Friday, November 28, 2014

Be Kind and Rabbit On !

Print by the awesome team Kozyndan

Last week it was all about “the last of their kind” and this week it basically is too., but in a different way….it’s all about those who create and how criticising them or putting the fear of the copy monster in them is so devastating !  Here’s my five cents worth:

And in the beginning there were….lots and lots of ideas. Ideas that took form and grew and shaped into things that evolved to show bits and pieces of the “soul” of the idea-giver, the artist, the inventor. Fire, the wheel, spinning wheels and spindles, yarn, clothing, chairs, houses, planes, computers, pumpkin pie, everything started somewhere and evolved…now in this day and age, I find it absolutely mind boggling how people can say that they or somebody else, invented a colourway or a fibre blend or a design or a recipe for something that has been done for centuries or even since the dawn of time. I wonder when we are going to get told off when using indigo to dye our wool or fabric, because it is the “property” of somebody else? Or, nobody can make a type of chair anymore , because let’s face it, it has been done before by somebody at some point or another? Well nothing surprises me really, I heard that companies are even battling it out to “own” certain genomes….scary!!!

I am not promoting “let’s blatantly copy other peoples’ ideas” here. To illustrate that, here’s a bit of my experience on the matter to give you some context:

Years ago, when I was weaving my Maya wraps you could wear in 20 different ways, very loosely based on ancient blankets/wraps I have seen in ethnic Latin American communites where one garment had to have multiple purposes. I wove each patiently (each one took weeks to make)  in three different sizes/lengths and all were different, handspun, dyed, painted, woven in different types of fibres, yarns and even some with added gold and bling.
  I sold them at specialty markets and shows, even had them on show on catwalks..until a company –now long gone- thought it would be a great idea to make machine knit versions of the same..without asking me. The principle was the same, the design was a blatant copy but….no machine knitted mass produced item can ever replace a handmade woven one of a kind piece. Even when the pattern is the same. They shut shop after a couple of years ..karma is a bitch.

Now, that was a case of direct copy of pattern..nothing like some people nowadays think they can appropriate their way of putting colours together or blending fibres together or making spinning wheels or anything else for that matter.

  There is a difference between a copy and something that looks the same because it has the same purpose: like a chair, or a spinning wheel, or a tablet or a phone.

Here’s a piece of enlightenment : a Turkish spindle can never ever look different : it always has to have a shaft and two pieces of wood interlocking on each side…just like .a chair will always have to accommodate somebody’s butt sitting in it comfortably.

So all that copy threat "oh please do not share because others will copy you ", does that hold me back from sharing? From doing what I do? No!
I will keep on sharing the love for what I do. I will not let my creativity be hindered by fear of somebody wanting to do what I do and copying some colours I put together or different fibres I blend, or garments I design and make.

I mean, Should I feel attacked by others selling angora fibres? No! Because it is not my property in the first place. I discovered at one point that somebody decided to put black bamboo and blend it with the same fibres as I did for my black bunny tops, so their tops looked a bit like mine. Was I devastated? Did I feel attacked? No…instead I did what I do: I created heaps and heaps of other blends, because that is what I do. You cannot shut a creative mind down from getting ideas and acting upon them all the time.

I believe that everything we make is unique. If you make something by hand, your hands and your soul will transfer something to the item you produce. Your thoughts and your views and your feelings are instantly attached to it. What I am saying is : unless something is done by a machine, everything you make will have your “soul” in it!

On the other hand, I have to tell you something else : another confession. I am super sensitive, no really, I am, just like all the other artists and people who express themselves through their art, there is and always will be “sensitivity” weaving its way through it.
  I have had “friends” being the devils on my shoulder, telling me this and that and the other, that so and so was doing this and that, and isn’t that bad for me? And what I do? And I should do this and that.    Us, sensitives, are easily distressed, we even distress ourselves without any outside help whatsoever. In the middle of the night we have thousand pages worth of ideas springing up all around, we leap up and enthusiastically make it happen, we eat breathe and live our art, only to after extreme hard work and effort , be confronted by our OWN self doubt..we go from “ what a great idea! To this idea is going to work! To this idea is crap to ..I LOVE this idea! I hope everybody loves my idea?” It is a constant battle that does not need the fuel added to it by doubt from others nor unkind remarks. Be kind to one another and allow yourself to fuel only creativity, not anger or ego.

