Wide Sky Ranch

04/05/2024

01/27/2024

06/26/2023

Thanks to all my FB friends who have purchased our alpaca felted soaps. Now as before, we buy all of our soaps from women who make them. This week I am busy wet felting a new plant based set of fantastic ones. All 5 oz! Here are a few.

11/28/2022

This Thursday will be the last day this week and next that our Etsy shop,WideSkyRanch, will be shipping out orders. We’ll resume business on the 19th. Several of our popular felted soaps are on sale.

10/28/2022

Today’s clean hands day as we felt our locally made soaps. With dry, sunny weather these will be ready in record time for holiday shipping.

10/18/2022

Our latest soap scent is a fragrant rose mixed with lavender and litsea essential oils. Very unusual blend which we believe will be quite popular.

10/15/2022

So very excited today to introduce everyone to our new soap maker, Loko Soaps from Albuquerque. Now all of our alpaca felted soaps are entirely made in New Mexico. These are luscious smelling natural soaps which lather up beautifully. Most of the new scents are now listed in our Etsy shop.

08/23/2022

The art of dyeing yarn is simply addictive. Takes me back to finger painting as a youngster.

Would you like to dye your own yarn or fiber for your creative pursuits? This online course, Dyeing with Acid Wool Dye, teaches you how to use acid wool dyes to make solid colors using an immersion dye method.

08/19/2022

This year’s lavender harvest, dried and de-stemmed (while watching Judge Judy). Once dry, lavender loses its beautiful purple color, but the fragrance is oh, so sweet.

03/03/2022

Sharing progress on my Winter Garland over on todays blog x
https://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2022/03/winter-garland-progress.html

02/27/2022

After hours of hand washing of dirty alpaca fleece, air drying, machine carding and at last, hand felting our handmade soaps, we are just about fully stocked with our felted alpaca soaps. It’s been quite a while since our shop has been so well stocked. Still a few scents we hope to add later. Find our full list on Etsy, WideSkyRanch. Thanks for everyone’s support.

01/22/2022

Now that most of my alpaca felted soaps have been sold over the holiday, the time has come to sort through fleece in preparation for hand washing, picking, and carding batts to be used for more soaps. I can’t help, but pause to reflect on how lucky I was to raise these magnificent creatures for 4 1/2 years. Although I’ve knitted for over 50 years and so am familiar with many different types of yarn, now I appreciate what makes certain yarns, from particular sources, great. When possible, I encourage you knitters to support local breeders, especially alpaca.

10/25/2021

Congratulations to Circadian Rhythm, Riddim Alpacas for registering the 4000th alpaca in 2021, Rare Gem Love Child! Thank you for registering this animal.

We have a little over 2 months to reach our goal of 5000, so it's time to complete those registrations you've been meaning to do!

07/27/2021

And so another project is warped up on my Inkle loom, destined to be a hat band plus something else.

06/15/2021

Looking for something special for the men in your life? We have soap scents especially selected for men although women sneak them!!

06/15/2021

Still wondering what to buy Dad for Father’s Day? Let us help you give him something extra special.

05/22/2021

Color inspiration all around us.

02/06/2021

This is what happens when a fiber animal (sheep, alpaca, llama, etc.) is not shorn yearly.

02/03/2021

Alpacas Ned, Floyd, and Jimmy entertained the residents of Chartwell Parkhill Long-Term Care Home in southwestern Ontario, drawing smiles and questions from senior residents and staff alike.