And the big news, from now until December 1, take 20% off everything in the shop with the coupon code HOLIDAY20. Stock up on Christmas presents now!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Holiday Sale on Etsy!
I'm furiously trying to get the rest of my handmade items listed on my Etsy site, and have made pretty good progress. The handspun yarn is all on there, just a few more knit items to list, and hopefully my new beaded stitch markers. Here's some of the new handspun:
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Big Etsy Update!!
Well I'm finally working on the big Etsy update! (amid doing schoolwork and playing with the puppy) I've got brand-new pictures of all my current knit items and handspun yarn, and just finished listing my knit wire beaded candle holders (brand new to the shop!)
These are the candle holders. I started the project as a way to use up old beads I had leftover from my jewelry-making youth, but they turned out to take a lot longer to knit than I thought they would! I have 6 done, and am planning on finishing the other 6 (I bought 12 glass holders and candles) before I give up the project. They are about 2.5" wide and 2.5" tall, and come with cinnamon, vanilla, or fresh linen candles.
Some of the handspun I have listed. Blue silk, pastel alpaca/merino, pale blue/purple merino/tussah silk, and multicolored merino/tencel/silk. Two of these are Indiana State Fair winners!
These are the candle holders. I started the project as a way to use up old beads I had leftover from my jewelry-making youth, but they turned out to take a lot longer to knit than I thought they would! I have 6 done, and am planning on finishing the other 6 (I bought 12 glass holders and candles) before I give up the project. They are about 2.5" wide and 2.5" tall, and come with cinnamon, vanilla, or fresh linen candles.
Some of the knit stuff I have listed, all photographed with my new glass head model! The hats are both handspun (upper right is wool handspun by my mom, bottom left is llama/alpaca and angora rabbit (from our herd!) handspun by me). The cowls are both acrylic, but still very gorgeous and soft, and priced right!
Some of the handspun I have listed. Blue silk, pastel alpaca/merino, pale blue/purple merino/tussah silk, and multicolored merino/tencel/silk. Two of these are Indiana State Fair winners!
For those of you looking for Christmas presents, make sure to check out what I have listed so far, and keep checking back for new items! I'm hoping to have everything listed in the next week or two, and plan on rolling out a coupon code before Christmas!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Performance Training
After doing quite a bit of performance training over the weekend while I was home, and receiving a question from a llama friend on the subject, I decided it was time to tackle the huge post about obstacles for performance training. I took a bunch of pictures of our obstacle course last summer, so I'll go through what each obstacle is, how to build it (though many are just things I found around the farm), and how to train your llama to do it. (I'm going to attempt to put these in order of increasing difficulty, at least in my opinion.)
The first obstacle I'll start with is weaving. You can use anything in place of the cones, but something tall is ideal so the lama knows it has to move around the object. This is a good obstacle for any lama once it is halter trained- it teaches them to follow you no matter what. You don't have to do a simple weave pattern, try skipping cones, or circling certain ones. Once your lama knows how to back, you can practice backing around the cones too.
Next is my assembly of different surfaces. From left to right, the picture shows plywood, foam, plastic, wood lattice, tarp, and plywood. Use any scraps you have lying around- linoleum, carpeting, sheet metal, etc. By getting your lama used to many different surfaces, you have a leg up on many obstacles. The plywood and lattice are usually pretty well accepted, but the foam, plastic, and tarp often scare the lama. You just want the lama to walk calmly over all of the surfaces.
This is the upgraded deadfall obstacle. Here the lama really has to watch where they are going, and lift their legs higher (but not quite jump). These are still just dead tree branches, but many people use 2x4's or PVC raise on one side. Like the easier deadfall, start with the branches spaced far apart, and move them closer together.
This is the teeter-totter. My dad built this obstacle- it is plywood on a 2x4 frame. There's a notch in the 2x4's on either side, so that the log fits in the middle and it can move from side to side. I painted it (added sand on top, and painted over the whole thing again once the first coat was dry) to give it a less slick surface. Start out by walking your lama over just the flat surface (without the log) until they are comfortable, then try it moving. Be prepared for your lama to spook the first time the frame moves!
This one is also pretty self-explanatory- a kiddie pool! I bought this one for $5-10 at a chain hardware store in the summer. Many shows use a plastic tarp over a 2x4 frame- anything that will hold water. The plastic surface is pretty scary to most lamas, so it is good practice even without the water. You can fill it with water or even packing peanuts and practice walking through those too. Be careful though, my alpaca punctured many holes in this one with his toenails! Some lamas love the water and won't want to leave, others hate it!