So, pin it, share it, be proud of what you do, make your mark, show your creative soul with a personal touch , your thoughts and do not , I repeat do not! Be overly protective, scared of what anybody says or does, or worse still: attack other artists because they knitted a jumper too.
The only way we can grow as a person and learn , is to share and appreciate and love and applaud.

 Share the love. Share the creativity. Create! There is nothing worse than fear or attack . That only takes the creative juices out of everybody…..and where would that leave us? Exactly! : Alone! and in a place where Fear replaced Sharing what we love doing. And that, my friends, is a very lonely place to be.

Rant over….

Rabbit on !! I say !!! Rabbit On !



Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions okay? Always happy to enable. All my contact details are to be found at the end of this weeks blog entry. Have fun !!!

It is that time of year again: Believe it or not but a new year is almost there (SCARY!!!) and the time to sign up for the new IxCHeL clubs starting in January 2015 ! Yes ! 2015!!!!

 I have been working very very hard this year to source some very special rare breeds of fibre producing animals. From Seaweed sheep to those cute Valais Blacknose .

There will be more adventures and rare breeds on offer next year including Hungarian Racka sheep and the awesome Gra TRoender sheep from Norway ! Not to mention very VERY special Qiviut and some very special super rare fluff as well !

I will be offering special blends of these rare breeds in the special IxCHeL Fibre adventures like I have done in the last two months (Smaug and Loch ness) but will also offer them to all club members in one blend or another ! Rare breeds need our help and support. Rare breeds need to survive. There is nothing more disheartening than to see that a gorgeous animal has become extinct.. There is nothing more sad than labelling anything “The last of its kind”…

Only by supporting and spinning rare breeds will we all be adding to the diversity of our beautiful world. Don’t miss out ! Membership will give you access to very special blends only released to club members in one of a kind colourways !

Join the club ! Have fun creating and Rabbit On !!!

Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions okay? Always happy to enable. All my contact details are to be found at the end of this weeks blog entry. Have fun !!!

New IxCHeL Club sign ups Open now (til quotas are reached or until December 31st) !

Clubs January, February, March 2015 !

For all our international club fans there is a possibility to ship all three clubs together to save on postage if you want :-) Just pm me and enquire about the options available.

IxCHeL Fibre Club January February March 2015

The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed top/roving per month to the value of AU$24
All the tops will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel Fibre Club ! Price to join the Ixchel Fibre Club #23 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (January, February , March 2015) is AU$72 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double serves available !!!

For Australia : single serve $72+$28 postage (parcel post), double serve $134+$28 (save $10) or triple serves $199 (save $17!)
For USA + Canada: single serve AU$72+AU$51 (Airmail) double serve AU$134+AU$51
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$72+AU$60 (airmail) Double serve AU$134+AU$60
For Asia: Single serve AU$72+AU$45 (airmail) Double serve AU$134+AU$45
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #23 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The January 2015 Club is going to be shipped out end of January. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

The IxCHeL Sock Yarn Club January, February and March 2015

Every month for three months (January, February and March 2015) you will receive: enough hand dyed luscious yummy yarn to make a pair of socks or a lush shawl or scarf ofcourse! (the hand dyed yarn will be exclusive for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB and will range from a sockweight yarn or a 3ply or a 4 ply); Every month a new sock pattern, tips and instructions ! Now is that GOOD or is that GOOD ??!
I will even offer a double serve for those of you who like their socks extra long
For Australia : single serve $78+$28 postage (parcel post) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +$28
For USA + Canada: single serve AU$78+AU$51 (Airmail) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$51
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$78+AU$60 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$60
For Asia: Single serve AU$78+AU$45 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$45
Numbers are strictly limited ! 
Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal . Just PM or email me your details 
  By the way: you don’t HAVE to knit socks if you don’t want to.. the hand dyed yarn is amazingly nice for scarves, cowls, beanies and even tops ! Anything goes .

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Club January, February and March 2015

Here are all the details and just pm me when you have any questions or want to be part of the funky bunny batt club Movement ;-) Welcome to the blingy dark side ;-D
The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed funky bunny batt per month to the value of AU$40 or more .
The batts will range in weight from 150grams to 180grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even wolf and bison and rare sheep breeds !!!! All the batts will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel funky bunny Club ! Every month you will receive a HUGE luxury funky bunny batt !
 
