Spring is here!

Well the year is certainly moving right along and here we are in November once again!

This coming week we are shearing and for the first time in 14 years it is going to be raining. This  does become a logistical nightmare but luckily I booked the shearer to come over two days so I don't have to put boys in together who don't like each other and am able to put them far enough away from the girls in the shed so we don't get too frisky if you know what I mean!

These last few weeks I seem to have been on Betty my tractor quite a lot lately doing slashing and mowing and it is a bit like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge, when you finish it seems you have to go right back to the beginning and start all over again.  The only ones who seems to think this is fun is Willy and Olive.  Willy is my friendly wagtail who has adopted me and who is my constant companion around the farm (I don't feed him, we just seem to connect) and he loves loud machinery.  Wherever I am on the tractor or mower or indeed just walking around the farm he is always just one post ahead of me singing and bouncing away.  The other day I was in the olive grove slashing and I couldn't see him.  The next thing he comes flying across the road, flaps around in front of the tractor for a bit and then flew off back to where he came from.  The reason I believe was that the neighbours were making silage and they had really big tractors and he just wanted to say that whilst I was here he was really having so much fun with the big tractors that he had to be somewhere else. At least it was nice of him to tell me. I smiled and wished him a happy day.

Olive, our oldest alpaca, probably about 25,  also loves it when I mow the driveway next to her paddock as she loves to eat the fresh grass clippings.  Me being the softy that I am I make sure I cut one way that throws as much grass into her paddock first and then I go back over it the proper way.  Her big eyes just make me melt.

Here is Willy on the fence post earlier this week.

You really can't beat living a life with animals.  One day I will introduce you to my two dogs; Paddington and Archie.  They are indeed a couple of characters and totally BFF.

How are my yurts going I hear you ask......
So with everything going on in the world, alpacas don't talk politics, so we won't go there, the banks have said we can't have anymore money this year to keep building our yurts; my home.  So currently 3 yurts stand at frame stage and no more. What to do? Well work harder is the obvious answer so you might like to check out our website for all that is happening over summer and of course there will be more coming out via our own Nickelby Design range.

So as I look out my studio door to yet another dark and blustery Saturday afternoon in November (go figure!) I do wonder what is to become of us all.  With the latest happenings in America, Brexit and everything here it can be a little frightening so I just take a leaf out of the alpaca's book and just take each day as it comes and live in the moment.  I encourage you all to do the same and be kind to your friends and neighbours and embrace and celebrate their differences.

I will finish up now and promise to share with you how the shearing goes next week and show you some before and after shots.  They do look funny after shearing.

Take care

Yurts come to Darnum

My business has been operating for over eight years now and many of you would know that I managed to build the shop and studio but as yet building a house had eluded me.

Over the years I had designed many houses for my location at the end of the farm, both on paper and in my head and the one I had settled on about 4 years ago was going to have everything that opened and shut and was just lovely.  Unfortunately so was the price tag - yikes!

What is a girl to do? Well I suppose I could have made it a bit smaller (it was rather large) but then I thought every time I tripped over something I would think, if only I could have built the house that I really wanted.  Any of you who have popped your head into my studio will know I am not the tidiest person around!  So I decided I had to design something completely different.  So I did!

On a day when I  really couldn't be bothered doing anything of any significance I did what many of us do and played on the internet.  Somehow I came across yurts and my imagination started to go where it had never gone before.  Maybe I could live in a round house!  Many of you may know but many may not as I am often asked "what's a yurt?"  Yurts are best known as the houses used by Mongolians and they are usually made of felt.  I was pretty sure, whilst I knew I could make the walls with alpaca, our local shire would not allow me to live in a felted house.  More the pity as it would have been cheaper and I do have access to lots of alpaca fleece.  So I found a company in Goulburn in New South Wales and I sent up my plans I had drawn using a dinner plate and two bread and butter plates as my templates to their draftsman of choice who helped me put straight lines around my scribbles.

Six months later three yurts arrived down by truck and they are currently now being put up by my wonderful builder Craig and his team and they are going to be joined together by two "pods" that I put into the design. (no plates used for the pods, they are rectangles!)

So my house of 3 yurts and 2 pods has started and is gaining lots of attention from friends and locals, not to mention the alpacas in the surrounding paddocks. Craig and his team are coping well with the designs and the 4 engineering reports that were required, but that is another story for another day and I now think they are feeling quite pleased with themselves.  However we are yet to get to the roof frames and putting up the cupolas (the glass tops that sit on top of the roofs).  Think I will stay away that day.

Probably one of the hardest parts has been thinking in the round.  Put two French doors side by side and they don't both look at the same view, there is about a 45urt degree difference, so the view you wanted you might miss completely.  All good fun.

