Australia bound...New Adventures for Fiberton Acres...part dos...

So where did I leave off....

Hitting the road in my sort-of-converted van!

Well...let me back up a little.

After my split, I had decided to begin a whole new career. As you are well aware of if you follow my blog or social media (or Etsy shop), I am an avid yarn crafter and love working with animals.  About 5 years ago or so, I met an alpaca shearer who I was quite impressed with at a shearing day and I caught the bug.  I asked to help out whenever he came through the area.  It was fascinating work, and it dovetailed so well into my passions for travel, animal husbandry and fiber arts. And it was a physical challenge that I loved.

And in 2018, I was invited to be the worker for Shorn Shearing on all of the California and Arizona loops of the shearing season. It was an eye opening experience, and I was excited to begin learning to actually shear.  I sheared my sheep at the time, and then those of a friend with a small herd.  I was slow and it kicked my butt, but I loved it.

Shearing Champ, my wether ram...very slowly...

Then I got the invite of a lifetime for a girl who wanted nothing more than to see the world and do this work.  Working with the shearer at the largest recorded alpaca farm in the world...in Australia.

Me?!  Could I do it?  Could I keep up and work with 150 lb alpacas all day long for close to 4 weeks straight?  I knew I could, or at least I knew I was stubborn enough to do everything I could to make it happen.  There was no f'ing way I would let this opportunity pass me up.

So that is when I quit my day job, made the difficult decision to find loving homes for my animals, and made some tearful goodbyes to family and friends.

I took a train from Paso Robles down to LAX and then boarded my 15 hr Virgin Australia flight to Sydney one late October evening.  Is there a word that means scared/excited/self-doubting/eager/proud all wrapped into one?  Because that was me. (Scexselfdoeagpro...? No...that sounds like something weird you'd find in an unsavory location online...hmmm....don't google that. lol)

Soon enough I found myself on a new continent for the first time in my life.  I got into a car on the wrong side, and drove down the wrong side of the streets, which was both exciting and terrifying after sleep deprivation.

A cool alley in Cooks Hill, New South Wales

Merino sheep sculpture/building!

I spent my time there getting to do some sight seeing, as well as working the hardest I had ever done.  I liken it to running a marathon (which I have only done a full marathon once)...you question what you're doing (and why) over the course of it many times, but you feel an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment at the end.  My hands were swollen to the point where I had to cut several rings off and I was exhausted but I grew quite a bit stronger, both mentally and physically.

My first day...and first view of a truly full shearing shed. Soon to be much cooler alpacas!

After cutting my first ring off...

And after the first week and an empty shearing shed!

Our biggest day!  113 alpacas sheared! 

I also proved to myself and those in the shearing shed that I could do it. (I was the first female worker they have had in there in that capacity...) And I made some awesome new friends.

It was bittersweet heading "home"... I knew I was going back to the uncertainty of my new life...to a packed up van ready for new travels but to places I was still unsure of.  I was also excited to see my friends and family back in the states and recount some of the tales...like of the crazy (to me) animals I saw, and the lovely beaches I relaxed on and the great food and show off my new muscles.

Beach in Terrigal, NSW

Just a normal sized lizard to Australians...

And a 'small' spider...

At the zoo...these are like seagulls over there!

Sydney Opera House

Blowhole rock feature in Kiama, NSW

A koala at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney

So really...it was then I hit the road...

More soon!

Ash

Podcast 13- Cast Iron! Third try was a success

After multiple failures we have a success!
Computer crashes, memory issues, and some other things I don't remember made us a bit late on this wonderful episode all about cast iron!

Cast iron is great and wonderful but FYI those wrought iron fences attracts ghosts.

Check out the episode on your fav podcast player, or click right here to listen directly on SoundCloud.

Hobby Farms Cast Iron Article (and other useful links)

Fiberton Acres and New Products

Our Instagram

Our Patreon Page!

Our Email List!

All the Apparatus, our intro and outro music!

Hippity to the Hoppity (AKA our angora rabbit podcast episode)

In this week's episode, we talk about something we actually have some experience with!  Angora bunny-heads!  You can listen directly here at Soundcloud, or through iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you find your podcasts!  (Don't forget to totally help us out by rating, reviewing, etc, as that helps more people find us!

(We go hard.)

Some of the things we reference this week...

Our Patreon Page!

Our Email List!

Keeping Up with the Clampetts New Podcast (and previous intro and outro music musician)!

And All the Apparatus, our new intro and outro music!

And this awesome cookbook...see Ric, you can totally find it online...

(My new favorite...it is going to make us fat. Don't care.)

Hearts Handwarmer Knitting Pattern

Hey Folks!  We are super stoked about two things.  First, we are finally back to offering some new yarn crafting patterns with today's "Hearts Hand Warmers"!  And secondly, this also marks our first in crafting kits we will be offering in our Etsy Shop!

For being our loyal follower, we would love to offer you the pattern for free here.  (Speaking of, don't miss future patterns and updates by signing up here for our little newsletter!)

