Living Large on Our Small Farm

Magnolia Blossom Fiber Arts is now a full fledged Fiber Farm. We are living large on our small farm in Goshen, Indiana.

The last time I posted was January 2009, and I listed all the changes that would be taking place this year. Well, all of them happened!

Meet Cirrus, our littlest alpaca at Magnolia Blossom Fiber Farm. He is part of a brotherhood of 3, the other two being Maximillion and El Vaquero. We moved into our little cottage in March '09, amidst sleet and snow. The bathroom was passable, so I said, "Let's go!" Our home on Nathena Lane was for sale, but is now being rented out. (You gotta roll with the economy.) The alpacas arrived in May, a week after Shearing Day at Turkey Creek Alpacas in Milford, IN. So, the photos are of the fellas undressed, looking pretty dorky.

Daniel and Davina married on June 6th, and now live in Greenville, SC. Matt moved into a house at IU with 3 other fellas, and is now cooking for himself. Yeah, Matt! Our house is pretty small, so when Matt comes home for breaks, he sleeps in his room in the pole barn (not kidding!). He remodeled a room for himself, and it looks pretty cool.

The fiber business is still cranking, even with a down economy. The Johnny Appleseed Festival was a success, with myself and 4 other farms together at one exhibit. I worked on my spinning wheel all day and talked with many visiting folks. It was really fun and very tiring. I have several items for sale at Turkey Creek Alpacas' farm store. There are mittens, sweaters, hat and scarf sets, and a shawl. Look for photos on the next blog. Thanks for tuning in.

Fall is a Great Time to Knit!

Fall in Indiana! What an inspiration of color and texture! I love this season here in the heart of the Midwest. Golden corn and soybean fields, red and flame orange maples, fiery red shrubs, crisp blue skies in the early morning, even the post-season appeal of my many flower beds. Many colors of this Fall season translate into yarn designs. I recently purchased several hanks a of lace-weight alpaca/silk blend, in moss green, cranberry, wine, and a muted periwinkle. YUM! I am currently working on a cable-lace stole in a luscious chocolate wool-silk-linen blend. (I think I need a mocha...)

Recently, a beautiful young lady agreed to model a few of my knitted items for sale at the Indiana Alpaca Outfitters shop in the American Countryside Farmers Market (Elkhart, Indiana). The first is a lace alpaca shawl made from Alpaca with a Twist Fino.

The next item is a chunky alpaca/wool (2 strands together) bolero. This is the 3rd of these sweaters I've made. They are sooooo cozy, especially going late fall-early winter. I can custom-make these to a customer's chosen yarn and colors.

A very smart and helpful yarn store owner recently took several knitted baby items on display to her sorority gathering. It was a blessing to those of us who display and sell our items at her store. The ladies bought every item! It is an encouragement to know that even the tiniest hand-knitted items are valued by wee folk (and those who love to shop!)

I want to say "Hey!" to all my knitterly girlfriends. Have a sweet time with your yarns this Fall, drink a mug of Earl Grey w/ French Vanilla creamer, and settle into a nice, comfy easy chair. Stop by the Farmers Market if you get a chance. It's candy for the eyes!

Maggie