Mythical Creatures:When bunnies can fly!

the famous Bunny Bird, seen in the forests of Finland…

I was sifting through some old photos and boxes full of memorabilia and ai came across some funny stuff back in the days when I was living in Texas with my mum, dad and grandmother. It’s a Jackalope postcard. Now what is a Jackalope? Hmm, well, it is a very famous animal really, matched only by the thylacines still hopping around in Wilsons Prom in Australia. Some say it’s myth others say they have seen whole herds hopping around….ahem…Here’s the story of the Jackalope and some Real bunny combos that will make your eyes water. Enjoy!

The myth of the jackalope has bred the rise of many outlandish claims as to the creature's habits. For example, it is said to be a hybrid of the pygmy-deer and a species of "killer rabbit". Reportedly, jackalopes are extremely shy unless approached. Legend also has it that female jackalopes can be milked as they sleep belly up and that the milk can be used for a variety of medicinal purposes. It has also been said that the jackalope can convincingly imitate any sound, including the human voice. It uses this ability to elude pursuers, chiefly by using phrases such as "There he goes! That way!" It is said that a jackalope may be caught by putting a flask of whiskey out at night. The jackalope will drink its fill of whiskey and its intoxication will make it easier to hunt. In some parts of the United States it is said that jackalope meat has a taste similar to lobster. However, legend has it that they are dangerous if approached. It has also been said that jackalopes will only breed during electrical storms including hail, explaining its rarity.
Jackalopes are legendary in the U.S. – attributed by the New York Times in 1932 to Douglas Herrick (1920–2003) of Douglas, Wyoming, and thus the town was named the "Home of the Jackalope" by the state of Wyoming in 1985. The state of Wyoming trademarked the name in 1965. According to the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, a 1930s hunting trip for jackrabbits led to the idea of a Jackalope. Herrick and his brother had studied taxidermy by mail order as teenagers. When the brothers returned from a hunting trip, Herrick tossed a jackrabbit carcass into the taxidermy store, where it came to rest beside a pair of deer antlers. The accidental combination of animal forms sparked Douglas Herrick's idea for a jackalope.. The first jackalope the brothers put together was sold for $10 to Roy Ball, who displayed it in Douglas' La Bonte Hotel. The mounted head was stolen in 1977. The Douglas Chamber of Commerce has issued thousands of Jackalope Hunting Licenses to tourists. The tags are good for hunting only during official Jackalope season, which occurs for only one day: June 31 (a nonexistent date as June has 30 days), from midnight to 2 AM. The hunter may not have an IQ greater than 72. In 2005, the House of the Wyoming state legislature passed a bill to declare the jackalope the "official mythological creature" of Wyoming, by a vote of 45-12 and referred it to the state Senate, where the bill was indefinitely postponed on March 2, 2005.
More mythologic references can be found in the Huichol legends of the deer and the horned rabbit. The Huichol oral tradition has passed down tales of the sharing of horns between the two animals. This folklore may be due to the papilloma viral infection of the Western United States and Mexico from the 1880s - 1930's. The rabbit and deer have also been paired up as far back as the Mesoamerican period of the Aztecsas twins, brothers, even the sun and moon.
Jackalope legends are sometimes used by locals to play tricks on tourists. This joke was employed by Ronald Reagan to reporters in 1980 during a tour of his California ranch. Reagan had a rabbit head with antlers, which he referred to as a "jackalope", mounted on his wall. Reagan liked to claim that he had caught the animal himself. Reagan's jackalope hangs on the ranch's wall to this day.

In the Fablehaven series, jackalopes can be found at the Lost Mesa preserve in Arizona. They are purported to be extremely lucky.

jackalope lives!

there are even jackolope crossing signs! Beware!

Ofcourse, the Jackalope is nothing compared to the famous Bunny Camel!

the base of our famous blend: Camel bunny silk tops ...ahem..cough cough

You may know that we at the IxCHeL fibre farm put a lot of effort in breeding good wonderful angora rabbits, not only do we look for great temperament and fabulous fibre but we also want our bunnies to have an intellectual fulfilling life. We present our Einstein Project:

All fun aside: here’s this weeks update AND the information on all the IxCHeL clubs (fibre, yarn and Batt clubs) that will start in April. Sign ups start this week so if you want to receive a wonderful fibre, yarn or batt parcel every month let me know ! Email me , message me on Rav or on FB.

Enjoy !

