Julies Alpacas

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Julie's Alpaca Fiber Studio

Home of the “WeavinAlpaca”

Welcome to the studio at Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch

Here you will find items that are handmade from alpaca fibers. These alpaca fibers come from alpacas grown on the ranch.

In May the alpacas get a haircut then their fiber is skirted, sorted and processed.

There are 2 ways that we process the fiber

One way is to send it off to a family run mini mill to be made into yarn, roving and returned or sent to a co-operative where it gets mixed with other North American Fibers and made into product such as hats, scarves, gloves and socks then returned to QCAR as a finished product.

The second way to process our alpaca fiber is through the studio where we process it by hand:

· hand card it (that’s when you comb it so all the hairs are going in the same direction)
· make into roving (somewhat like a rope) or a batt (somewhat like a pillow)
· dye it, (that’s where the color comes in) or not and leave it a natural color.
· Spin it into yarn
· Knit or weave it into a finished product

So now we have lots of fibers and invite our friends and customers in to enjoy this alpaca fiber.

We offer handmade alpaca products, co-op made products and Peruvian made alpaca products online at www.QuarryCrittersAlpacas.com

While you are shopping online at the website above please take time to look at the calendar and Events offered here in the studio. We offer you a chance to learn and make your own alpaca product that you can use as a keepsake or give as a gift.

Handmade products are processed in our studio are for sale at the studio, located on Basehoar Rd.

One of our teachers is Adam’s County’s owner Fiber Specialist, Annette Ehly. Other instructors are Julie Wysong, owner of Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch, and Patt Kimble, a seasoned knitter.

Come join the fun. Check the calendar and Events on the website and sign up today. Schedule a time to shop or drop in on Tuesday or Saturday 10:00 – 4:00

Annette Ehly

Learn to needle felt

Everyone is eager to meet you.

Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch

580 Basehoar Rd, Littlestown, PA 17340 717-359-9989

www.QuarryCrittersAlpacas.com JuliesAlpacas@gmail.com

Monday, November 17, 2014

Needle Felt an Alpaca Fiber Christmas Ornament

Make and Take

An Alpaca Fiber Christmas Ornaments

It's easy, needle felting with alpaca fiber and cookie cutters

Felted Christmas Ornaments

December 20 1:00 - 4:00

Hands on Learnng Experience

Learn to make needle felted ornaments and

take them home with you. Just in

time for the holidays.

Teacher: Julie Wysong

will be here 1:00 - 4:00

Where: Julie's Alpaca Studio at

Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch

580 Basehoar Rd.
Littlestown, Pa 17340

Come on out to our ranch on December 20 starting 11:00 - 4:00

Shop in our alpaca studio for unique alpaca gifts (studio opens 11:00 - 4:00)

and while you are here learn from Julie Wysong, owner of QCAR (1:00 - 4:00)

how to make a cookie cutter alpaca fiber ornament and take it home

with you.

Cost: $3.00

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Learn to Knit

Start at the Beginning

Learn to Knit – For Beginners

Saturday, Jan. 17th 10:00 - 1:00 Bring a Lunch

Teacher: Patricia Kimble

Here's the thing:

Learn to use straight needles to knit then purl.

Learn different yarn weights and what to do with them.

Learn Needle gauges, how to count your stitches, and fix simple mistakes.

Come to have fun, talk and learn.

Price: $45

Class size limited to 6 participates

Materials:

Yarn, light color. No Dark colors allowed. Please don't bring yarn unless it is natural! (That means no acrylic - Please-)

Needles: Straight needles size 7-8

Don't worry if you don't know what all that means we will have what you need available in the store.

Where:

Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch, 580 Basehoar Rd. Littlestown, PA 17340

Register Here:

Click here to return

Learn to Make Felted Soap

Get ready for the holidays with a great hand made gift

Learn to make felted soap for Beginners

With Julie Wysong
When: Saturday, November 29, 2014
Time: Schedule 1 hour sessions

between 11:00 – 4:00pm

Session 1: 11:00 - 12:00 Noon

Session 2: 1:00 - 2:00

Session 3: 2:15 - 3:15

Where: Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch
580 Basehoar Rd. Littlestown, PA 17340

Price: $10

Monday, November 10, 2014

Tuesday Mornings: Knitting Clinic

Tuesday Morning Knitting Clinic

A place to sit and knit with a seasoned knitter for guidance

Tuesday Morning: Knitting Clinic

A Time during the Week to enjoy knitting with friends and a season knitter to answer all your questions, or help you out of a mistake.

