Yesterday, we played hookey from packing to visit the guild Dyeing Day, held at a member’s home. Our excuse was that we needed to meet up with some of the others involved in the Roman demo. While we were there, we got cuddly with some of her beautiful guanacos (members of the llama/alpaca family with wonderfully fine spinnable coats, only 18 microns thick).
Unfortunately the camera batteries ran out before they came across to make friends, but here are the best of what we did get. Click on the thumbnails for full-size versions, as usual, and use your browser back button to return here.
First, the boss of the herd .. well he thinks he is, anyway, and the third picture shows him about to spit at the upstart collie who was teasing him from outside the fence.
One of the breeding females. Rys thought she was going to spit at me, but she was actually very friendly.
… and another female …
… but my favourites were the crias (the youngsters). Two were particularly friendly. They cuddled and snuggled and rested their heads on our shoulders, and breathed in our faces (no, not ugh … lovely sweet breath) and tried to suck our T-shirts and … well, they were just adorable.
Unfortunately, one of the friendly crias is a male, and his lack of fear and espect would make him dangerous as an adult male, so he will have ‘the snip’ in a couple more months.
Comments
What gorgeous animals. Have you spun any of their fiber? It sounds just luscious.
Hi! Yes, I’ve spun a little of it. It is very short and fluffy, only slightly longer than camel down, so I find it a challenge. It is wonderfully soft, though. I hope to do better with it once I’m more comfortable using my charkha.
The owner now harvests spinning fibre for herself and friends by brushing, as removing the guard hair after shearing is too much of a hassle.
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