OUR SMALL HERD

Our original four boys came from Ardo Alpacas in Aberdeenshire. We are not alpaca breeders and have our boys purely as pets. Our experience is that you don't need to be a breeder and that a 'batchelor herd' can give much pleasure to the owner. We have 5 acres including our big garden and grazing for the boys, 15 miles north of Inverness, Scotland. I spin, knit, felt and crochet with the fleece from the boys.

Clicking!!

Just a reminder that clicking on (most) of the photos will show them greatly enlarged.

Sunday, 14 November 2010

More knitting and stuff!

Bad weather this week meant more time for knitting indoors!  This shows a neck band (top left) and a cable scarf I've knitted.    Fergus's fleece was used for the scarf whilst the neck band is Fidget's fleece.    The scarf is completely reversible and has a loop to hold it in place if necessary.
We moved the boys to the top paddocks this week to let them get at the better grass before winter really hits us.  Here are some of the boys with the Highland cattle Lola, Freda and (wee!) Hamish further up the slope.  Faro is approaching and displaying his usual recognition signal when he sees us of his tail thrown up over his back.  The reference books say that this is also a sign of submission, and/or aggression but Faro doesn't present either a submissive posture or aggression.  Being the herd's guard this signal is obviously also for the other boys' information as well as a sign to us.
A rear shot of Faro with his tail flicked over his back again.  Rufus is also in the photo and you may have to magnify this to see it more clearly.  Faro is the only one of the boys who uses this tail signal, we've never seen any of the other boys use it.
And finally......... I think Robbie could have used a different camera setting when he took this photo which would have lightened the scene a bit.  However, perhaps a bit of magnification will show the boys in their paddock (middle left) with the Highlands lying down in their part of the field (middle right).  The shot was taken facing west towards Glen Strathfarrer, Strath Glass  and Glen Affric with patches of mist rolling up the hillsides.

4 comments:

  1. Great photo of Faro showing us what he hasn't got!

    Lovely scarf Shirley, I have my Mum knitting something very similar...I have not advanced to cable yet myself...it's slow but I am progressing!

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  2. Very nice knitting !.....I have a tail flicker !!..Duke always has his tail up ...when you say hello....funny how they all have different personalities.....Jayne

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  3. I really loved your neck scarf with the pretty frilly bottom and little neck band. What a great idea for keeping it in place! and thanks to the boys for giving up their fur!! ...debbie

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  4. I know what you mean about the bad weather means more knitting time - I never seem to have enough knitting time to keep the stock levels up!

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