Sign up now and you will receive an Ixchel Hand dyed , super luxurious funky bunny batt for January, February, March 2015.
 
Price to join the Ixchel Funky bunny for three months is :
For Australia : $102+$28 postage (parcel post)
For USA + Canada: AU$102+AU$51 (Airmail)
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$96+AU$60 (airmail)
For Asia: AU$102+AU$45 (airmail)
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FUNKY BUNNY Batt CLUB now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The first installment is going to be shipped out end of January :) Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me

IxCHeL Gift Packs

IxCHeL GIFT VOUCHERS or SURPRISE PACKS !

Want to give somebody something special and still let them pick out their fav colour or fibre blend? Well, search no more: I offer an IxCHeL gift voucher package that is so hard to resist you even want to buy one for yourself ..lol Here’s the deal: FIBRE OR YARN OR BOTH! SURPRISE PACK just let me know the value you would like to spend and the favourite colours of the recipient(or yourself..lol) and I will put together a surprise pack for you and add at least $60 extra worth of goods to the parcel(for all surprise pack orders over $150) just to say thank you and have happy holidays ! :-)

AU$25 Personalised giftvoucher Pack

Comes with a personalised gift voucher and free post for the receivers first order in Australia !

AU$50 Personalised giftvoucher Pack

Comes with a personalised giftvoucher, free post for the receivers first order in Australia ! and a cute badge a bunny photo and last but not least some amazing fluffy stuff in a gift pack

AU$100 Personalised giftvoucher Pack

Comes with a personalised Christmas giftvoucher, free post for the receivers first order in Australia !, a badge, and last but not least some amazing fluffy stuff and yarn in a gift pack! Just let me know what giftvoucher pack you would like to gift to a friend or hey, you can even gift it to yourself ! And I will send you all the details.
 

How To Order:

1. You can email me on ixchel at rabbit dot com dot au or ixchelbunny at yahoo dot com dot au
2. message me on facebook or ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny.

I will email you right back with all your order details and payment methods.

Any questions? Any custom orders for yarn or dyeing fibre? Please don’t hesitate to ask! Always happy to enable.
Thank you so much for your help and support !


 
Gaga! Bunny Tops Tops
A soft, very lustrous sheeps wool and lovely to spin! GaGa! Tops are a blend of Blue faced Leicester, Angora buny, cashmere and Glitz (trilobal nylon)

100+grams (+/-3.5Oz) AU$24 and to celebrate “black Friday” just like our American Counterparts (because let’s face it: Celebrations are the best thing !)

When you order today (Friday November 28th) , you will receive a 20% discount on all GaGa! Tops  !!!
 
Zen

 

Velveteen Rabbit

 
The Walking Dead

 
dragon fire

 
The Mermaid Dance

 
Pale Autumn

 
Thanksgiving

 
Frozen

 
Frozen Applepie

 
Daryl

 
Daleks in Manhattan

 
Christmas tree



 
 RABBIT ON !
((hugs))
Charly

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Friday, November 21, 2014

Creativity equals Chocolate


Spinning yarn and being creative has saved me more than once in my life.
People who just know me from the shows and the blogs think I am this upper energetic outgoing happy go lucky person, extrovert personality, not a care in the world…well, surprise surprise..I am a shy person..really! I hear you laughing from wayyyy over there…lol…it is true !

I am not afraid to admit that my life has not been the easy path to walk on; ever since I fell into this world as a totally underweight barely breathing baby (yeah right! Another “well who would have thought that!-  Moment…lol) but it is true!..

Apart from all the struggles and staying alive bits, the sickness and sorrow, the bullying, the terrible abuse, all that chaos and mayhem, I somehow found a path that saved me.
I am not labelling anything: I will not submit to any label, because there are many and all are just either not entirely true or totally confusing the issue.
Just like when I was diagnosed with cancer..all of a sudden I was labelled..I discarded that label vigorously. Why? Because labels are not worth the brain tissue they are written on.

