Blue Moon Alpaca Farm
Being the avid knitter and yarn collector that I am, I was thrilled to discover that there is an alpaca farm only a few miles away from where I live. I’ve always wanted to own a few alpacas and spin my own yarn; and, by always I mean for like the last year. I was dying to go check out Blue Moon Ranch and get the low down on alpaca raising, shearing and yarn spinning.
When we arrived we were greeted by the owner of the ranch, Linda Gardner who ushered us right into the fields so we could say hello to her beloved alpaca herd. Linda has 64 alpacas on her ranch and knows the names of each and every one. She adores them and they clearly adore her. The friendliest of her herd is a black beauty named Scarlet O’Hara, who will even let you take a selfie with her!
I had a million questions for Linda who was incredibly patient and answered them all. She told me the most important thing about Alpacas is that they are herd animals. If you decide you want to try your hand at raising them you need at least two and preferably four to keep them happy and comfortable. Surprisingly a small herd of four really only needs about one acre of land to graze on. That is if you don’t plan to breed them. If you do want to breed you need enough land to keep the males separate from the females. Lady alpacas have no heat cycle and are induced ovulaters. Meaning the act of mating is what causes their egg to release. So if you’ve got a bunch of horny males wandering about your herd they can impregnate your females pretty much any time they want. Hence, the need to keep the males separate because, lets face it, when is any male not horny?
If you’re simply planning to raise alpacas for fiber, as I would be doing, it’s a relatively simple task. Just 2-4 alpacas, an acre of land and hay for feeding. Linda says she has her babies sheared only once a year. She’s able to get 5 pounds of fiber from each animal and that does not include fleece from their bellies, legs or head. Linda brings in a company called Biosecure Alpaca Shearing to do all the hard work of removing the fleece from the herd. Linda tells me the company was started by a young man who’s mother taught him to shear her sheep due to a lack of professionals who could help her. Now because of his years of experience, Linda claims his company and crew are the best at gently and carefully shearing her beloved herd. The ten crews of four travel across the country shearing alpacas. You need only call and get yourself on their schedule to ensure your herd will be taken care of. Once the shearing is complete the fleece needs to be hand washed and dried. At that point it becomes roving, or the beginnings of the yarn one would knit with.
Once you have your roving it needs to be dyed, though I’m sure you could leave it au natural if you wanted. Again, Linda seeks outside help for the dying process. She feels strongly about supporting local businesses by hiring out for things she doesn’t feel she has the time or energy to do herself. Something I whole heartedly support as well. The mordent from natural dyes can be toxic so Linda uses a company that dyes with acid which is actually vinegar. Her yarns end up absolutely beautiful in an array of delicious colors.
Once the roving has been dyed it then needs to be spun. Without spinning it, the fiber easily pulls apart and has no strength to it. Linda says spinning the yarn on her numerous wheels is how she spends her evenings. I have to say it looked quite meditative and relaxing. I’m kinda dying to try it.
Linda sells her yarn from an adorable shed on her property. I have always dreamed of having a yarn shop, and this time I truly mean “always!” Linda’s little yarn haven really inspired me, though I’m sure it takes a lot more work and effort to supply and run than I’m imagining. I could have spent hours in there just watching her spin yarn and admiring her wares. She even sells homemade soaps. It’s the perfect cozy little yarn shop dedicated to her love and care for her alpacas.
I’m so grateful to Linda for her time and allowing us to check out her incredibly wonderful alpaca farm. Who knows, maybe this time next year I’ll have a mini heard of my own! Fingers crossed!
35 Comments
Wow, the alpacas are so cute! Loved all the pictures and details, it makes me want to go visit an alpaca farm. The yarn is beautiful. I hope you get your alpaca mini heard soon: )
October 3, 2016 at 2:55 amFiona
You should have a yarn shop in Wasilla, Alaska and let me run it for you I have already dreamed of having one too but the funds just aren’t there for me!