The next stage is to make the pods and put on the roof and wrap it up so it is water tight so I have spoken to my 3 dogs to see if they can think of any way of raising more capital but as yet they haven't come up with a plan but I am sure something will turn up.  You never know we might even sell some more alpaca clothing in our shop

Speaking of which, I went to Japan earlier in the year to study SAORI weaving and now Nickelby Designs is producing SAORI garments in our range and they are proving very popular with many special request, so the loom is working overtime.  Here is a sample of what we are producing which you might like to come and see or check out in our online shop.

Well with winter well and truly here I am trying to tell myself that I should get out of the studio and into the olive grove and start my pruning but it is just so very cold and the shop and studio are so much warmer.  If you are passing, pop in for a bowl of soup or a ploughman's platter and a glass of wine or even a coffee and cake and I will update you on the state of my yurts and pods!

Until next time

Angela

IT'S GARDEN PARTY TIME AGAIN

I can't believe another year has flown by. It is twelve months since we had our last garden party/fashion parade here at Nickelby At Darnum and we are just putting the finishing touches on the 2015 gathering which is next Sunday April 12, 1.30-4.30 here at Nickelby.
We always have a great day with music from Sue & Colin Parrish who have a huge following and are great at events like ours where people want to sit back enjoy a wine, a platter of cheese and the wonderful views.  Speaking of wine we have Kouark Wines again here this year with their lovely wines and they are always great fun to spend an afternoon with.
What I have been working hard on is a fashion parade mainly consisting of my own Nickelby Designs but we will also be showing some of the lovely garments that are starting to come into our shop.  You really do need lots of alpaca in your wardrobe and natural fibres are so much better for the environment so it is a win win for everyone.
But I digress. Our Garden Party does require you to book and pay for you tickets before the day, just helps with catering and helps with the amount of running around on the day so if you would like to come along then give me a call on 0419550301 anytime with your credit card details. The cost per person is $25 and the wine if available at "bar prices.  There will be lots of tasty local cheeses etc for you to eat so we hope you can make it.

After the garden party is over I then focus on our large Creative Yarragon Arts Fest weekend with workshops in the arts being held in Yarragon May 16th 17th but more about that later.

As it is Good Friday today I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter break and are taking extra care on the roads. 

The alpacas say "hi"

A busy November

Well it is nearly the end of November and the weather is finally hotting up. It would seem that we have gone straight from Winter to Summer and completely missed my favourite season of the year; Spring. Spring is such a wonderful time, the hint of the warmer days to come, the blossoms blooming, the grass growing and the cattle fattening. But never mind, I am very lucky to live in a beautiful part of Victoria so every day really is beautiful. Well as the title says "A Busy November". As we all start to rush towards thinking about Christmas we finally have sorted out our online shop but don't think when you look at it that these are the only products we sell. It is a huge job setting up a site and it now means that I run two shops but I can promise you there will always be more available in the bricks and mortar by way of garments than on line mainly due to the issues around the sizing of ladies clothing - really need to try it on! The other big milestone we pass each November is alpaca shearing. This year our day went off seamlessly with a band of helpers and a happy shearer which is always a good thing. We started at my farm at 7am and sheared 43 alpacas and 3 very fat sheep and then moved onto two other farms so it was a long day in the end and I am always glad when it is over, all the animals are back in their paddocks with shelter or whatever they need and I can put my feet up with a glass of wine. Little Nickelby Gatsby and Nickelby Darcy had a huge day. Not only did they get shorn, they had their brass ear tags put in their ears and they left their mums to go and live with the big boys. I am pleased to announce that they have settled in very well but do look rather funny as they are so much smaller than the others but they are holding their own. The other exciting development is that we are dying our own yarn now using 100% alpaca and having a great time playing around with colours. These are available instore and some come on line. They are great for freeform work or scrumbling as it is also know or to put trims on jumpers or to knit up a hat for next Winter.

This one I have called Dusk and is available on line and in store

Well that is about it for November so good luck with getting ready for Christmas and I plan to blog again before then xx