As soon as you accept your label it becomes..well..just that: acceptance of someone elses rules and views on reality. I am not saying we do not need labels. Labels have been invented to make us feel secure , even part of a group or society. So to totally disregard labels is making your life more difficult? Maybe? I don’t know., Maybe Im a rebel..lol
Anyway, I am very very fortunate to have found doors that I could open , …and well, have saved me really. Spinning and doing craft and painting and making music, singing,all of it, encourages the brain to produce serotonin, the same way chocolate does.

Craft and art make you happy. Craft = Chocolate !  And as we all know, chocolate makes us happy  ...lol   A world without craft would just be…well…boring really and probably very very stressful.

I feel very lucky to have found all of you crafty friends and a wonderful patient partner to share my life with. It’s a wonderful world we live in together in craft. Spinning is so totally relaxing and centering and connects us to the slowness of creation and life, in all its beauty.
When you spin your heart rate drops (even when things go wrong and you wind up in a tangle of threads) your stress levels go down. It’s like meditation or yoga but without the physical discomfort of having to stand on your head.

What brought this on? Well, I guess it’s just the feeling that every now and again life is so demanding and hard, we just need to step back and think what are the things we are grateful for. I am grateful for having friends like you who share my passion for all woolly things and creating. Because Creating is Life….if ever there was an answer to “what is the true meaning of life?” it is not “42” (according to the hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy),.........but our ability to Create.
Rabbit on !! I say !!! Rabbit On !



Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions okay? Always happy to enable. All my contact details are to be found at the end of this weeks blog entry. Have fun !!!

It is that time of year again: Believe it or not but a new year is almost there (SCARY!!!) and the time to sign up for the new IxCHeL clubs starting in January 2015 ! Yes ! 2015!!!!

 I have been working very very hard this year to source some very special rare breeds of fibre producing animals. From Seaweed sheep to those cute Valais Blacknose .

There will be more adventures and rare breeds on offer next year including Hungarian Racka sheep and the awesome Gra TRoender sheep from Norway ! Not to mention very VERY special Qiviut  and some very special super rare fluff as well !

I will be offering special blends of these rare breeds in the special IxCHeL Fibre adventures like I have done in the last two months (Smaug and Loch ness) but will also offer them to all club members in one blend or another ! Rare breeds need our help and support. Rare breeds need to survive. There is nothing more disheartening than to see that a gorgeous animal has become extinct.. There is nothing more sad than labelling anything “The last of its kind”…

Only by supporting and spinning rare breeds will we all be adding to the diversity of our beautiful world. Don’t miss out ! Membership will give you access to very special blends only released to club members in one of a kind colourways !

This time mopre than anything because we are talking about rare breeds, I have to warn you: I will have to cap the numbers. Rare breed blends mean that I will only be able to offer a small quantity. So, first come first serve. I will add a “sign up before date “ to the info but just like with the Loch Ness sign ups which sold out in under 48 hours, if you wait too long , it may be too late. Join the club ! Have fun creating and Rabbit On !!!

Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions okay? Always happy to enable. All my contact details are to be found at the end of this weeks blog entry. Have fun !!!

New IxCHeL Club sign ups Open now (til quotas are reached or until December 31st) !

Clubs January, February, March 2015 !

For all our international club fans there is a possibility to ship all three clubs together to save on postage if you want :-) Just pm me and enquire about the options available.

IxCHeL Fibre Club January February March 2015

The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed top/roving per month to the value of AU$24
All the tops will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel Fibre Club ! Price to join the Ixchel Fibre Club #23 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (January, February , March 2015) is AU$72 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double serves available !!!

For Australia : single serve $72+$28 postage (parcel post), double serve $134+$28 (save $10) or triple serves $199 (save $17!)
For USA + Canada: single serve AU$72+AU$51 (Airmail) double serve AU$134+AU$51
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$72+AU$60 (airmail) Double serve AU$134+AU$60
For Asia: Single serve AU$72+AU$45 (airmail) Double serve AU$134+AU$45
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #23 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The January 2015 Club is going to be shipped out end of January. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

The IxCHeL Sock Yarn Club January, February and March 2015

Every month for three months (January, February and March 2015) you will receive: enough hand dyed luscious yummy yarn to make a pair of socks or a lush shawl or scarf ofcourse! (the hand dyed yarn will be exclusive for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB and will range from a sockweight yarn or a 3ply or a 4 ply); Every month a new sock pattern, tips and instructions ! Now is that GOOD or is that GOOD ??!
I will even offer a double serve for those of you who like their socks extra long
For Australia : single serve $78+$28 postage (parcel post) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +$28
For USA + Canada: single serve AU$78+AU$51 (Airmail) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$51
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$78+AU$60 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$60
For Asia: Single serve AU$78+AU$45 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$45
Numbers are strictly limited ! 
Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal . Just PM or email me your details 
  By the way: you don’t HAVE to knit socks if you don’t want to.. the hand dyed yarn is amazingly nice for scarves, cowls, beanies and even tops ! Anything goes .

