February 4, 2005

My contemplative mood of the last journal was soon shattered by the frenzy of the rest of the month! We had the regional quarterly meeting of our alpaca organization, Impaca, on the 8th. The members made many decisions about the calendars we will distribute at the national convention here the first week of June. I then picked up two little granddaughters who had the intestinal flu for a sleepover. By the time they went home on Sunday, they had given it to Clark, who was ill from Monday on for two weeks. The only thing that made him feel better was being with his chickens and 'pacas.

We delivered 5 alpacas to their new homes, always a bittersweet moment. These stayed in the valley, though. The maiden and two weanlings who left 1/30 went to New Mexico and that was extremely hard.

Three new knitters began with sessions at our house just before New Year's Day and two of them completed projects by the second week in January. Cindy, an adventurous soul, knitted socks as her second project. She did very well and I was amazed. It took me 35 years before I tried socks. I guess it's like the bumblebee who technically can't fly, but no one told him! Those new yarns are so pretty. I am making a hat with cables as an example because someone asked me if I had a sample other than socks.

Speaking of which, Clark has a beautiful new pair of socks in October Sky yarn. You're right, it's a vibrant turquoise. I was designing a pattern requested by a yarn shop for alpaca sock kits. I wanted the picture to be beautiful. When Clark was asked why he wanted such pretty socks, he said he thought his present was secondary to the design aspect, but he'd take them any way he could get them.

The chickens are still laying! We get 5-8 per day from 9 hens. We thought they'd slow down in the cold weather but, once again, no one told them!

Last Sunday, we went to Kamas and bought 4 new girls. We're really excited about them. Three will have crias in September to go with our four in May. We couldn't have just the 4 babies this summer after 11 last year!

Next month is the dye exchange at our local spinner's guild, so I will continue this with my trials and tribulations with the dye process next month. Do I want to use procion, Koolade, Rit, or my usual?

Happy Valentine's Day. Our grandson was 20, our son is 39 Monday, and our daughter-in-law will be 40 on the 14th, so we are celebrating our wonderful family this month. (Of course, we started with Clark's in January).

Sit, Spin, and Watch the 'Pacas,

Janet

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Janet and Clark Otterness
Alta Mist Alpacas
2531 North Mountain Glen Road
Pine Canyon, Utah 84074
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phone: 435-882-0790
cell: 801-557-4162
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