October 3, 2016 at 3:28 amLove your detailed blog on your vist to the Blue Moon Ranch. Such great info on the Alpaca’s. That is the cutest little shop ever! I want to start knitting in my free time again. Love you and your blogs. Thanks for sharing.
October 3, 2016 at 3:42 amFamily portrait
October 3, 2016 at 5:55 amFYI-spinning gets as addictive as knitting…
October 3, 2016 at 6:16 amMy mother owns an Alpaca farm in NJ. They are cute little animals. She has about 40 right now. I have a scraf made from crea fiber and its soooo soft. Glad you had a great experience!
October 3, 2016 at 11:32 amI adore alpacas! My family teases me about my obsession. I will be anxiously awaiting your spinning report!
October 3, 2016 at 12:38 pmI am absolutely fond of the last alpaca picture : what an amazing haircut!
October 3, 2016 at 12:46 pmI would Love to visite this farm but I am a bit too far (i’m french)… Seemed to be a great experience, Thank you for sharing it with us.
Oh how adorable! I need t get back into knitting!
October 3, 2016 at 1:15 pmTHANKS FOR SHARING…THIS WEEKEND I ATTENDED THE” THIRD ANNUAL” FIBER FAIR IN OUR TOWN . IT WAS AMAZING …LOTS OF YARN, YARN, YARN, WOMEN WEAVING, SPINNING … I AM NEW TO KNITTING, BUT I ALSO HAVE A DEEP DESIRE TO RAISE ALPACA OR SHEEP FOR THEIR WOOL … AND SHEER, DYE AND SPIN MY OWN YARN FOR FUTURE PROJECTS . IT IS A DREAM! I SIGNED UP FOR A WEAVING CLASS, AND I PURCHASED SOME WOVING AND MADE A FEW DRYER BALLS (DEFINATELY GOING TO BE CHRISTMAS GIFTS).
October 3, 2016 at 1:19 pmPlease do keep us posted on your learning to spin. This is a delightful read.
October 3, 2016 at 1:45 pmKatherine, I really enjoyed reading this blog. It makes me feel like I have really met you! You are a wonderful actress, but the main reason I started reading is because of our common love of knitting, and really, all things yarn. I’m glad you got the learn to spin kit. I took a class a few years back and was hooked immediately. I now have several drop spindles and a wheel, and have even taught a couple of my grandchildren who were interested. So I just wanted to encourage you that you CAN do it. I’m excited for you and can’t wait to see your results!
October 3, 2016 at 2:41 pmThese alpacas are so cute!!! Really gets me revved up for knitting today!!!
October 3, 2016 at 3:10 pmThank you for sharing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your words. Hope all works out and those adorable creatures live under your name.
October 3, 2016 at 3:18 pmMy vet raises alpacas. They have 36. His wife does all of this. So interesting to watch the process. Thanks for sharing and good luck with a few or a herd!!!
October 3, 2016 at 6:21 pmThank You for sharing. I enjoying seeing all your projects.
October 3, 2016 at 7:50 pmSo excited that you have discovered the wonderful world of alpacas! Utah has many wonderful alpacas and farms. Welcome to the family, from my farm to yours! Uinta Alpacas
October 3, 2016 at 7:54 pmI knit and this makes me want to take up spinning too! Awesome that the farm is not far from where you live. Just joined your blog and I’m loving it already!
October 4, 2016 at 1:33 amMy mom lives next to an alpaca farm! Love them! They are too cute!
October 4, 2016 at 4:24 amSuch beautiful pictures!!! I wish i had the time and energy to create such a haven! I hope you really go for it! Hugs!
October 4, 2016 at 8:19 amWe live on 6 acres, if we were going to plan on staying & NOT selling & moving I would so Love to start my own Herd, how Amazing Katherine, you Inspire me!!! These animals are so wonderful! I pray that more high profile people with adopt within our states, like Sandra Bullock, we have so many babies & children right here in our own back yards that need Lovimg warm families like yours & Sandra’s
October 4, 2016 at 12:34 pmI’d love to know what you’re knitting for baby! I’m almost 19 weeks pregnant with a little girl and need some knitting inspiration.
