The BIG day happens once a year and this year shearing day is scheduled for Friday April 6th. We have a team of 4 guys scheduled to show up first thing in the morning. They move at a fast pace and will most likely be out of here shortly after lunch.
We'll have the alpacas rounded up and waiting for them. All we have to do is hand them a lead line and collect the fleece. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? Actually, there's alot of work involved and we can always use the extra hands.
Once the fleece is collected it needs to be bagged and tagged with that animal's name. Ideally, it would be incredibly wonderful if I could get it skirted at that time too. In all these years I've never managed to pull that off but I'll keep dreaming about it. :)
After the bagging, tagging, the fleece is taken to the fiber studio to await further processing. By then all of the alpacas will be naked, enjoying the spring breezes, and we'll be ready for some food. We set up a good buffet for the shearers and guests to pig out on after a hard days work. Most likely the shearers will eat and run because they will have to move on to the next farm on the list and with any luck I'll start skirting the fleeces so they can be washed, dyed, and processed into yarns at a later date.
If you're interested in watching or participating in shearing day please let me know so I can keep a head count for food. You can reach me on Facebook, or through our website http://www.madavemialpacas.com or you can give me a call at 434-770-1972 to let me know you're coming. You can also find me on Ravalry as "PlyedandDyed".
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