The most cryptic picture- this is my side pass obstacle. It's just a piece of PVC pipe, but you can use a branch or a piece of wood. You can put your lama on one side of the bar and yourself on the other side, or have your llama straddle the bar (front feet on one side, back feet on the other). You'll probably have to start by poking your lama gently in the side to get them to move sideways, but you want to get to the point where you just put your arm out or even just use the command. Make sure to practice both directions!
This might actually be the hardest obstacle, but maybe just for my herd. This is a raised plank, about 6-8" off the ground. It is just made of scrap lumber, painted like the teeter-totter above. Most lamas have no problem stepping up on it, but they have trouble staying on the whole time. If you can, get some helpers to stand on either side so the lama can't fall off.
Once your lama will put their front (or back) 2 feet in a tire, practice stepping up on something tall like this metal bucket. Advanced classes often have to side pass in a circle with the front feet on top of the bucket! You can also turn it right-side up and put feet inside the bucket. It is also good for practicing side-passing or backing in a circle.
And last but not least, the big combo obstacle! Ramp, bridge, and stairs all in one. My dad built this one too. Once your lama is good about going over the teeter-totter and stairs, you can try something like this. Try it with helpers on the sides at first if you can, we had a llama once who fell off something like this (before we got him), and he wouldn't ever do obstacles after that! With short steps like this, make sure not to let your lama skip steps on the way up or jump off on the way down.
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| Our whole obstacle course. |
Next is deadfall (often called "step lightly"). Again, almost anything can be used in place of the branches, but branches are really easy to find! For this obstacle, stick with small branches that sit on the ground. Starting out, space them fairly well apart so it is easy for the lama to walk through them. As they get better, add more branches or pile them closer together. The basic idea is that you want the lama to walk through the branches calmly, without tripping.
Next is my assembly of different surfaces. From left to right, the picture shows plywood, foam, plastic, wood lattice, tarp, and plywood. Use any scraps you have lying around- linoleum, carpeting, sheet metal, etc. By getting your lama used to many different surfaces, you have a leg up on many obstacles. The plywood and lattice are usually pretty well accepted, but the foam, plastic, and tarp often scare the lama. You just want the lama to walk calmly over all of the surfaces.
This is my backing obstacle (focus on the patch of bare green grass, not the obstacles on either side). I used to have PVC pipes marking off my backing obstacle, but they kept getting misplaced so now I just position other obstacles to make a 4-5' lane to back through. The slightly-raised obstacles are actually better barriers than the PVC- if the lama starts to not back straight, their foot hits the obstacle and they correct themselves. Start with a straight backing obstacle, you can upgrade to an "L" shape, a square, or a circle. Again, the idea is to get your lama to back up when you say a command. I start by pushing the lama's chest gently, giving the command, and pushing backwards on the lead all at the same time. Our lamas learn quick because they have to back out of our chute to get out.
This is the upgraded deadfall obstacle. Here the lama really has to watch where they are going, and lift their legs higher (but not quite jump). These are still just dead tree branches, but many people use 2x4's or PVC raise on one side. Like the easier deadfall, start with the branches spaced far apart, and move them closer together.
This one is pretty obvious- a jump! We used PVC with deck umbrella weights, but many people use logs or barrels. Start with the jump low, and increase it over time. For pack class, you can also use it low to teach the lama to step over something instead of jump. You can also put the bar high, and practice ducking under.
The hula hoop is a very versatile tool for the obstacle course. This can be 4-5 different obstacles all at once. 1) Have the lama stand with any combination of feet in the hoop (both front feet, both back feet, possibly all four feet if you have a small lama or a big hoop). This is very popular at shows, you will often have to put both front feet in a hoop and pick up a foot/show teeth/put something on your lama. It's pretty easy to forget about practicing things like picking up feet and showing teeth while obstacle training, so the hoop is a great reminder to practice those while you're going through the rest of the course. 2) Put the hoop over the lama's head, and have them walk through it. 3) Have the lama back through the hoop. You can start with the hoop on the ground, have the lama stand with their back feet inside, pick up the hoop, and back the lama through the hoop, ending by bringing it over their neck and head.
This is another form of "step lightly". It's harder than the deadfall obstacles because it is so narrow. For that reason it is good practice for other narrow obstacles such as a raised plank. I think this is an old ladder from our barn with some of the rungs missing. Just like the deadfall, you want your lama to walk straight through the middle, without tripping.
