Russian Romanov Adventure

Romanov Sheep With Quadruplets

Happy Friday ! I have put it out there earlier today on my Instagram and facebook accounts that “the Russians were coming” and I hope that everybody was totally aware I was talking about a new Russian rare sheep blend and not some novachok attack …lol One thing is for sure: you have nothing to fear with these fluffy cuties , but more on the breed later! It’s been another busy week her and even more so because of the clubs that were all shipped on Monday ! It was a huge undertaking , but not a time to sit back and relax for me here, because there are always jobs to dye, spin, and blend! A few blends are ready to get their colourful coat on the next few weeks I am happy to say. Very exciting !

There are also some very gorgeous support spindles and bowls from Lair of the Bearded Dragon available ! There are some pretty amazing Australian Redgum ones and some Rose Quartz inlay ones that particularly take my fancy ! They spin like a dream! Unlike Drop spindles, support spindles need a bowl so their tip can spin beautifully and fast! There are a few different types of support spindles but because this was Russian week, I asked Paul to get a special Russian spindle ready with a matching bowl, they remind me of the Kremlin…lol beautiful ebony too ! Photos later ! Support spindles are my favs of all spindles. If you have any problems spindling with drop spindles because of shoulder issues: no such thing there with support spindles! To spin with a support spindle is super relaxing and fun ! There are a few youtube videos available to show you how to get started and learn on how these work and again I am referring you to the wonderful book of Abby Franquemont : “Respect the spindle”. Now on with info about this amazing rare sheep breed : Romanov !

The Romanov Sheep hail from the Upper Volga area of Russia and were named after a town in the region. 

The breed first came to prominence in the 18th century. 

Mature male rams reach up to 80kgs in weight, with ewes averaging 40-50kgs. 

The Romanov sheep are a very early maturing breed, the Romanov can reach full sexual maturity as early as 3-4 months old! 

They can also breed at any time of the year and ewes are very prolific, sometimes having up to six lambs per birth. Multiple births are extremely common in this short-tailed breed.  

They are very hardy and very strong and are well adapted to harsh cold climates. They are generally black in colour when born, though this changes to grey as they mature. Their face and legs are usually black in colour as well, with large white markings common on the top of their heads. 

Their wool is famed for being very strong and resourceful and is double-coated. Their undercoat is about 16-22 microns and their outercoat is 40-150 microns. 

The average fleece shorn from a Romanov weighs 4.5kgs in total. 

From sourcing to dehairing and blending it took me about two years for me to get this blend to you. Lot sof sourcing, lots of forms and administrative rules and regulations !  And, The wool needs a lot of creativity in preparation! 

Unlike most double coated breeds where the outercoat is significantly longer than the undercoat, the Romanov’s two coats are of similar length. This complicates the job of separating the coarse fibres from the fine undercoat! The right set of wool combs have done the trick but it takes a loooooong time. 

 You may know I love to dye over a base that is grey or brown: it makes the dye so much more interesting and deep. The colour of the Romanov is grey and absolutely amazing to dye and spin There are no guard hairs in the blend at all and because I have blended it with Silk, Cashmere, Angora and mohair , the softness is out of this world. I wanted to incorporate a bit of that shine and shimmer that you see when a fresh coat of snow has fallen and the sun shines on it, so I added a teeny tiny amount of glitz as well. Just enough to capture the light every now and again. As you can imagine I only have a very limited amount available: some natural and some dyed. Message or email me if you are interested in trying this fabulous sheep breed.

Here are tonight’s spindle and fibre offers !

Better get this show on the road! Have a fun snaffle !!!

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 week’s blog entry. Have fun !!!

