hand dyed angorino tops drying on a sunny dayChaos rules here at the farm in these wild days before the Australian Sheep and Wool show starts next week. Or should I say FIBRE rules: it’s everywhere: the living room now has two wheels where I’m working on (I wish at the same time but unfortunately I am not that clever…lol); one Ashford Electric wheel for my production spinning and the other one the Majacraft Rose with its Wild Flyer and huge bobbins for my art Yarns. I have been in Bendigo show production for so long now I cant remember: working til 3am in the mornings is more a given than an exception to the rule, watching the Tour de France while spinning or packing. Batt making and “last minute o-maybe-I-don’t –have-enough-of-THAT-blend-dyeing” is left to the daylight hours.
Pattern printing, packaging, labelling, you name it: it is a huge job. One that I can surely say , wouldn’t be able to do if I did not LOVE what I do completely. Especially when you work with colour and fibre there is something you need to know (apart from that it can take over your world..lol); it shows when you are not in the mood or…you are on auto pilot. Believe me: when your heart is not in it , the colours , the colour combinations, the way that you treat the fibre and the yarns you make will show it ! I have seen heaps of people starting enthusiastically and thinking they can make a “business”out of their passion. Sure! Anything goes ! But, as with everything, as soon as you start thinking that you can make heaps of money with your craft or the production mode takes over , beware!
You have to put your passion above everything. When the passion goes and you start thinking: “Oh I HAVE to do more dyeing..yuk!” then you have to STOP! And do something else.
All of us who love fibre and yarn are in this together. It is not who we exclude, it is who we INCLUDE. It is not how we shut ourselves off , or fearfully put protective barriers up on what we do that defines us, it is how we share and how open we are to others, that does. This, by the way, does not only apply to fibre, spinning, dyeing or craft. It applies to everything in our lives. What brought this on you say? Easy: I have made a decision some time ago to be open, to share with the world. It started when I decided to start the IxCHeL fibre farm but then when adversity hit me, when I was diagnosed with uterine cancer 18 months ago, even more so. I shared my life with all of you and I now know why: because I cannot possibly separate “me” from what I do , I cannot separate the things I make from the passion inside me. And I have been blessed, because I know now, that having this attitude to openness and sharing, is giving me so much back.
You have to put your passion above everything. When the passion goes and you start thinking: “Oh I HAVE to do more dyeing..yuk!” then you have to STOP! And do something else.
All of us who love fibre and yarn are in this together. It is not who we exclude, it is who we INCLUDE. It is not how we shut ourselves off , or fearfully put protective barriers up on what we do that defines us, it is how we share and how open we are to others, that does. This, by the way, does not only apply to fibre, spinning, dyeing or craft. It applies to everything in our lives. What brought this on you say? Easy: I have made a decision some time ago to be open, to share with the world. It started when I decided to start the IxCHeL fibre farm but then when adversity hit me, when I was diagnosed with uterine cancer 18 months ago, even more so. I shared my life with all of you and I now know why: because I cannot possibly separate “me” from what I do , I cannot separate the things I make from the passion inside me. And I have been blessed, because I know now, that having this attitude to openness and sharing, is giving me so much back.
These last weeks have been a difficult time here with our animals being hard hit by the mutant calici virus strain and again I am absolutely flabbergasted by the responses of my fibre friends : Whorled Dominations Daniel MacBride , designing a Bunny Love Mitten to help with the rebuilding of the Angora bunnies, Siobhan Colley sending me heaps of gorgeous spun yarns for the Bunny fund, Elizabeth Streeter who has blown me away with her parcel of amazing hand spun and hand dyed shawls, the Don Valley Spinners and Janet Knoop with a wonderful card and embroidered hankie (much needed!), Catherine Bateson with a wonderful care pack, Marg Bozik with the much loved and needed chocolate fix care pack, Jill MacDermott with a wonderful sculpture she made in honour of Popcorn and all the bunnies lost !!!! and so so so many more of you who have shown me their love and compassion! Thank you ! I am overwhelmed by your passion, your love and friendship. So, if any of you out there think that sharing and openness is a bad thing because people will steal your ideas, hurt your feelings or destroy what you have built, think again and change the way you think. Even if it is only for a day, you will see the difference it makes to you and what you experience. Make it a fun experiment and let me know how you go!
So, thank you all so much for everything ! It is your love that shows through in what I do ! I could not possibly do what I do without you.
