Both terrified and excited.

Yesterday when I got up, I found that a family friend had dropped this off:

It's 3 bags full of raw, unwashed alpaca fleece. Two bags of black, and one very full bag of brown.

I know that the black is hard to see in these photos - I used up all the battery on my brother's camera and so resorted to using my Mom's, which didn't like the lighting. It is very very soft, despite all of the dirt and vegetation still in it. I was pulling pieces out to look at them, and it's got pieces of hay and plants still in it. I've been doing my research, though, and it seems as though you don't actually have to wash alpaca before spinning it, because it doesn't contain the same kind of greasy substance that wool does. I will, however, need to do a thorough combing of it. I'll probably end up washing parts just to check out the difference between the washed and unwashed fleece. I've got to get some combs first, though. A trip to the yarn/fiber shop might be in order today.

I know alpaca probably isn't the best thing to learn on...but it's what I've got, and it was completely free, so I guess I don't really have much to lose. Plus, it'll be a good learning experience in fiber preparation, I suppose. I don't plan to dye this stuff...just one more thing to have to learn before I actually get to try spinning. I want to make something (likely a scarf) for the friend who gave this to me. He's very interested in seeing what I can create from his animal's hair. I hope I do it justice. It's very pretty stuff.

Nothing on the knitting front I'm afraid - I spent 5 hours driving over that hill I mentioned in my last entry, and was a little exhausted by the time I reached my destination. It was a nice, quiet new year's with friends...although everyone is slowly becoming either sick or crippled - two of my boyfriends housemates are sick with something, Nathan is coming down with a cold, last night the trunk of a car fell and nailed me in the shoulder, and this morning Nathan practically cut his knuckle off with a knife he was washing. I think there's one person left in the house who has not yet managed to contract some kind of illness or been subject to some freakish accident. I think I'm going to hide in a corner with my green sweater for the next couple of days. Less chance of being hurt that way.

I hope.

Edited to Add: Thanks to Knitasaur, I have joined Ravelry's 365/52 ring/pledge. I have to take a picture either once every day or once every week, and post it (at least once a week). I think I'm capable of doing that, but no promises that they will all be good. My camera sucks, so I always use someone else's. I'm excited, though. And off to a good start so far, too!