This is the teeter-totter. My dad built this obstacle- it is plywood on a 2x4 frame. There's a notch in the 2x4's on either side, so that the log fits in the middle and it can move from side to side. I painted it (added sand on top, and painted over the whole thing again once the first coat was dry) to give it a less slick surface. Start out by walking your lama over just the flat surface (without the log) until they are comfortable, then try it moving. Be prepared for your lama to spook the first time the frame moves!
This one is also pretty self-explanatory- a kiddie pool! I bought this one for $5-10 at a chain hardware store in the summer. Many shows use a plastic tarp over a 2x4 frame- anything that will hold water. The plastic surface is pretty scary to most lamas, so it is good practice even without the water. You can fill it with water or even packing peanuts and practice walking through those too. Be careful though, my alpaca punctured many holes in this one with his toenails! Some lamas love the water and won't want to leave, others hate it!
This is my make-shift stairs. I have a big obstacle (see below) with stairs, but it is very narrow and steep, so not ideal for training. This is simply made of 3 wood pallets. You can also practice on stairs around your house, but don't use them if they don't have backs (many wooden stairs don't have backs- your lama could break a leg!). At first, you can start with all the pallets flat on the ground, and get your lama used to the surface. Then stack one on top in the middle and practice going up and down the stairs. You can also use the top one as a ramp, just put it halfway up the other two on the side.
The dreaded tires...our lamas seem to hate these! They are all old tires my dad had laying around the farm. Make sure to cut holes in the bottom so they don't hold water, otherwise you will start breeding mosquitos! For this obstacle, just place them haphazardly on the ground, and practice walking (calmly!) through them. You'll probably have to start with gaps between the tires, and work up to the lama walking through the tires, not around them.
Once your lama is used to walking through tires, you can practice putting 2 feet in a tire. Front feet are usually the easiest, but advanced classes often have to do the back feet or both the front and back feet (in 2 tires side by side). Practice "placing" the feet with the hula hoop, and move up to the tires.
The most cryptic picture- this is my side pass obstacle. It's just a piece of PVC pipe, but you can use a branch or a piece of wood. You can put your lama on one side of the bar and yourself on the other side, or have your llama straddle the bar (front feet on one side, back feet on the other). You'll probably have to start by poking your lama gently in the side to get them to move sideways, but you want to get to the point where you just put your arm out or even just use the command. Make sure to practice both directions!
This might actually be the hardest obstacle, but maybe just for my herd. This is a raised plank, about 6-8" off the ground. It is just made of scrap lumber, painted like the teeter-totter above. Most lamas have no problem stepping up on it, but they have trouble staying on the whole time. If you can, get some helpers to stand on either side so the lama can't fall off.
Once your lama will put their front (or back) 2 feet in a tire, practice stepping up on something tall like this metal bucket. Advanced classes often have to side pass in a circle with the front feet on top of the bucket! You can also turn it right-side up and put feet inside the bucket. It is also good for practicing side-passing or backing in a circle.
And last but not least, the big combo obstacle! Ramp, bridge, and stairs all in one. My dad built this one too. Once your lama is good about going over the teeter-totter and stairs, you can try something like this. Try it with helpers on the sides at first if you can, we had a llama once who fell off something like this (before we got him), and he wouldn't ever do obstacles after that! With short steps like this, make sure not to let your lama skip steps on the way up or jump off on the way down.
I know it may seem strange to talk about obstacles after the show season is over for the year, but now is the time to start training for next year!
If anyone else has questions they'd like me to address, just let me know!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Puppy!!! And other such news...
Well this time there is a cute, cuddly excuse for me not updating the blog...I finally got my puppy!
Autumn Hill's Absaroka (aka Abby) came home with me last Sunday, and it has been a whirlwind of a week! She's still pretty young (9 weeks on Monday), so potty training is a constant battle. She's also not too fond of eating her food, so I'm trying to come up with something to tempt her. But she's cute as a button, and very smart! We've already started training, and she will sit on command and come to me most of the time. We start puppy class next week, which should be a lot of fun. Here are some pictures to make you melt...
In other news, my new gelding llama (CNS Mr. T) finally made it home to our farm! He didn't finish his ALSA Halter Champion at the Noblesville show, but that just means I get to finish it next spring/summer! He has quickly melded into the herd, and has a new best friend in Ralph. I can't wait to go home next weekend to start working with him! We're going to focus on desensitizing, a few obstacles (before it gets too snowy), and ground driving this winter.
