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                                                               Vivian Ball chats with Carmella   •  photograph by Barbara Waterston

Alpacas In Little Rhodie

This is of interest to Vivian because she is a weaver. Or she became a weaver, that is, after they bought the farm. Actually, she began weaving on weekends before finding a fabulous Macomber loom (the very best of big looms) on Ebay which they got for a song -- which her handy husband was able to assemble and figure out which missing parts were, in fact, missing and what to call them in order to replace them ... So which came first, the alpacas  or the blankets, scarves, shawls, and more?

They have thirty alpacas: sixteen females and fourteen males. Once a year they all get shorn; then the Balls take the wool to Still River Mill in Connecticut to have some of it dyed into beautiful muted colors (other than the twenty-two natural alpaca colors) and spun into one of three weights of yarn. The heaviest is for rugs, the middle weight, or sports weight, is for shawls and blankets. The lace weight is for scarves and baby blankets. They then thread it onto the loom's heddles, medal bars which allow for different patterns. And you know the rest. It's all very organic.

Shadow Pines Farm is open on weekends. Call 401-295-7859 for directions and appointments.  •  Barbara Waterston, July 20, 2010

                                                                                          Serenity and Lily   •  photograph by Barbara Waterston