When Ann mentioned that she had found an Alpaca farm and mill just outside of Williams my inner fiber addict kicked into full attention. "I am in!", I told her. Barbara and Rick had driven up from Phoenix for a few days of photography with us and they were willing to go along. I loved the excursion. While the farm and mill are on the smaller side for such an enterprise we found that the personal tour and attention more than made up for it. I had never been inside a mill before to see how the shorn animal fiber is converted into the yarn I treasure.
It starts here. Alpacas are shorn in the spring. It did not appear that they would be able to grow enough winter coat to keep them warm. Marcella, our guide, said that their coat grows very quickly when it starts to really cool off.
They are just so cute.
This is one of two HUGE and friendly dogs that live within the Alpaca enclosures to protect them from predators. They are considered 'working dogs' but when people show up they seem to be more playful than workful.
After fiber is washed it must be 'carded' to remove the larger pieces of unwanted material such as leaves, twigs, etc. It is also the first step in getting the fibers aligned in such a way that they can then be spun. This is part of the carding process.
Further along in the process, fiber that has been carded is rolled onto a felt covered wheel where it is moved along and will ultimately become more and more aligned.
Rolling along on the felt wheels.
There is something wonderful about photographing machines. They are so interesting and can be captured in such an artful way.
Coming off the felt shown in the image above.
Another perspective.
My mom would have loved to spin this fiber.
Different animals and different pre-processing treatment lead to differences in the fiber that are readily apparent in both looks and feel of the fiber.
One of several complex machines that take the fiber and begin the process of winding it onto spools of various plies of yarn.
Almost like a magic act, the fiber goes from loosely gathered into a single string of well twisted yarn.
The fiber string is wound onto spools.
Multiple single strings are joined together and rewound to create thicker plied yarn.
Machines can make great art. How about this for a mandala?
This is a 'hank' just before being twisted.
Fall is in the air and this was a purposeful design to celebrate fall.
Juniper berries on the ground.