A busy November

Well it is nearly the end of November and the weather is finally hotting up. It would seem that we have gone straight from Winter to Summer and completely missed my favourite season of the year; Spring. Spring is such a wonderful time, the hint of the warmer days to come, the blossoms blooming, the grass growing and the cattle fattening. But never mind, I am very lucky to live in a beautiful part of Victoria so every day really is beautiful. Well as the title says "A Busy November". As we all start to rush towards thinking about Christmas we finally have sorted out our online shop but don't think when you look at it that these are the only products we sell. It is a huge job setting up a site and it now means that I run two shops but I can promise you there will always be more available in the bricks and mortar by way of garments than on line mainly due to the issues around the sizing of ladies clothing - really need to try it on! The other big milestone we pass each November is alpaca shearing. This year our day went off seamlessly with a band of helpers and a happy shearer which is always a good thing. We started at my farm at 7am and sheared 43 alpacas and 3 very fat sheep and then moved onto two other farms so it was a long day in the end and I am always glad when it is over, all the animals are back in their paddocks with shelter or whatever they need and I can put my feet up with a glass of wine. Little Nickelby Gatsby and Nickelby Darcy had a huge day. Not only did they get shorn, they had their brass ear tags put in their ears and they left their mums to go and live with the big boys. I am pleased to announce that they have settled in very well but do look rather funny as they are so much smaller than the others but they are holding their own. The other exciting development is that we are dying our own yarn now using 100% alpaca and having a great time playing around with colours. These are available instore and some come on line. They are great for freeform work or scrumbling as it is also know or to put trims on jumpers or to knit up a hat for next Winter.

This one I have called Dusk and is available on line and in store

Well that is about it for November so good luck with getting ready for Christmas and I plan to blog again before then xx

Happy Memories

Today was a day to remember a dear friend of Nickelby At Darnum. Two weeks ago our friend Jo Butters died in her sleep aged 63. Jo was one of the ladies who started Nickelby Nutty Knitters over 4 years ago. Nutty knitters is a group who meet here once a month to knit and crochet and originally it was to undertake free form / scrambling work, throw all learning a and patterns to the wind and just do whatever. Over the years it was really only Jo and myself who stayed true to this concept and others went back to safer territory which was fine as we all had such a lovely day it didn't really matter what we did.

However after Jo's death I made the announcement that we were all going to spend the next two nutty sessions scrumbling and putting together a piece which I would then have framed and display in the shop in honour of our founding Nutty Knitter.

Well today was the day. I wished Jo had been here to a) help me answer all their fun complaints about how they like straight lines, patterns and to know what they were doing at all times and b) to share in the laughter and fun that was had making all the pieces and discovering that it was actually fun and they were good at it.

Jo's funeral is tomorrow and we will all miss her very much but in a few months there will be a fun piece of work hanging in the shop honouring her and that will continue to keep her love of all things creative in our hearts. RIP Jo and may their be the biggest stash of yarn in heaven that you never run out.

Here is the start of our piece

Wow! What a wonderful couple of years

It has been such a long time since I did the blogging thing and it is not because I haven't been thinking about it. It is mainly because I have been caught up getting my head around the world of social media whilst still trying to run the farm, expand my own clothing and accessory range; Nickelby Designs, and for most of 2011 and 2012 travelling all over the state of Victoria speaking to women as the 2011 RIRDC Victorian Rural Woman of the Year. I clocked up over 37 engagements and they are still continuing but I have stopped counting!

I know, I hear you say, whow, you should have been blogging about all those wonderful events like the time I met the ladies who were hit by devastating floods in Charlton and we shared a wonderful day or the time I spoke in South Gippsland to the business group and of course of the wonderful experience of being the Australia Day Ambassador for the Baw Baw Shire in 2012 and again in 2013.  But hey, I am slack and these days, quite disorganised!
So life has settled down a little bit more, I picked my first harvest from my olive trees this year and everything is brewing nicely so I have my fingers crossed that it turns out to be yummy as I already know it will be healthy.

On the alpaca front we have 40 something animals on the farm and I also currently have 14 steers which I purchased late last year to eat the grass and of course we have one of the driest Summers so we didn't have much grass anyway so I was left just shaking my head and saying "why?".  I also have my uncles 4 horses and 3 fat sheep on the farm who came early last year for 3 months and who are all still here. Families!  If you follow Nickelby At Darnum on Facebook you can read about the antics that this menagerie undertake each day.

As my own range of alpaca garments and accessories comes to life under the banner of Nickelby Designs I have decided that the blog will not only share life on the farm but also my successes and not so successes in the world of textiles as there are so many lovers out there of all things natural and hand made Australian product it just might be of interest to some.

The other scary piece of work I am working on at the moment is getting the online shop up and running!!!!!!!!!! It is such a lot of technical work that my poor IT guy has to tell me what to do in small bite size pieces so I can remember it all, but I am enjoying doing the work with his guidance and not just paying someone to do it.  The next step is to "talk" to the bank about all those fees they charge for the privilege of using their merchant facilities.

Well another beautiful cold winter's day is drawing to close here at Nickelby At Darnum and the alpacas are looking to be let out of their day paddock and the 3 fat sheep have escaped from their area again so I have some talking to do with Geraldine - thankfully she has a collar so I can drag her back to where she and her "babies" Jase and Joee belong.

Until next time stay safe and smile every day.  I read the other day that those who knit are happier people so get knitting!!

Best Wishes

Angela