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Club January, February and March 2015

Here are all the details and just pm me when you have any questions or want to be part of the funky bunny batt club Movement ;-) Welcome to the blingy dark side ;-D
The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed funky bunny batt per month to the value of AU$40 or more .
The batts will range in weight from 150grams to 180grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even wolf and bison and rare sheep breeds !!!! All the batts will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel funky bunny Club ! Every month you will receive a HUGE luxury funky bunny batt !
 
Sign up now and you will receive an Ixchel Hand dyed , super luxurious funky bunny batt for January, February, March 2015.
 
Price to join the Ixchel Funky bunny for three months is :
For Australia : $102+$28 postage (parcel post)
For USA + Canada: AU$102+AU$51 (Airmail)
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$96+AU$60 (airmail)
For Asia: AU$102+AU$45 (airmail)
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FUNKY BUNNY Batt CLUB now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The first installment is going to be shipped out end of January :) Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me

IxCHeL Gift Packs

IxCHeL GIFT VOUCHERS or SURPRISE PACKS !

Want to give somebody something special and still let them pick out their fav colour or fibre blend? Well, search no more: I offer an IxCHeL gift voucher package that is so hard to resist you even want to buy one for yourself ..lol Here’s the deal: FIBRE OR YARN OR BOTH! SURPRISE PACK just let me know the value you would like to spend and the favourite colours of the recipient(or yourself..lol) and I will put together a surprise pack for you and add at least $60 extra worth of goods to the parcel(for all surprise pack orders over $150) just to say thank you and have happy holidays ! :-)

AU$25 Personalised giftvoucher Pack

Comes with a personalised gift voucher and free post for the receivers first order in Australia !

AU$50 Personalised giftvoucher Pack

Comes with a personalised giftvoucher, free post for the receivers first order in Australia ! and a cute badge a bunny photo and last but not least some amazing fluffy stuff in a gift pack

AU$100 Personalised giftvoucher Pack

Comes with a personalised Christmas giftvoucher, free post for the receivers first order in Australia !, a badge, and last but not least some amazing fluffy stuff and yarn in a gift pack! Just let me know what giftvoucher pack you would like to gift to a friend or hey, you can even gift it to yourself ! And I will send you all the details.
 

How To Order:

1. You can email me on ixchel at rabbit dot com dot au or ixchelbunny at yahoo dot com dot au
2. message me on facebook or ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny.

I will email you right back with all your order details and payment methods.

Any questions? Any custom orders for yarn or dyeing fibre? Please don’t hesitate to ask! Always happy to enable.
Thank you so much for your help and support !
 
 RABBIT ON !
((hugs))
Charly

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Friday, November 14, 2014

Seaweed Mythical Creature Adventure and Yarrrrn!


Hectic: Adjective
  1. 1.
    full of incessant or frantic activity.
    "a hectic  schedule"
    frantic, frenetic, frenzied, feverish, manic, restless, very busy, very active, fast and furious;
    lively, brisk, bustling, buzzing, vibrant, crowded
     
Yes, all of this applies to me at the moment.. the studio is more than over crowded with new blends, club fibres, batt making supplies and heaps and heaps of new exciting adventures!

I received a lot of requests for yarn, especially the long repeat yarns , so I have been more than busy to get that ready for you. More on that later in this blog.

But!!! tonight is also the announcement of another awesome fibery adventure , waiting for you to sign up!
Last time it was the Smaug adventure featuring the gorgeous Valois Blacknose Sheep and the North Ronaldsay sheep in a magical blend with gold…this time I am offering you something amazing and super special . And because there were quite a few people who wanted to sign up for the Smaug but were not particularly enthused by the fact that every option had gold bling in it, this time I have a bling and a blingless option!