IxCHeL Club Sign Up information

Fibre Club #9 (april-may-june)
here is all the info for the fibre club sign ups :
The subscription is for a period of three months (april-may-june 2011) and you will receive one special hand dyed top/roving per month to the value of AU$20 or more !
All the tops will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel Fibre Club !
Sign up now and you will receive an Ixchel Hand dyed special top for three months!
Price to join the Ixchel Fibre Club #9 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months is AU$60 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND double and triple serves are available !!! So in short:
For Australia :
single serve $60+$15 postage (parcel post)
double serve $120+$18
triple serve $155+$18
For USA + Canada:
single serve AU$60+AU$32 (Airmail)
double serve AU$120+AU$50
For UK,Europe, rest of the world:
Single serve AU$60+AU$38 (airmail)
Double serve AU$120+AU$58
For Asia:
Single serve AU$60+AU$28 (airmail)
Double serve AU$120+AU$39
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #9 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for fibre club #9 is march 30th ! And the first installment is going to be shipped out mid april:)
Payment via direct deposit or credit card. Just PM or email me your details :))


Ixchel Sock it to me yarn club April-may and June 2011

What is the deal? hmmm it is sooo good and fun and sockaliscious you just will HAVE to join :)
Here are the details:
Every month for three months you will receive:
enough hand dyed luscious yummy yarn to make a pair of socks; (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 :)
Here is the nitty gritty:
For Australia :
single serve $78+$15 postage (parcel post)
double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +$18
For USA + Canada:
single serve AU$78+AU$32 (Airmail)
double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$49
For UK,Europe, rest of the world:
Single serve AU$78+AU$38 (airmail)
Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$57
For Asia:
Single serve AU$78+AU$28 (airmail)
Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$42
Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB! is March 30th ! And the first installment is going to be shipped out mid april 2011 :) among the yarn blends on offer this time will be an amazing handspun 4ply blue faced leicester bunny sock yarn and some other awesome yarns?) ;-))
Payment via direct deposit or credit card. 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 funky bunny batt club #9 (april-may-june)

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
At the request of so many fibre fans and bunny lovers I am starting this thread so that everybody who wants to join the 9TH funky bunny batt club can put their name on the list.
The subscription is for a period of three months (april-may-june!) and you will receive one special hand dyed funky bunny batt per month to the value of AU$32 or more . The batts will range in weight from 100grams to 150grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even buffalo and wolf this time ! is on the cards for the next funky bunny club!! )
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 in april-may-june 2011 !
Price to join the Ixchel Funky bunny #9 :)) for three months is AU$96 + postage (parcel post or airmail). So in short:
For Australia : $96+$15postage (parcel post)
For USA + Canada: AU$96+AU$32 (Airmail)
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$96+AU$38 (airmail)
For Asia: AU$96+AU$28 (airmail)
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FUNKY BUNNY Batt CLUB#9 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for the funky bunny batt club #9 is March30th! And the first installment is going to be shipped out mid April 2011 :)
Payment via direct deposit or credit card. Just PM or email me : ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au


Hand dyed Wensleydale Tops
100g AU$20

Super lustrous with an amazing crimp! Great to spin and has a feel of mohair to it, with very long lustrous staples! An amazing sheep!
The breed was developed in the 19th century by crossing English Leicester and Teeswater sheep. Wool from this breed is acknowledged as the finest lustre long wool in the world. The fleece from a purebred sheep is considered kemp free and curled or purled on out to the end.

Jackalope -sold-

The Werewolf -1left-

St Patricks Day Bash -2left-

Deep Blue Yonder -sold-

Wild Wild West -2left-

it’s a Bunny Bird! -1left-

Findhorn Retreat -1left-

Hand dyed Sock wool Special!
100+g 420 meters/100grams 75%Superfine merino/25$nylon 4ply AU$23/skein

Super super sock yarn , vibrant and strong! Sock knitting time ! oh and if you really really do not need anymore hand knit socks, well , these yarns make fabulous shawls as well, like the Citron shawl (have a look at my photostream : http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixchelbunny/4992585178/

Rainbow Magic -3left-

Ching Bada Bing! -2left-

Slumber Party -2lft-

Gone Fishin’ -1left-

Boundin’ -2left-

I leave you this week with a very cuddly photo of a gorgeous family :-)

Email me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au if you want to adopt any of these babies or message me on Ravelry or facebook where I am Ixchelbunny !


Dates to Remember:

Bunny Spin in at the Ixchel Fibre Farm:

Saturday March 19th that’s tomorrow!
Thursday March 24th
Bring your wheel, spindle, knitting, crocheting and a plate to share with everybody. There is cake and coffee and tea and a lovely bunny to cuddle and lots of fibres and yarn!) very important ! : Please, please let me now beforehand by email or message that you would like to come and visit so I can prepare the infrastructure and cake ofcourse !
Contact me on Ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny, message me on facebook there or email me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au or ixchel@rabbit.com.au
Thanks heaps for your support !

RABBIT ON !
((hugs))
Charly