October 4, 2016 at 3:27 pmGod I adore alpacas! I would so much love to some of my own. We have a herd in our village and they are sooo cute!! Please let us know when you get these cuties!
October 5, 2016 at 8:57 amThis was so interesting!
October 10, 2016 at 12:17 amI had a herd of 12….They are by far the easiest livestock to raise, and mine loved my kids. Buy a few, see how you like them. You won’t regret it!
October 10, 2016 at 11:25 pmThank you so much for sharing this! I’m new to Utah and thanks to your blog, I was able to go to Blue Moon last week. Linda is so easy to talk to, I picked up some great finds in her shop. The beautiful country views were a bonus. Keep sharing your awesome Utah finds! Especially if you know of any awesome book clubs or knitting/crafting gals gathering!
October 11, 2016 at 3:17 amOh my goodness! I might have just squealed out in delight as soon as I started reading this latest post. How cute was that little yarn shop?!!?? And the Alpacas! Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for sharing!
October 15, 2016 at 6:39 pmDid any of them spit in you?
October 22, 2016 at 12:48 pmI love to knit with alpaca yarn. They are the cutest little buggers ever! Thanks for the tour!
October 23, 2016 at 1:21 amDear Katherine, I just discovered your blog. I love it already. It was a pleasant suprise to learn that you are into knitting! I am a knitter too (sonnentaler on ravelry) – and I took up spinning four years ago. I was dying to learn to spin, because, well, how cool is it, being able to make your OWN yarn, right? It’s magical. Making things from scratch, you know? So satisfying. So … earthy. So low-tech. The feeling of fiber running through your fingers and the sheepy smell … aaah. Like hugging a sheep (or an alpaca). So, have fun on your journey! I hope you’ll love it. I’m sure you will! (And do try a wheel, it’s not as scary as it may seem). I would love to see your handspun from your own alpacas someday.
November 27, 2016 at 7:51 pmHappy spinning!
I so enjoyed reading about this little Alpaca Farm. Crocheting became a huge part of my life a few years ago when my Mom taught me, and wool is my obsession. Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes me happier than finding beautiful, hand spun wool and dreaming up a project for it. Feeling the wool between your fingers and seeing something work up before your eyes gives me such peace and quiets my mind like nothing else ever has. What a wonderful dream to have your very own Alpaca Farm and wool shop! I hope you make it a reality. Someday, if I find myself in Utah, I will perhaps purchase a beautiful, hand spun skein of alpaca wool from your shop Take care and go make that dream a reality!
January 4, 2017 at 1:12 pmI LOVE alpacas! I hope to own a few myself, and being a fellow yarn junkie, I would raise them for their fiber as well. My life dream is to own my own yarn shop. We live near an old mill that has been transformed into an antique mall of sorts and there are many shops in there but no yarn shop. I dream of one day opening my yarn shop in that mill. If I can ever figure out how to start! Maybe one day you could visit my yarn shop
January 17, 2017 at 11:57 amAlpacas are the cutest creatures EVER! Thank you for the glimpse in to your lovely life!
January 18, 2017 at 4:31 pmMs. Heigl I am so pleased to hear you have experienced Alpaca – both the animal and the products. I am the executive director of the Alpaca Owners Association and am so happy to hear how much you love these animals. One of your co-stars even owns Alpaca. Anyway, would love to talk Alpaca with you and invite you to attend either our national halter show in Denver in March or our annual fleece conference in July. My email is bud@alpacainfo.com and my phone is 402-437-8483. Hope we can talk more about Alpaca.
February 16, 2017 at 8:22 pmThe blue moon ranch is having a class for people who are interested in owning alpacas this Saturday feb 25 from 1p.m.-3p.m. All the info is on their website. Hope this helps.
February 24, 2017 at 4:39 pm