There will however be silver in each and every one! No, there will be no bling that is, if you don’t want to, but the seaweed that the rare sheep are blended with has been infused in a silver solution to make it extra beneficial.
Seaweed has beautiful qualities also as a fibre: it has skin protective and healing qualities; The brown algae (ascophyllum nodosum or knotted wrack) of SeaCell® fiber come from the cold, pure fjords of Iceland. The slopes of these sea arms are sparsely settled, and their untouched nature is a paradise for wildlife. The seaweed are full of minerals that they draw from the geothermal sea water – enriched with vital substances, free of contaminants and of the highest quality.

Among other things, these brown algae offer a large quantity of vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and calcium as well as the active ingredient fucoidan, which constrains the growth of tumor cells.
It is effective against influenza viruses and high cholesterol levels, relieves skin diseases, and contributes to the skin’s healing process.
Antioxidants are also a defense against free radicals, protecting against skin damage. Your skin needs nutrients to stay healthy and beautiful. Mineral substances and trace elements are important, for example, since they invigorate your metabolism and have an impact on cell renewal, water balance, the healing of wounds, and protection from the sun. On the other hand, amino acids have a smoothing effect, while vitamins support the natural protective role of the skin and protect it from free radicals.

All these nutrients are present in the select brown algae in SeaCell® to a high degree. Your skin benefits from their health-promoting effects: Due to the natural moisture of the skin, the vital substances in the seaweed are set free when the fibers are worn.
The main nutrients in this special Seaweed fibre that is part of the new Fiber adventure blend I am very proud to offer you are:
• Minerals: e.g. magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus
• Trace elements: mainly iron and iodine
• Amino acids: e.g. glutamic acid, histidine and alanine
• Vitamin: B, A, and E
Their beneficial effect can be absorbed in your skin over time while wearing your magical Seaweed blend– even after many washing cycles!


No wonder the sheep of North Ronaldsay love Seaweed!
The North Ronaldsay Sheep are the only animals in the world, aside from a certain Galapagon lizard, to be able to subsist entirely on seaweed, leading to its nickname ‘seaweed sheep’. The breed is thought to be over 5000 years old. The breed is farmed within the Northern Ronaldsay Islands, Orkney and kept nearby the seashore for most of the year. In 1832 the Laird of North Ronaldsay decided that his pastureland should not be wasted on native sheep and a dyke was built round the island to keep them on the shore and off the land. It was most probably this separation that resulted in the preservation of the North Ronaldsay, as it prevented cross breeding which had been the downfall of other Orkney sheep.
 
The North Ronaldsay is one of the Northern Shorttailed primitive group of breeds that also includes the Manx Loghtan, Soay, Shetland and Icelandic . The North Ronaldsay is still mainly found on its native island, the northernmost of the Orkneys. The sheep keeping system on North Ronaldsay is unique and involves a stone wall which keeps the sheep on the seashore and away from the cultivated land for most of the year. This wall was built in 1832 and since then the breed has evolved to survive primarily on seaweed. The sheep live on the seashore most of the year around and are only brought onto the better land for lambing.

The North Ronaldsay is one of group of primitive Northern Short-tailed sheep and represents a very early stage in the evolution of domestic sheep. DNA studies have shown a close relationship to sheep found in the Stone Age village of Skara Brae on mainland Orkney, which dates from 3000 BC. In 1832 a wall was built around their native island to confine the animals to the foreshore for most of the year in order to conserve the inland grazing. Since then the breed has developed its distinctive metabolism due to its diet of seaweed, which also renders it susceptible to copper poisoning under standard sheep management systems. North Ronaldsays are very sensitive to copper and will die of copper toxicity if put on the wrong type of grazing. This is due to their seaweed diet and the unique metabolism they have evolved. They should not be fed commercial sheep mixes as despite the label saying “No Added Copper” the normal ingredients used will often have a background level high enough to be toxic (ten parts per million is too high). The North Ronaldsay is capable of surving on less than larger breeds and is an active browser, used to ranging over long distances in search of food.

