Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Overshot Workshop Very Successful

Just picture it - 7 eager weavers working on seven different overshot patterns under the guidance of Master Weaver, Gudrun W.  The workshop was excellent although challenging.  Gudrun had selected different patterns for each of the participants.  Saturday was spent warping and threading the looms and on Sunday weaving began in earnest.  The patterns are quite lovely and participants look forward to sharing their experiences at the next Guild Meeting.  Many folks did not have time to complete samples of all of the patterns and are planning to gather on Monday afternoon April 2nd at Fibres Unlimited to swap looms and add samples to their collection.  Thanks to Gudrun for sharing her vast knowledge and experience and to Elvi for finding us a space to work in at the mall!  You can see a photo of the participants on the right hand side of your screen.

Next up - Double Weave! 

Alpaca Shearing Day at Oyama April 14th


Annual Shearing Day  Saturday, April 14th from 9:00 am to noon:
Visitors are welcome to our biggest “Work & Fun” day of the year so that you can view the shearing of our herd of 15 Alpacas (4 males & 11 females).    As we have fewer animals this year, we will be shearing only in the morning.    Visitors may drop by any time of the day….after shearing, the Alpacas will sport a new ‘naked’ look.…..please remember to bring your cameras.
We are happy to announce Dave and Connie, the husband and wife team of professional shearers, will be with us again this year.     Not only is Dave an excellent shearer, his sense of humor adds a fun flavor  to the event.
Members of the Shearing Team will be busy blowing the Alpacas clean of dust and debris, securing each animal to Dave’s unique shearing table, and collecting the shorn fibre to the sorting table.     We also give them their shots, trim top knots, bushy tails, and long toenails (almost like a salon treatment).      All animals are treated well and manage to tolerate the procedure which takes only about ten minutes per animal….please check out the attached photos from last year.
While at the farm you may browse in the ‘Alpaca Delights’ Gift Gallery which will be open on Shearing Day with a variety of functional and fashionable clothing and accessories as well as fun products for children and pets.      We accept cash, Visa, and Master Card.
Spring Special of ‘Paca Poo’ until April 22nd:
Our Alpaca manure has composted well and we also have the winter gatherings which will be ready to enrich your garden soils this Spring.     We’ll be using some ourselves but will also have some available for local gardeners.    ‘Paca Poo’ is an excellent fertilizer to till into your gardens in the spring for your bedding plants, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, etc.      Our own experience, plus testimonials from friends and neighbours who have enjoyed bountiful harvests, is convincing proof that this ‘end’ product is a great addition to any garden or lawn.       If you need a smaller quantity of ‘Paca Poo’, please bring your own containers.   We charge $10.00 for a tractor bucket load which works out to about $40.00 for a ‘short box’ pickup truck and $60.00 for a ‘long box’.    Please note the Alpaca fertilizer will be available only until April 22 as we will be upgrading the field where the ‘Paca Poo’ is stored in the four large bins.     Alpaca fertilizer will be available again by the end of June until the autumn.     Please phone ahead (250) 548-4004 to ensure we can accommodate your gardening needs……thanks!
Cheers!
Darlene & Jim
Oyama Lake Alpaca Farm
‘Alpaca Delights’ Gift Gallery
Guided Farm Tours

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Knitting Retreat Featuring Lucy Neatby

Erynn Carney from Twist of Fate Yarns is hosting a Spring Knitting Retreat ------ April 27-29, 2012, with LUCY NEATBY!!! The Retreat includes food, accommodation in Sunpeaks, BC at the Nancy GreeneCahilty Lodge, instruction and materials [yarn and pattern] all you need to bring are needles, scissors and your pyjamas!  For more information contact Erynn, twistoffateyarns@gmail.com. This is a perfect opportunity to get some classy teaching by the incomparable Lucy Neatby!