Each session a new tip to learn.

For just $15 per session. Come every session or just drop by when you need a refresher, question answered, or something to do during the week.

Here's how it works :

Bring your knitting and allow yourself to relax and get those projects finished. Designed with the beginner in mind as once you learn a new skill you need to practice and sometimes when you practice you need a little help. Help will be here to answer your question, or fix a mistake, maybe just to encourage you to rip out what is necessary or help read a pattern. This will be your time. Come join the fun. And…

Because there is so much to learn, Patt will present a small tip that will be valuable to your knitting collection of knowledge.

When: Tuesday Morning 10 – 12, every other Tuesday every month.

Seasoned Knitter: Patt Kimble
Cost: $15

Where: Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch,

580 Basehoar Rd. Littlestown, PA 17340

Sign up now

Needle Felt a Greeting Card

Make 4 different needle felted cards

Needle Felt a Greeting Card

Description:
Learn the basics of needle felting while creating one of a kind greeting cards. With the holidays looming why not learn a new fiber skill while making fabulous hand made cards. During this class participants will be making 4 different needle felted cards using hand dyed raw alpaca fiber.

When: November 15, 2014

Time: Choose a 2 hour session:
Session 1: --- 10:00 - 12:00 noon
Session 2: --- 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Where: Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch

580 Basehoar Rd. Littlestown, PA 17340

Cost: $40 includes instruction and kit to make 4 felted cards.

Kit includes: card stock and fiber

Session Times:

Click here to return

Monday, May 12, 2014

Oh that darn Meningeal Worm....

In Memory of
Peruvian Ace of Heart

March 28, 2004 --- May 12, 2014

As an alpaca owner we are always worried about that darn little worm that can migrate into the alpaca and cause damage to the central nervous system or result in death. That worm is know as the meningeal worm and is hosted by the white tail deer. In PA, we certainly have lots of white tail deer running about about therefore protocol calls for deworming of our alpacas. Here at Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch we use Dectomax every 6 weeks and we have Guinnea Hens. Guinnea Hens are a pea fowl that eats this snail and their eggs/larva. Another dewormer often used alternatively is Ivermectin.

Here are some other means of prevention:
* Ideally alpacas should not graze in the same pasture as the white tailed deer.
* Placing a deer proof fence may offer some protection, but that would be a 12 foot high fence of
woven wire not high tensile fencing.
* eliminate organic matter. Snails and slugs prefer dark, damp areas therefore these pests will gather
around the leaves, buildings, wood piles, compost, etc. It's a good idea to keep pasture and areas
around the barn clean.
* placing gravel or limestone around the fence lines can help to reduce migration of these slugs
into the pasture.
* Fowl such as Guinea Hens will help decrease snail and slug population in the fields
* Use of dewormers are recommended such as Ivermectin every 30 days or Dectomax every 45 days

Make every effort to know the prevention and be diligent in your management to reduce risk and maintain a healthy meningeal worm free herd.

I'm so sadden at the lose of our favorite herd sire Peruvian Ace of Hearts. Yes, he was infected by the meningeal worm. We first noticed lost in weight. Then he stopped following us around eager to eat, and stopped eating. We called the vet and got lots of help and meds. This helped his spirits and his appetite returned. He was his old self again except he wasn't using his legs. We work physical therapy on his legs twice a day in an an attempt to keep the circulation moving. The vet loaned us a hoist to help lift him so he would be able to put pressure on his legs. This was incredibly helpful. He fought a good fight. He stayed true to the end. May 12, 2014 at age 10 Ace passed away.

Ace is survived by many fine off springs both male and female. He was able to produce many colors but his favorite color was medium fawn. His EPD put him in the top 1% of the American herd for his fine crimp. Ace participated in alpaca shows such as 2005 Empire Show and placed 5th out of 12 white yearling males, 2006 was in the North American alpaca Show and placed 6th. He was also known for his incredibly dense blanket.

Ace was loved by all and will be missed.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Caring for Alpacas in the Extreme Cold Weather

January 2014
Hi, Julie here,

This January we experienced extreme cold weather

and precautions needed to be taken

to provide extra warmth and care for our alpacas.

I'd like to pass on some useful winter practices:

1. Always make sure that alpacas have fresh clean water at a comfortable drinking temperature.
- Heated buckets are best,

here is a tip I heard that was working at one farm that didn't have electricity in the barn.