I'm also in the process of (finally) updating my Etsy shop with all of the new items that I've made over the past year but didn't sell at the craft fairs this summer. I bought a glass head from Pier One last week, and just finished my light box this afternoon. Now all I need is a nice sunny (and dry!) day to go out and take pictures of everything!
I had pictures of the light box, but they won't load...
And one last order of business...would anyone be interested in me writing a short article on doing fecal exams? I need to test our herd next weekend when I go home, and I'm going to do my best to take pictures of the process. Hopefully I don't have too many gross "bugs" to show you when I'm done!
Autumn Hill's Absaroka (aka Abby) came home with me last Sunday, and it has been a whirlwind of a week! She's still pretty young (9 weeks on Monday), so potty training is a constant battle. She's also not too fond of eating her food, so I'm trying to come up with something to tempt her. But she's cute as a button, and very smart! We've already started training, and she will sit on command and come to me most of the time. We start puppy class next week, which should be a lot of fun. Here are some pictures to make you melt...
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| Checking out Hank, my roommate's dog. |
In other news, my new gelding llama (CNS Mr. T) finally made it home to our farm! He didn't finish his ALSA Halter Champion at the Noblesville show, but that just means I get to finish it next spring/summer! He has quickly melded into the herd, and has a new best friend in Ralph. I can't wait to go home next weekend to start working with him! We're going to focus on desensitizing, a few obstacles (before it gets too snowy), and ground driving this winter.
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| T with his new herd. |
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| Strutting his stuff in the pasture. |
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| Look at the lock structure in that fiber! Can't wait to shear him next year! |
I'm also in the process of (finally) updating my Etsy shop with all of the new items that I've made over the past year but didn't sell at the craft fairs this summer. I bought a glass head from Pier One last week, and just finished my light box this afternoon. Now all I need is a nice sunny (and dry!) day to go out and take pictures of everything!
I had pictures of the light box, but they won't load...
And one last order of business...would anyone be interested in me writing a short article on doing fecal exams? I need to test our herd next weekend when I go home, and I'm going to do my best to take pictures of the process. Hopefully I don't have too many gross "bugs" to show you when I'm done!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Fall is Here!
Fall has arrived, and brought beautiful weather, at least in central Michigan!
I had a great day today at the Meridian Heritage Festival in Haslett. There were tons of visitors, and I sold quite a few items! I'm back tomorrow for the last crafters market of the season. Here's a couple photos of my display today. The wind wasn't very cooperative, but eventually I got everything to stay put and not fly away!
I was hoping to have llama news to report, but our truck broke down last weekend, so we couldn't pick up my new little gelding! So my parents are going next weekend to get him at the HLAA Fall Show, where he is being shown by his breeder. I'm hoping he will finish his ALSA Halter Champion!
I do have puppy news as promised though!! I found a litter in north-central Michigan, and went to take a look today. The parents are fabulous dogs, and the puppies are adorable! I picked out a gorgeous little girl, who will be coming home with me in two weeks! Now I have to do a lot of shopping and pick out a name!
I had a great day today at the Meridian Heritage Festival in Haslett. There were tons of visitors, and I sold quite a few items! I'm back tomorrow for the last crafters market of the season. Here's a couple photos of my display today. The wind wasn't very cooperative, but eventually I got everything to stay put and not fly away!
I was hoping to have llama news to report, but our truck broke down last weekend, so we couldn't pick up my new little gelding! So my parents are going next weekend to get him at the HLAA Fall Show, where he is being shown by his breeder. I'm hoping he will finish his ALSA Halter Champion!
I do have puppy news as promised though!! I found a litter in north-central Michigan, and went to take a look today. The parents are fabulous dogs, and the puppies are adorable! I picked out a gorgeous little girl, who will be coming home with me in two weeks! Now I have to do a lot of shopping and pick out a name!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
End of the Show Season & Other News
Wow, I'm terrible at maintaining this blog! I promise to get better, now that my life has calmed down a bit. This post is going to be very random, but I wanted to update everything that's going on around the farm!
First, pictures of some of my state fair entries! Too much stuff to take individual pictures with ribbons, but you get the idea.
Next, onto some recent knitting projects. First is a set of convertible mittens for my boyfriend. This was the first pattern that I heavily modified, and I really live how they turned out! Even more important, he loved them!!
The roving below is yak and merino...gorgeous stuff purchased from the Trading Post Fiber Shop in Pendleton, IN. It is my current spinning project, which I will finally get to finish this weekend at the Pioneer Fair!