So, what does it come down to? I suppose it is passion more than anything really. Keep the passion alive and love what you do and accept that it will take over your life. Talking about that: I am very lucky to have a super supportive husband who not only has to live with me but also with tonnes of fibres and yarns that totally take over the house this time of year. Tops drying in the living room, spinning wheels , niddy noddies, bobbins of fluff everywhere, yarns dyed and drying, labelling, badges….This is not even talking about the bunnies !
So, thank you all so much for everything ! It is your love that shows through in what I do ! I could not possibly do what I do without you.
So, what does it come down to? I suppose it is passion more than anything really. Keep the passion alive and love what you do and accept that it will take over your life. Talking about that: I am very lucky to have a super supportive husband who not only has to live with me but also with tonnes of fibres and yarns that totally take over the house this time of year. Tops drying in the living room, spinning wheels , niddy noddies, bobbins of fluff everywhere, yarns dyed and drying, labelling, badges….This is not even talking about the bunnies !
Talking about bunnies:..ahem....Elvis had to be confined to a pen of her own in the studio this morning by the way, after I discovered she was parading with a skein of Nip’n’Tuck yarn freshly spun on her behind like she was in a costume play looking like a French Madame Pompadour. (Where’s that camera when you need it) This, by the way, was not her first act of destroying capability: her rebel gene is surfacing just like that of her sister Skye, while Jazz the Bunny dog is getting more mellow every year : sleepy Jazz ....
Sleepy Jazz
Well, better get to this weeks update so I can go Batty again this afternoon (otherwise I will keep on talking and talking..well you know me….lol)
Todays offering is the (in)famous CameBunnySilk tops ! It has been such a long time since I put this blend up for sale and I had a great time dyeing it: the fibre takes the dye beautifully , has a gorgeous aura about it and above all is so soft ! Enjoy this weeks update !
You can email me on ixchel at rabbit dot com dot au or 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? Please don’t hesitate to ask! Always happy to enable.
This weeks’ offerings are the last before the big Bendigo Show ! So all of you who cannot make it to the show or at Mapleton this SHOP update of Friday the 8th of July will be the last one for July to stock up on your bunny fluff. I will try and post updates on the show and mapleton while I am on the road ofcourse so keep in touch via flickr, facebook and ravelry !
Thank you so much for your help and support !
(((HUGS)))
Charly
CamelBunnySilk (50% baby Camel, 5% angora,45% Silk )
50g AU$19 Amazing to spin with gorgeous sheen . Heaven to spin and felt. An absolutely awesome blend and exclusive to the IxCHeL Fibre farm !
I am also offering some undyed CamelBunny Silk tops : 100grams for $30.
Wild River
Froggy went a courtin’
Political Science
Reckless
Fall of Rome
Robin Hood strikes again
The Boys light up
Harvest Moon -sold out-
Broken Romeo
Rainbows’end
Inconceivable
World PeaceEmail me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au or ixchel@rabbit.com.au if you want to adopt any of these or fibres : message me on Ravelry or facebook where I am Ixchelbunny !
Dates to Remember:
Bunny Spin in at the Ixchel Fibre Farm (11am-5pm)
All bunny spin ins are cancelled due to the calici virus out break until September ! I will let everybody know through this blog and Ravelry when the spin ins will start again, probably in September.
Contact me on Ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny, message me on facebook there or email me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au
The BENDI PARTY is ON!
15-16-17th of July !
Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show (with a big dash of Rabbit from yours truly)
see website ; www.sheepshow.com
Bendigo Sheep & Wool Show is NOT to miss in this year of the rabbit ! Now more than ever!
Lots of special goodies on offer, prizes to be won and a super competition of “Bunny dress up”again this year! Make a a statement ! This year there’s a “Rock-a-Billy Bunny-dress up competition”and win a super duper Bunny Spin or Yarn bunny Prize! C’mon be a rockin” Fibre Bunny! You know you want to J and everybody who spends over $50 to support the IxCHeL fibre farm will have a chance of winning amazing prizes !
Also there will be petitions to sign and buttons for sale to support the cause of making this world a better and safer place for our pet and rare breed rabbits.
All the preperations are already on their way to make this years Bendi show an amazingly FUN & EXCITING FIBRE EVENT !!!!!
Bunny invasion in Queensland planned again just after Bendigo ! @ Mapleton Camp of the Queensland Spinners & Weavers
Mapleton Camp July 22-24 !
Contact the QSW&FA if you want to be part of this awesome weekend of fun !! I will be doing workshops on Art yarn (my nip ‘n’tuck special and Jewellery Sculpture Art yarn)
RABBIT ON !
((hugs))
Charly
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