Knitting Help - At last!!

Hooker or Knitter?

Well, I've always gravitated towards crocheting.  It seems more simple to learn and do.  Heck, there is only one tool to use. This is the same reason I picked learning snowboarding versus skiing: 1 board vs. 2 poles & 2 skis.  Nevermind that I only snowboarded once, couldn't sit down for a month without wincing, and decided that I don't have to learn a winter sport just because I live in Colorado.

Anyway, as I was saying, crocheting seemed to be my 'sport' in the crafting world.  But, secretly, I think, I always wished I could learn how to knit.  There are some things that seem to be best done by knitting, some knitting styles that are just too cool, and I absolutely love the idea of mixing knitting and crocheting in different pieces.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no crocheting expert.  I feel that I'm learning all the time and love the textures.  I love crocheting and do not plan to stop.  But, hey, I'm a smart cookie and can learn how to do both, right?  Isn't not trying to learn knitting a lot like giving up before I try?

So, you understand why I'm so excited that I found this site!  It's not new to the scene, I can tell from all its Facebook Fans.  But it is new to me.  Moreover, it seems to have a plethera of information on it!!  I think that I might actually be able to learn knitting!!! (that was said with a raising pitch until I got to the happy giggle at the end!)

Without further ado, I name my new knitting savior: Knitting Help (http://www.knittinghelp.com/)!  I'll be honest that I have not actually tried knitting yet with my two hands, but after looking at the site I have a really good feeling about this!  So good that I am blogging prematurely. :o)  One big reason is that the site's video offering succinctly displays a variety of techniques right next to each other for easy comparison.  I tell you, it is love at first site (pun intended).

I think I've reached a pivotal moment, when I will no longer say "I don't knit" to at least that I'm learning to knit.  I WILL be a well rounded crafter yet: sewing, beading, felting, spinning, crocheting AND knitting!  That's my declaration and promise to myself.  I'll keep you posted on my learning experience here and on Facebook.  Wish me luck!

Feb 2010 Sale: Bred & Proven Female 20% off and Cash Discount -- as low as $3000!

Somora is our February 2010 Sale -- Take 20% off her normal price until the end of February.  An extra $200 discount or transportation credit is applied for full cash price. 

See more about Somora at her Openherd  listing!

Somora is bred to Wolf Den's Wild Rain -- son of the notable true black sire Othello in Idaho. She is due this summer, so you don't have to wait long to see Somora's wonderful cria (baby alpaca).

C'est la vie: If a cat can be a duck, then so can I...

This video is both hilarious and educating... If a cat can 'be a duck' then so can I!
(click on the play to see the cat video)



Have you ever heard of the phrase "like water over a duck's back"?

Well, I'm not an expert on American folk lore and colloquialisms, but I have always taken this to mean that you should let the 'negative' things pass over you like water passes over the duck's specially water-resistant feathers. ..."no big deal," "C'est la vie," "live and let live." You get the picture.

Ironically, for me this has been harder said than done. I like to control things, shape them, make them better, make them mine. A little scary, huh? I quickly discovered that life doesn't let you do that, not really. It's just your perception that you are in control. Then, life likes to jerk the rug out every once in a while just to keep you on your toes (or flat on your back). I swear I can almost here a puerile laugh in my head when I hit the floor, figuratively speaking.

So, my New Year's Resolution a while back was to be a duck. Let the things I couldn't control slide over my back. I rationalized that this was not giving up, that this was being realistic - even more importantly, this was being happier.

You know what? I was right. Don't get me wrong, it's hard work to be a duck. I have to remind myself all the time. I'm a duck, I'm a duck, I'm a... !@*&#@* Argh! What?! Oh yeah, I'm a duck.

But hey, if a cat can look on the positive - getting a drink even if you have to get your head wet - then I can too! We're both ducks!

Tax Time at Autumn Sun Alpacas -- and Your Alpaca Farm, Of Course.

It is tax time again. The time of year you find out if you owe or get money back. They say that if you planned right, with the proper withholding, you will come close to even -- not owing and not getting any money.

I know that is likely true but probably not as easy to do as it sounds. Besides, I always like getting a little back from government, even if I know that meant I gave them too much throughout the year. It feels a little like winning the lottery, just not millions and not really money "given to me."

I always wonder if I am doing all that I can to maximize my return, at the same time I worry that I might of done something wrong. Drawing the attention of the IRS is like attracting the 'eye of Morder' from the Lord of the Rings series.

Therefore, I found it interesting when Etsy included a link to their tax tips page in their latest newsletter. I clicked on the link to take a look around their post, and it seems like there is some good info. Here is the link to their site: Etsy JJMFinace Tax Tips.

Though all their own links in this article redirect to the actual IRS site, I wondered if this article really fully encompassed the IRS information. So I went directly to the IRS site to peruse the official information.

Interestingly, the IRS site was not set up in a question / answer format, but in more of a marketing one with catchy titles for each section, like "Top 10 Reasons.... In reality I'm not really sure which site is more appropriate or easier to use. Of course, I have that link here for you to look at and see for yourself: IRS Tax Tips for 2010.

However, if you have alpaca / farm specific questions, then these sources may not provide any obvious answers to help you at all. I have found that when I Google on "alpaca tax question" a few farms consistently come up with their advice and information. Now, as we all know, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rules as the public opinion indicator of quality sites -- a little bit 'tongue in cheek' there.

I usually peruse around the top search listings for these alpaca farms with their tax postings / forums. I would highly recommend that you look at a few sites to cross-check the information, and maybe even compare back to the IRS site itself whenever possible.

But, of course, the only really safe way to get your answers is to see a tax specialist/lawyer. Hmm, not right there with seeing the dentist for a root canal but along those lines for me.... It is never something to be eagerly anticipated, but sometimes it needs to be done for your own good.

So, here's wishing you the best of luck in your tax return, maybe you will "win" something this year!

Crochet a grocery or book bag? Yes, you can!

I absolutely love the idea of crocheting a bag to use in the grocery or book store, or just around & about! It is the perfect match of functionality and creativity - a mixture of modern city "good looks" and old-fashioned country "craft creation."

So, I find myself eager to peruse though the FREE crochet patterns for bags of all styles that FaveCrafts sends to me in their regular newsletters. Here are some pictures. But, don't stop here at just looking at the pictures! Click on the links and pics to go to the FaveCraft pattern sites, get the one you like, and make a bag individual to YOU! Have fun and post pictures! Mary