For our new kits, we will be offering quality and eco-friendly materials with our patterns in fun, reusable packaging whenever possible. In this kit, the first of its kind, we will give you just the right amount of our hand spun wool which we dyed (using non-toxic food grade dyes) in fun bright colors, as well as the warming pouches made from organic cotton fabric and filled with organic flax seed.  This is a fast and easy gift for your beau on Valentine's Day or a special little gift for yourself!

You can find one of our kits here!  We have several different color combos, so make sure to peek around!

This is just the start of our kits, so if you are not a knitter, don't worry, we will have some other yarncrafting kits for you all soon!

Ash

Granny Chic a Week Knit and Fabric Heart Potholder

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you go through them to make a purchase I can earn a commission.  But I only link to products that I recommend based on my experience with them, not because of the commission. :)

Hey there fine friends! This is a little late...it is really last week's project.  But better late than never, right?

So to get ready for Valentine's Day, what better than a little hand knit gift, perfect for your bestie or great as a hostess gift!

Cute, right?  It is an awesome fast little project to whip up for you knitters out there.  Then just a little more cutting and some quick hand stitching, and you are set!

Here is what you need to make this project:

• Scrap yarn in 2 contrasting colors - about 100 yards of main color (MC) and about 20 yards contrasting color (CC)
• Size 10US Straight Knitting Needles
• Scissors
• Wool felt approx 8x8
• Scrap of fabric approx 8.5x8.5in
• Matching thread
• Sewing Needle
• Crochet hook (optional for hanger)

How to make the cute lil' potholder:

Knitted side:

Abbreviations:

Kn: Knit

P: Purl

MC: Main Color

CC: Contrast Color
RS: Right Side
WS: Wrong Side

NOTES: You will be working in seed stitch throughout, except for the contrast color, which is done in stockinette.  When you get to the heart color work, pay attention to the change in the pattern.  And you can leave the yarn behind on the wrong side while changing colors, but make sure not to pull too tight, which will cinch up your fabric and it will not lay flat.

Here we go....

In MC, cast on 40 stitches in your preferred method.  

Rows 1-6 :Seed stitch pattern - *kn1p1 - repeat from * across each row.  

Row 7 (RS): Switch to CC and knit across.

Row 8: Continue in CC, Purl.  Cut yarn and secure ends.

Row 9 (RS): In MC, knit.

Rows 10 -11: Seed stitch - *kn1p1 - repeat from * across each row.

Row 12 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 10 times (20 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p1. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 13 (RS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 9 times (18 stitches).  Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn3. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, p1.  Return to kn1p1 to end.

Row 14 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 9 times (18 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p5. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 15 (RS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 8 times (16 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn7. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 16 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 8 times (16 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p9. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 17 (RS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 7 times (14 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn11. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 18 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 7 times (14 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p13. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 19 (RS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 6 times (12 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn15. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 20 (WS - NOTE: No increases in CC): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 6 times (12 stitches). Kn1. Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p13. Keep tail at WS, return to MC. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 21 (RS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 6 times (12 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn15. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 22 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 6 times (12 stitches). Kn1. Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p15. Keep tail at WS, return to MC. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 23 (RS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 6 times (12 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn15. Keep tail at WS, return to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 24 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 6 times (12 stitches). Kn1. Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p15. Keep tail at WS, return to MC. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 25 (RS - NOTE - Decreasing of CC begins): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 6 times (12 stitches). Kn1. Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn6. Keep tail at WS, return to MC and p1. With CC, kn6. With MC, continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 26 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 7 times (14 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p5. Keep tail at WS, return to MC and p1,kn1p1. With CC, p5. With MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 27 (RS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 7 times (14 stitches).  Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, kn3. Keep tail at WS, return to MC and p1,kn1,p1,kn1,p1(total of 5 stitches in MC). Then, with CC, kn3. Back to MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end.

Row 28 (WS): Kn1,p1 (seed stitch) 8 times (16 stitches). Keeping MC at back (WS), switch to CC, p1. Keep tail at WS, return to MC and p1.  Kn1p1 pattern 3times (total of 7 stitches in MC). With CC, p1. With MC, P1. Continue kn1p1 to end. Clip CC and secure ends.

Rows 29-32: Kn1,p1 across.

Row 33: With CC, kn across.

Row 34: With CC, purl across.

Rows 36-39: Kn1,p1 across.

Row 40: In kn1,p1 pattern, bind off.

Now you are done knitting!  Whew! Now to finish....

Take your finished square and lay it on your felt.  Cut out felt to match size of knitted fabric.

Now take your fabric, and cut about half an inch larger than the wool and knitted fabric size.

Take your handy iron, and press under about 1/2in of the fabric on each side.

Sandwich your felt in between your knitted fabric and regular fabric (making sure right sides are facing out.)  Hand stitch the sandwich closed with a whip or invisible stitch.

And you are done! If you would like a little hanger for the corner, grab your main color and a crochet hook and chain 10, and then secure onto a corner.

We hope you enjoy it!  We will try and get a grid of the pattern out asap, too!

