Resistance is futile......

It has been what they call here in Australia "a stinker" and "hotter than hell with the lid off..." and still..I was dyeing my angorino, knitting and playing with fibre....yep, call me crazy..but it was actually FUN! ..... Especially because I could SOLAR DYE everything! yes, that's right: no green house gas emissions in this batch of organic angorinos!
As I promised all of you Ravelry fans: I was in a kooky, spooky, kinky colour mood this week..that and the fact that I could use the gorgeous walnut pigments ! yeah! Very very exciting colour combinations, weird tones, in short : very very complex! I will never "evah" be able to do this again I am sure. The natural dyes combined with solar dyeing is giving this batch a super special feel. It also made me think of these hilarious combinations of horror or alien characters AND bunnies. I mean, what would happen if the Borg would assimilate an English Angora Bunny?...lol...Resistance is ...ehhhh........Furry.....?

Kooky, Spooky and Kinky Hand Painted and Solar dyed Angorino Tops

(Angora+19micron merino , 150-160grams/6oz, AU$19)

PM or email me at ixchel@rabbit.com.au if you want to get your hands on these spooky and kooky fluffy angorino babies: the adoption is open, LET THE HUNT BEGIN !

The Borg Bunny (1 borg left ...)

Gollum Bunny (sold)

Killer Bunny from outer space (1killerbunnies left!)

Cap'n Jack Bunny (Jack's gone)

Addamms family bunny (sold)

Davy Jones' Bunny (sold)

Willie Wonkas bunny (2 wonka fibre bars left:)

Cthulhu Vampire Bunny (vampire flew away)

Bunny Wave Tops!

Heatwave or not....I am knitting...lol...Couldn't wait to finish these tops, inspired by my magical Maya wraps (that are hand woven) I have transformed the idea and adapted it more or less to be knitted and worn as a gorgeous top. I am still working on different fibres but here you can see one that I have finished so far: a cashmere/merino/mohiar hand dyed bunny wave top, another one you can see on my photostream on www.flickr.com/ixchelbunny : a hand dyed bamboo/silk bunny wave top in luscious reds and purples....The next one I am working in is a combination of green merino and light green angora...yummy....!

Front view of the Bunny Wave top, so soft to wear and gorgeous colour combinations : teal, dusky purples and very nice greens.

a close up of the stitch that creates so much texture with this fine 2 ply yarn ( I used 2 strands of the yarn together to create a magical mix)...it also knits up faster :)

A heat wave!!!!!!

Our bunnies are okay and although it is hot, they love to play the game “how many bunnies can fit in an empty milk crate?” ….lol

It is sooo hot this week : 40degrees Celsius! and it just doesn’t get any cooler. We are very lucky to be in a cooler zone surrounded by mountains and forests BUT it is still very hot ! Our bunnies are doing well and are kept cool, but for any of you out there: please take care! Get them out of the direct sun, put them somewhere cool and if they show any signs of dehydration or slumpy behaviour PLEASE do the following: get a iceblock (you know the ones that you put in an esky to keep your drinks cool, it has the protective plastic stuff round it. I do not mean ice cubes…that would make a terrible mess…lol), put a teatowel around the iceblock and place it in the cage where your bunny is …in no time you will see that the bunny will move to the strange object, sniff it and then gently lie belly down to COOOL DOWN…lol If the bunny doesn’t seem to move on its own accord, please pick it up gently and just lie it next to or on top of the iceblock.

What a week!