Colours of their fleece are variable: including white, various shades of grey, black and moorit (deep brown). The double fleece has coarse outer guard hairs and a fine soft inner coat. I have never ever felt and dyed something as extraordinary as this sheeps fleece. It is springy, almost feels moist even after its scouring and washing. It almost feels lkike it resists the dye when you pour the pigments on and everything immediately flows to the bottom, leaving the top layer of the fibre springy and almost without dye. At least, that is what appears to happen…it takes the dye beautifully and retains its springy texture and openness.
 
It is a dream to spin and work with. You can make a yarn that is strong and still soft to wear. It is very very special ! There are only about 600 of these seaweed sheep left in the world. Only through our effort of conservation of the environment and conservation through appreciation of this rare breed by spinning and knitting its fleece, can we hold on to one of the oldest and most special breeds in the world alive today.
 
There is a documentary about the island with its seaweed eating sheep on youtube for you to see.  It shows you what the island looks like, the important wild life : Seals ! (warning ! Cute overload !) bird populations and ofcourse its most famous inhabitants:" the seaweed sheep ! (another cute overload ! @ 16:50 mins in) :  
 
Enjoy!
 
So, here it is the New Fibre Blend adventure Sign up starting tonight:

IxCHeL Fibre Adventure Sign up----SOLD OUT IN UNDER 48 HOURS---

Loch Ness Seaweed Batts and matching Loch Ness Tops!

Sign in to receive your Loch Ness batts and tops, Shipping date: mid December !! in a very special super limited release !

 
Here’s your chance to spin some amazingly special batts and tops with a blend of :

two very RARE SHEEP BREEDS !!:

North Ronaldsay!(seaweed sheep)
Valois blacknose sheep +

Silver infused Seaweed Fibre!!!!!!

plus
 
Cashmere +
English Angora Bunny

The Loch Ness batts will be inspired by the mystery and magic of sea creatures and seaweed ! and I will ONLY make enough batts for those who sign in. Same thing goes for the tops!

Sign in on the Loch Ness batts and tops will close November 28th or until the amount that I can make runs out, whichever comes first !!!

Only the ones who sign up for the Loch Ness Adventure will have these exclusive IxCHeL Loch Ness Batts and tops!

the batts will each weigh appr 150grams each!  AU$32
the tops are a 100g + each ! AU$24
There will only be a very very VERY limited supply!!

You will have to sign in before November 28! Pm on Ravelry or facebook or email me :-) 

Single double or combined serves will be available ! and please make sure you mention if you want the silver holographic extra special Angelina bling or no bling option for the batts.

All the tops have NO bling.

All the batts and the tops have the silver infused seaweed fibre.

All the tops and batts will be in the same colourway inspired by the environment the North Ronaldsay sheep live in.

I have added “inspiration photos” below. Enjoy !

 


North Ronaldsay Sheep enjoying magical seaweed

Valois Blacknose sheep, a mythical sheep in its own right (plus super cute !)
 


If you are not a spinner of yarns but would love to participate in this new fiber adventure, please let me know and I can spin the yarn for you !

Long Colour Repeat Yarns   

100% pure wool 
 
4 ply comes in skeins of 140-160grams , 400m/100g, suggested needles 3-4.5mm …. AU$35

Lace yarn comes in skeins of +/-290-310grams That is enough to make a gorgeous huge lace shawl !, 700meters/100g !! suggested needles 3mm AU$60
 
knit these amazingly cute mitts with the rainbow 4ply ,
 just starting from the opposite scale of the colour spectrum when doing the intarsia !
Citron Shawl in 4 ply
Long Colour Repeat Lace Yarn Rainbow  290-310grams AU$60
 
 
Long Colour repeat 4ply yarn Rainbow
140-160grams  AU$35
 
 

Lanesplitter skirt (sunset and heather combined)
 
Long Colour Repeat Lace yarn Sunset
250-270 grams AU$50
 

 
Long Colour Repeat 4 ply Yarn Sunset
140-160grams  AU$35
 
 
Knee high socks made with Sunset 4ply
 

How To Order:

1. You can email me on ixchel at rabbit dot com dot au or ixchelbunny at yahoo dot com dot au
2. message me on facebook or ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny.

I will email you right back with all your order details and payment methods.

Any questions? Any custom orders for yarn or dyeing fibre? Please don’t hesitate to ask! Always happy to enable.
Thank you so much for your help and support !
 
 RABBIT ON !
((hugs))
Charly

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