They taught their alpacas to nose colorful balls,

this came in handy once the ice started to form on the water.

Moving the balls around, in the water trough, kept the water from freezing.

2. Shelter - Alpacas are very hardy and can with stand harsh weather however our resent snap of sub degree temps came on so quickly it really was necessary for them to have protection. Alpacas, as most animals, need to be able to get out of the harsh weather such as strong wind, pounding rain and snow and ice.

For the most part a three sided shed positioned with the back wall catching the wind will be enough. A barn with doors is handy. With this resent snap of sub zero wind chill, our barn doors were closed to prevent the wind from making it even colder.

3. Even though alpacas grow their own wonderfully warm fiber coat and in winter at a length that is extra warm, the older they become this coat length grows short, the older alpacas don't move around as much and therefore don't produce as much of their own warmth so it may be necessary to provide them a blanket to wear as an extra coat. Baby alpacas known as cria, also could use a blanket until they become comfortable with the weather.

4. Most barns or 3 sided sheds (called Run-Ins) have dirt floors that will hold the cold temps. For this reason it is necessary to add extra layers of hay or straw on the shelter floor to provide an extra layer of insulation.

5. Make sure that you move your alpacas to the sunshine during the heat of the day. The sun will warm them as well as getting them to walk, exercise, will warm them. Plus they love to be outside.

6. Feed - Make sure that you provide them with plenty of fresh hay and feed supplement as usual. By the alpacas staying nourished, they are able to produce their own body heat and will stay healthy and make it through the cold snap.

Thanks for reading my blog. I would appreciate any tips that you have found to help you though this extreme weather situation.

Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch

Littlestown, PA

http://www.QuarryCrittersAlpacas.com

Monday, November 4, 2013

Let's repeat history...

I'd like to tell you a story about our alpaca named "Keckley".
First we like to name our alpacas after Gettysburg or Civil War themes. We are located just outside Gettysburg, PA so it is a fun way to learn or review history. Funny thing happened as I was writing up a review of this alpaca "Keckley" read this first.

Keckley alpaca was named after Elizabeth Keckley. Ellizabeth Keckley was called "Lizzie" and was born about 1818 in Hillsborough, NC living in slavery. Lizzie's mom was a seamstress and taught Lizzie everything she knew. Both Lizzie's parents were slaves but were owned by different masters. Lizzie's dad was over 100 miles away and could only see Lizzie on Easter and Christmas and only til she was about 7 after that she never saw her father again because his master moved and took Dad with him. Lizzie's mom worked for a Colonel. When the Colonel's son got married Lizzie was "given" to him as a wedding gift.

Lizzie eventually earn her freedom from slavery by the generosity of one of her patrons who loaned her $1200 to pay for her freedom.. With her freedom, living in Baltimore, Lizzie started a school for young black girls to teach them sewing and etiquette.

Lizzie became the personal dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln (that's President Lincoln's wife) after working on Mary's Inaugural Ball gown.
So goes your history lesson for today.

So here's the funny part, in a strange kind of way...
I had just finished writing a Craigslist ad for Keckley the alpaca

Looky who is pregnant with Ace of Hearts...

It's Keckley and she is due to deliver in May. She produces

some of the softest cria's (baby alpacas) on the farm. You want

soft fiber on your alpaca so you can use alpaca fiber to make yarn

and then knit into wonderful products. Keckley has a beautiful shine

to her soft coat. Her color is mostly light brown with a small hint of

black on her ears and legs. Her belly is off white in color as is the

inside of her legs. She has personality and a mind of her own.

Keckley is gentle and touchable and has given birth a couple of

very crimpy fibered offsprings. She is easy to rebreed. She produces

healthy crias easily and with plenty of milk. Financing is available:

25% down and quarterly payments for one year with NO INTEREST!

We offer the following terms and services with the sale of this female:

30-day live birth guarantee! ARI registered, micro chipped and up to

date on all shots, support and education.

Shearing will be offered, this spring, at our farm using our professional,

should you wish to bring Keckley. Respond to this ad to schedule a

visit to see Keckley and the many other alpacas on the farm.

You can see Keckley and many others at

(click here=>http://goo.gl/q4s5PI)

and had drastically reduced her selling price to $1200. Then I read in her history Lizzie the person that my alpaca was named after bought her freedom for that same price.