LAIR OF THE BEARDED DRAGON SUPPORT SPINDLES and BOWLS   

Shaft : Shaft : Dark Poplar

Whorl: Australian red gum and ebony tip

Weight

47 grams

AU$83 (Nr 1063)  SOLD

Australian Redgum Support Bowl wit Ebony inlay (Nr 1413) that goes so well with the Russian support spindle above) AU$68    SOLD

Tibetan Support Spindle

Shaft and Whorl: Rock Maple with Rose Quartz Inlay (#1398)

Weight : 35 grams

AU$97

Support spindle bowl Cypress with Rose Quartz Inlay (#1313) AU$70

Tibetan Support Spindle Rock maple wit Rose Quartz inlay (#1401)

Weight: 28 grams

AU$97

Support spindle Bowl wit Rose Quartz inlay and Mystery wood (#1393) AU$70

Tibetan Support Spindle

Shaft: Dark Poplar

Whorl:Australian Redgum

Weight: 29grams, 

(#1399)

AU$77

Support Spindle Bowl in Australian Red gum with Malachite inlay (#1412) AU$55

Tibetan Support Spindle (#1397)

Shaft: American Cherry

Whorl: American Cherry

Weight: 23grams

AU$79

Support Spindle Bowl in American Cherry (#1391) AU$50

Tibetan Support Spindle (#1400)

Shaft: Dark Poplar

Whorl:American Cherry

Weight: 25grams

AU$77

Support Spindle Bowl in Beech (#1392) AU$50

Russian Romanov Sheep Blend Tops  

Russian Romanov Sheep, Mulberry Silk, Cashmere, Australian Heritage Mohair, Angora Bunny with a tiny bit of sparkle glitz 100+ gram tops AU$28

Kremlin  SOLD

Magic Autumn  SOLD

Natural    SOLD

Sputnik   SOLD

Rasputin   sold

Siberian Gulag   SOLD

Tsarina’s Love  SOLD

Novosibirsk  SOLD

Baltic Amber Jewels  sold

To order: email or message me on facebook, Ravelry or Instagram, quoting the colourway and the quantity you would like, together with your postal address and I will get right back to you with all the payment details.

To become a club member just email me on ixchelbunnyart at gmail dot com or message me on facebook or Instagram. More on how to order the clubs and anything from this update later in the blog in the section “how to order”

IxCHeL club sign ups for October-November-December are open ! 

 Here are some photos of the previous clubs.

August 20 Fibre Club

August Batt Club

August Yarn Club

June Club

June Club

Note to all International club members:
All international club parcels are now being shipped with tracking and expedited. 
There is an option if you want all three of your clubs to be shipped together to save on shipping cost:  Just ask me for a postage quote !

IxCHeL Fibre Club October, November and December 2020

The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed and special blended top/roving per month

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 #45 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (October, November and December 2020) is AU$78 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double and triple serves available !!!

For Australia : single serve $78+$30 postage (parcel post), double serve $150(save $6) +$30m postage or triple serves $225 (save $9!) + $30 postage

For New Zealand : single serve $78+$45 postage (parcel post) double serve $150(save $6) +$45 postage

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$78+AU$60 (Airmail) double serve AU$150+AU$60; triple serve $225 (save $9) + AU$60postage

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$78+AU$78 (airmail) Double serve AU$150+AU$78; triple serve $225 (save $9) + AU$78postage

 For Asia: Single serve AU$78+AU$57 (airmail) Double serve AU$150+AU$57; triple serves $225 (save $9) + AU$57postage 

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #45 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The October 2020 Club is going to be shipped out end of October. the November club mid Novenmber and the December club early December. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details.

 The IxCHeL Yarn Clubs July, October, November and December 2020

Every month for three months (October, November and December 2020) you will receive: enough hand dyed luscious yummy yarn to make a pair of socks or a lush shawl or scarf of course! (the hand dyed yarn will be exclusive for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB and will range from a sockweight yarn (a 4ply/fingering weight yarn); Every month a sock or scarf 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 or scarves extra long ! 