If you make this cutie, make sure to use #fibertonacres on social media so we can check it out!  We would love to see your creations!  And if this is all too much, you can just buy one at our Etsy shop here!

Thanks again!

Ash

PS - If you want a PDF version to download, head here and click on the tutorial!

Adventures in Animals, Plants and Fiber

I love that even though we live right by a highway (like a stone's throw away), we can still take in plenty of nature.  Whether it's getting to walk with the sheep through the lush grass that this year's much needed rains have watered, watching the different birds of the area, new growth from the rose cuttings we planted, cuddling with our domesticated animals (I decided that fits here) or playing with fiber (I think that is kind of nature-y...right?)

So here are a few snapshots of our adventures with animals, both wild and tamed, plants and fiber as of late.

Cleaning and carding some beautiful onyx black alpaca fiber to make this lovely yarn...

The day when over 20 vultures decided our trees were a great place to rest.  (A few facts: 1) that many vultures just hanging out in your yard is a little unnerving, 2) it also prompts you to go check on every single one of your animals 3) a group of vultures is called a 'wake'.  Also creepy. 4) It was pretty spectacular, too.)

The rose that is growing from some lovely cut roses I received just before Christmas...

Or the cute little blue bird (not sure if it is a jay or blue bird) that let me take his picture while walking the dog...

Just loving our super silly-riffic animals....  

Like the shoulder kitty...

Contortionist kitty...

Goofy itch angora rabbit....

Sleep little bunny...

Or our Rocky the ram, who wiggles his tail when he gets scratches...

What fun nature-y things have you seen lately?

Ash

Holiday sale at Fiberton!

It is definitely the holiday season!  This evening it even rained here on the Central Coast of Cali, which is kind of the closest we get to winter weather!  I wasn't sure I was ready for the cooler weather, but I broke out my big crazy bulky knit house socks and my sweaters and I am feeling pretty good about it now.  Plus, it is kind of the best time of the year to be in the fiber arts!

Speaking of which, we totally want to extend the fun and cheer to our awesome blog readers with a little sale at our Etsy shop. 

We already have a deal going right now that if you buy a hook or needle organizer, an upcycled project bag, or a ball of yarn you get a free hand carved crochet hook.  BUT...drumroll please...for all our awesome blog readers, we are offering free shipping! Just use the coupon code "secret" (wink wink) at checkout now until Dec 18th! Check out our shop here!

I have been working on new yarns which will be up on the shop tomorrow, as well as knitting some cowls with fibers we spun and lovely chunky buttons we made.

Drop spinning alpaca by the tree.

Knitting in the evening (note all the yarn related objects in the background...haha!)

We hope the season treats you well!  

Ash and Ric

Welcome to Fiberton, Rocky and Adrian!

After a bunch of work on fencing and prepping for them, we are excited to announce the arrival of our new Shetland Sheep, Rocky and Adrian!

These two now have a nice big pasture to graze to their little hearts' content!  Here are a few quick and interesting facts about these guys:

• Shetland Sheep are a Heritage Breed and are currently in recovery.  According to The Livestock Conservancy, Heritage breeds are traditional livestock breeds that were raised by our forefathers. These are the breeds of a bygone era, before industrial agriculture became a mainstream practice. Heritage animals once roamed the pastures of America’s pastoral landscape, but today these breeds are in danger of extinction.
  
• Shetland sheep are fine boned and small in size. Rams weigh 90–125 pounds, and ewes weigh 75–100 pounds. Most rams have spiraled horns, while most ewes are polled. Shetland sheep are calm and charming in disposition, docile, and intelligent.  (They are so small and cute!)
  
• The Shetland breed is especially prized for its wool, which is fine, soft, and strong. Fleeces average two to four pounds and vary in crimp from wavy to straight. (Yay!  It will be awesome for yarn!)

This is Adrain.  And guess what...we think she will be having a baby soon!

And this lovely chocolate brown guy is Rocky! He is so funny and playful!  And so protective of his gal.

They love their new home!  

It is a whole new experience getting sheep, but we are excited to learn all we can and work with these two little cuties!  Stay tuned for more soon!

Ash

How is it already November? (AKA - Time to start the holiday crafts!)

Ok, ok, I know November has just begun, but in the crafting world it is totally time to get ready for the holidays!  And I have to admit, I am kind of having fun.

Little Leia also likes the colors I chose for the Autumn Bunting Banners...

I have started on new bunting banners for the holidays, including this one with Thanksgiving or Autumn colors.  Perfect for decorating your front door or your dining room for the holiday festivities.

I have also begun working on stockings.  I love the chunky, big, sort-of-pottery-barn stockings.  So I created my own pattern (which I will release soon) for a fun crochet stocking.

I am pretty happy with how it turned out!  I will be offering folks the option to choose whatever color they like that will match their home.

I have a few other holiday items on the hooks and needles I will show off soon!

Are you getting ready for the holidays at all yet?  Or are you like the hubby and think I am way too early?

Ash