to do with all this fiber.... . . . . .

JuliesAlpacas.com 

We have found a great way to enjoy our upcoming retirement that is both delightful and rewarding, financially and offers a terrific country lifestyle. If you'd like to find out more about alpacas, then come to our ranch for a visit. Or read about how we got started. www.QuarryCrittersAlpacas.com

For now read on to find out what to do with all this fiber....

What to do with all this fiber........

We last wrote about shearing day.
            Everyone is asking, "What are you going to do with all that wonderful fiber?"

Well. . . . ???

There are so many option and all of them are possible. First let me tell you we totaled over 200 pounds.

During the time the alpaca was on the mat with the shearer, a small sample was taken, called a "side sample". 

These side samples will be sent away to be evaluated for micro, among other things. This micro will tell us some direction to go on the use of certain fibers. 

For example: 

• Micron less than 20 = can be very comfortable next to you skin 
• Micron 20 - 22.9 = great for items that are used gently  such as shawls and baby items
• Micron 23 - 25.9 = most versatile use
• Micron 26 - 28.9 = Socks, throws, outerwear and felt
• Micron 29 - 32 = batts, duvets, outerwear and felt
• Micron 32.1 - 35 = batts, insulation and rugs

  So this little micron is an important decision maker in what to do with the fiber.  

Where do you start? 

Well what do I need most in my store, who is asking to buy? Start just about anywhere. 

I started by offering some of my best fiber to hand-spinners.  Hand-spinners are in love with the fiber and really appreciate the first choice of the very best. 

Shows?  Which fleece do I feel would receive a ribbon in the alpaca fleece show? 

Then the low the micron fibers (such as 20 - 25.9) will make the best yarn so I pick some of each color to be made into roving and yarn. 

Bronze Green Hand dyed Hand spun yarn

The  next step is to "skirt" the fleece. Skirting is where the fleece is laid out on a special table called a "Shirting table". There, all the undesirables, such as hay, dung or guard hairs,  are picked out of the fiber.

Drum Carder

Most of the fiber will be sent to mini mills to be cleaned, carded, and spun into yarn that you will see at the market or in the farm store.

Still other fiber will be sent to the co-op and processed into socks, hats, gloves, scarves, insoles and more. These are items also found at the Gettysburg Farmers' Market,  in our store on the ranch or the online store. The co-op and their mills are all here in the USA, most often right here in PA.
Some items that can't be made here in the USA are milled and made in Peru. We offer beautiful sweaters, hats, ruanas and more that have been made in Peru. Peru is one of the places that originally provided the USA with these wonderful alpacas about 30 years ago.

Here are a few items that are in the store now and soon to be available on line.

Reversible Ruana

Alpaca Teddy Bears

Shrug

USA made hats, mittens, insoles from North American Alpacas.

Sweater from Peru

Alpaca Boucle hat and scarf

Peru made alpaca throws

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about where the alpaca fiber goes.
Please call 717-359-9989 to schedule a farm tour
 and to shop at our farm store
called "Naturally Appealing Boutique at Quarry Critters" 

is home to Pennsylvania Alpacas.

Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch is the home to an adorable and high-quality herd of ARI registered alpacas. We breed and raise alpacas for resale and for their fantastic fleece! It's extraordinarily strong and amazingly soft - a hand-spinner's dream fiber. Visit our online farm store www.QuarryCrittersAlpacas.com to purchase alpaca products. Or if you're looking to start a herd of your own, or add fine quality breeding stock to your existing herd, check out our Pennsylvania alpaca sale page.