For Australia : single serve $96+$30 postage (parcel post) double serve $177( save $15!!) +$30 postage

For New Zealand : single serve $96+$45 postage (parcel post) double serve $177( save $15!!) +$45 postage

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$96+AU$60 (Airmail) double serve $177 (Save $15!!) +AU$60 

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$96+AU$78 (airmail) Double serve $177 (Save $15!!) +AU$78

For Asia: Single serve AU$96+AU$57 (airmail) Double serve $177 (= Save $15!!!) +AU$57

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 . The October 2020 Club is going to be shipped out end of October, the November club mid November and the December club early december. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Clubs July, October, November and December 2020

Here are all the details. 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 140grams to 170grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even wallaby and bison, and rare 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 October, November and December 2020

Price to join the IxCHeL Funky bunny for three months is :

For Australia : $114+$30 postage (parcel post)

For New Zealand : single serve $114+$45 postage (parcel post)

For USA + Canada: AU$114+AU$60 (Airmail)

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$114+AU$78 (airmail)

For Asia: AU$114+AU$57 (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 October 2020 Club is going to be shipped out end of October, the November club mid November and the December club early December. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details.

To become a member just email me on ixchelbunnyart at gmail dot com or message me on facebook or Instagram. More on how to order the clubs and anything from this update later in the blog in the section “how to order”

To order: email or message me on facebook, Ravelry or Instagram, quoting the colourway and the quantity you would like, together with your postal address and I will get right back to you with all the payment details.

IxCHeL Tweed fingering weight yarn

NEW COLOUR COMING VERY SOON !

Super soft lambs wool 70% and Kid Mohair 30%

Spun singles, fingering or sock weight yarn

+/- 200meters/218yards

50grams      1.76oz

AU$16

Great Barrier Reef

Leafy Seadragon

Flying Fox

Airlie Beach

Sea Mist

Amethyst

Wattle
(A beautiful sunshine yellow that goes so well with the kookaburra the silver grey)

Kata Tjuta  -sold out-
(an intense pure red that goes well with the Kookaburra and the Wattle and the Amethyst colourway and soooooomany others)

Kookaburra
(a beautiful silver grey with ochre accents that complement the dingo colourway)

Dingo
( A beautiful warm honey ochre with pops of royal bluebell, kingfisher and kangaroo paw)

Grevillea
(a gorgeous raspberry base with pops of royal bluebell, flowering gum, grey and daintree)

Flowering Gum
( a gorgeous medieval warm red with bright red, kookaburra and fern forest accents)

Fern Forest
( a deep forest green with accents of bright red, dusky purple and daintree) )

Jacarandah 
( a fabulous deep purple with accents of royal bluebell, daintree, grevillea and kingfisher )

Wombat
( a fabulous deep walnut brown with accents of dingo and kookaburra)

Kangaroo Paw 
( a fabulous warm orange with accents of fern forest, royal bluebell and grevillea and dingo )

isn’t it gorgeous how the Kangaroo paw knits up?! )

Royal Bluebell 
( a deep blue with accents of flowering gum, kookaburra and fern forest )

Wallaby
( a warm light brown with accents of soft blue and kookaburra)

Daintree ( a soft green with accents of fern forest and dingo)

Kingfisher 
( a fabulous Turquoise blue with accents of fern forest, kangaroo paw, Jacaranda and Grevillea)

Landscape dyes

 100g tubs   AU$12
250 g tubs AU$27

Want to dye your own with easy to use acid dyes? I have been selling these Landscape dyes at my workshops and shows for a long time :  They are extremely easy to use and come in great shades.

Just contact me with the name of the colour you are after and I will get right back to you.

All my contact details are here:

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 week’s blog entry. 
Have a fun weekend !!!

How To Order:

1. You can email me on ixchelbunnyart at gmail dot com  or ixchelbunny at yahoo dot com dot au
2. Message me on facebook or 
3. Message me on www.ravelry.com  where I am ixchelbunny.
4. message me on Instagram 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.

Keep your eyes out for any news on the 

ixchelbunny Instagram feed and the IxCHeL facebook page!!

 RABBIT ON !

((hugs))

Charly