It's my fault: I have been saying "Where is summer ? I wish it was a bit warmer" for way too long and now my wish has been granted.....too much I might add....I mean 40degree Celsius days are just a BIT too hot...lol ...especially while you're hanging over a dyepot !
Wednesday was ofcourse extremely exciting with Obamas inauguration ! It's as if the whole world is in this new "hopeful" mood with the knowledge that dreams can come true and that we can achieve anything...yes, we can!...:) Now everybody just has to keep that thought and make it happen !
Yesterday, just when I finished uploading all my photos , the thunder and lightning rolled in and yep, we lost power AGAIN....for the rest of the day! I guess the sooner we can get off the grid and establish some kind of solar or hydro power on the farm, the better..lol...but til that day, everytime the power drops out (which happens often) we will have a relaxing night without tv & computer and enjoy a candlelight dinner... reading a book (with difficulty...lol) and going to bed early.....omg

NEW HAND SPUN AND HAND DYED AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE MOHAIR

The Australian Heritage Angora goat is Australia's most endangered goat breed. There are less than a couple of hundred purebred animals remaining and the future of this breed is uncertain. The Australian Heritage Angora has a unique history, tracing their pedigrees back to the first 500 Angora goats registered with the Goat breed society of Australia, the so called “Banksia herd”. It is totally different from other Angora goat breeds like the Texas Angora goat and the South African Angora goat, who both dominate the Australian Mohair industry because their fleeces are very high yielding. The Australian Heritage Angora goat is a bit less productive but produces the most luscious, silky, soft coat I have ever seen and worked with: it has gorgeous waves, curls and lots of lustre. The goats are adorable with a quiet temperament. They are a really easy to care for happy Angora goat and you know what they say: Happy animal, happy yarn! This time I have spun a happy swirly curly Australian heritage mohair and all proceeds will go to the building of a new much needed outside bunny run !

"Berry Wine" :2 skeins available: 123grams/AU$40, 94grams/AU$32

"Spring flowers" :2 skeins available: 91grams/AU$32, 147grams/AU$49

"Bushland" :2 skeins available: 138grams/AU$46, 107grams/AU$36 (sold)

NEW HAND DYED SUPER ANGORINO TOPS
(15micron merino+angora) 100grams/AU$20

Here are the new super angorino babies ready to be adopted to a good home. Email me when you feel the need to cuddle a particular baby :) and give it a good fibre loving home.
There are some happy colours again !

Dream Bunny Super angorino tops(sold)

Fish bunny Super angorino tops (sold)

Flower power revisited super angorino tops (2left)

Hoppy bunny super angorino tops (SOLD)

Froggy Bun Super angorino top (sold)
(thanks Jo! everytime I dye greens I think of "froggy bog" now...lol)


Peace Bunny Super angorino tops (1 left)

Uluru Super angorino tops (SOLD)

NEW HAND DYED CASHMERINO LACE WEIGHT 1 PLY YARN

(550m/50grams/AU$18)

I love working with this yarn: it's organic! from Ixchel Australian cashmere goats and 18micron merino and just YUMMY to knit lace (free pattern for a lacewave shawl, available at ixchel@rabbit.com.au, you only need 50 grams (550m/50grams) and it also is excellent to ply with! Just think of spinning a nice single with the flowerpower angorino and then plying it with the flowerpower cashmerino! yep: you will get super yardage and it looks great! Every skein is ofcourse painted by hand and they all have different weights....if you'd like to try one (or more ...lol) just email me and I can tell you which ones are available and what the weights and prices are.

Bush & Sky cashmerino yarn

Flower Power cashmerino yarn

Bushland cashmerino yarn

Sage cashmerino yarn

Tasman cashmerino yarn

Also still available are : Zen, Barossa, Plum, Lilac, Emerald, Raspberry wine...and well, if you are after a colour that is not here or on my flickr photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixchelbunny/) just let me know and I can dye it for you :D

BUNNY NEWS

There have been some haircuts happening again and Minne was one of the Punk victims...she is absolutely gorgeous when she is in full coat but oh boy, the punk look just doesn't agree with her... She is one of our best yielding bunnies though together with Mojo. Mojo has had a bit of a hrad time by the way (she had a fantom pregnancy) but is doing very well now and playing with her toys again !

New hand dyed Angorino Tops & Pacangora Tops !