***Shameless plug: If you're in the central Indiana area this weekend, come check out the Pioneer Fair at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Lots of people demonstrating pioneer crafts and other activities! Special kids' activities throughout the day!***
And last but not least, a gorgeous silk/merino shawl that I knit. It didn't end up as big as I was hoping for, but hopefully blocking will stretch it out somewhat.
Now we'll move on to some farm news...
LamaFest was a ton of fun over Labor Day weekend. Ralph and Annie came up to Lansing, and showed for 2 long days. Ralph did very well for himself in the novice performance classes, but didn't quite place. He was also last in halter! Annie behaved very well on Saturday, but decided that a double show was too much stress, so Sunday wasn't quite as smooth! She placed in halter and adult showmanship both days.
The best news from the show is that I'm adding a new little llama to the herd! CNS Mr. T is coming from Chip N Seal Farm in Rushville. He's a yearling gelding, and is going to be my newest show llama! He already has quite a record in halter...almost has his Champion! Hopefully I can finish that and his ROM next year, as well as get him used to performance and ground driving. I have big plans for this little guy! We're going to pick him up on Saturday evening, so more pics to come next week. He's been shown quite a bit this summer, so we're going to quarantine him with Duque and Ralph until I can do fecals on him and the rest of the herd when I go home next month.
We also tried getting another farm addition, but it didn't quite work out. Latte our angora rabbit seemed a bit lonely after her brother Mocha died last summer, so I finally found a friend for her. We found a breeder of Harlequin rabbits (they are calico!) at the state fair this year, and she sold us a little 4 month old female. Unfortunately Latte and the little girl didn't see eye to eye. I think Latte is just too old for such an energetic youngster, so the new girl found another home with a 4-H club in Greenfield.
Well, I think that's enough news for one post! I promise to post more regularly in the future... I have back to back craft fairs next weekend, so hopefully I can report great success when those are over! And I'm looking to add a puppy to my crazy life, so I may have big news in the near future!
First, pictures of some of my state fair entries! Too much stuff to take individual pictures with ribbons, but you get the idea.
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| Handspun yarn & the pile of ribbons! |
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| Felted & embroidered hat, handspun earband, and felted wreath. |
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| Felted bag & flower. |
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| Handspun shawl. |
Next, onto some recent knitting projects. First is a set of convertible mittens for my boyfriend. This was the first pattern that I heavily modified, and I really live how they turned out! Even more important, he loved them!!
The roving below is yak and merino...gorgeous stuff purchased from the Trading Post Fiber Shop in Pendleton, IN. It is my current spinning project, which I will finally get to finish this weekend at the Pioneer Fair!
***Shameless plug: If you're in the central Indiana area this weekend, come check out the Pioneer Fair at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Lots of people demonstrating pioneer crafts and other activities! Special kids' activities throughout the day!***
And last but not least, a gorgeous silk/merino shawl that I knit. It didn't end up as big as I was hoping for, but hopefully blocking will stretch it out somewhat.
Now we'll move on to some farm news...
LamaFest was a ton of fun over Labor Day weekend. Ralph and Annie came up to Lansing, and showed for 2 long days. Ralph did very well for himself in the novice performance classes, but didn't quite place. He was also last in halter! Annie behaved very well on Saturday, but decided that a double show was too much stress, so Sunday wasn't quite as smooth! She placed in halter and adult showmanship both days.
The best news from the show is that I'm adding a new little llama to the herd! CNS Mr. T is coming from Chip N Seal Farm in Rushville. He's a yearling gelding, and is going to be my newest show llama! He already has quite a record in halter...almost has his Champion! Hopefully I can finish that and his ROM next year, as well as get him used to performance and ground driving. I have big plans for this little guy! We're going to pick him up on Saturday evening, so more pics to come next week. He's been shown quite a bit this summer, so we're going to quarantine him with Duque and Ralph until I can do fecals on him and the rest of the herd when I go home next month.
We also tried getting another farm addition, but it didn't quite work out. Latte our angora rabbit seemed a bit lonely after her brother Mocha died last summer, so I finally found a friend for her. We found a breeder of Harlequin rabbits (they are calico!) at the state fair this year, and she sold us a little 4 month old female. Unfortunately Latte and the little girl didn't see eye to eye. I think Latte is just too old for such an energetic youngster, so the new girl found another home with a 4-H club in Greenfield.
Well, I think that's enough news for one post! I promise to post more regularly in the future... I have back to back craft fairs next weekend, so hopefully I can report great success when those are over! And I'm looking to add a puppy to my crazy life, so I may have big news in the near future!
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