Talk about HOT!!!! Even here, where we are surrounded by mountains and usually freezing our proverbial ... off, it was ....HOT...no...Hotter than HOT! It reached 39degrees Celsius on Wednesday ! phew! and guess where I was, with my more than perfect timing? Right, hanging over the dyepot, steaming and hand dyeing the angora-merino tops and the new alpaca-angora tops! Now, am I a fibre nut or not?.......Don't aswer that....

Anyway, without holding you away from a drooling session ...lol...here they are. I think Plum Bunny is my favourite, but then Orchid Bunny and Summer Sunset Bunny are definitely up there too...Email me, PM me, stalk me if you want to give these babies a new fibre loving home! Ready ? Set? GO!!!

Hand Dyed Angorinos



Plum Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (sold)

Orchid Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (sold)

Cyclamen Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino tops 150+ grams, AU$19 (sold)

Treefern Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (sold)


pRETTY IN pINK, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (2left)


Beach Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (sold)



Summer Sunset Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (sold)


Bunny on the Heather, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (1left)


Wallaby Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (sold)



Bushland Bunny, Hand dyed Angorino 150+grams, AU$19 (sold)


Hand dyed Organic Pacangora Tops
(variegated black and grey Huacaya alpaca 95%, Angora Rabbit 5%)

Pacangora Waratah tops, 100grams, AU$22(sold)

Pacangora Blue tops, 100 grams, AU$22(sold)

Pacangora Green tops, 100 grams AU$22(1left)

Pacangora Lilac tops, 100 grams AU$22(2left)

Pacangora Sage Fields, 100 grams AU$22(sold)

Australian Heritage Mohair
I leave you with an image of a skein of Australian Heritage Mohair, recently spun for Yarn Magazine. I couldn't resist, I just had to show you...:) It is "swirly" spun, meaning slubby and letting the curls jump out!. So much fun! It is in the same colour combo as Orchid Bunny :)

I have carded and carded ....some more fabulous fibre and new skeins of hand spun and hand dyed will be on the blog sometime next week! Also, ofcourse ! Look for the new Yarn Magazine ! It will feature some amazing fibre stuff because 2009 is the YEAR OF NATURAL FIBRES !!!!

Happy growing bunnies and glowing bunnies in the dark?

The kits are now three months old and are growing like...well..cabbages? Especially Popcorn, our diva queen bunny is extremely BIG for her age! It was to be expected because she was the biggest of the litter to start with:)

The hair of Popcorn is fabulous: just look at the bands of gold ! Can't wait to spin..:)

Flopsy, our sweet little agouti girl, is doing fine and is lots smaller than Popcorn is, but has the most fascinating hairdo I have ever seen on an English Angora: blue base, gold tips and some brown and black in each hair! You wouldn't be able to genetically manipulate even if you tried very very hard!

Wombat, our little black bloke, is still with his mum and sisters, tiny (remember he was the tiniest in the litter) and has a gorgeously shiny face and super fine black hair !

Gorby (the grey rascal) was hopping around so much I just couldn't get a photo that was any good.....aaaah...he is already in his own separate enclosure away from the girls because he had quite a keen interest in ...eh well...."getting busy"....lol

Glow in the dark Bunny

I have been reading on the net that there has actually been a bunny born that glows in the dark! In the name of "science" and "Art" the bunnies genes have been genetically manipulated ! Yes, it is true: a gene from a jelly fish was incorporated in the bunny gene sequence to enable the rabbit to glow in the dark or when a UV light hits it! As if the bunny is going clubbing and wants to stand out in the crowd ?!!!!! Anyway, this "scientist artist" as he calls himself has a plan to do the same thing to a dog! When is the human race going to be glowing in the dark? Well, I guess then we wil be able to read a book without turning the light on! A bummer for all of us who want to play hide and seek though.......

This Friday: i will be posting some NEW hand painted angorino tops and alpaca/angora hand dyed slivers! Get ready to virtually cuddle bunny!