Smelling the Roses...

The world can be a strange place… it still is…In Beijing somebody is selling fresh air in a can, come to think of it, when going up to Macchu Picchu you could actually buy oxygen in a balloon so just the packaging changed…and in England somebody found what some newspapers called “whale vomit” worth over $150.000,- ! It’s ofcourse special “vomit” called ambergris and not your run of the mill cat hairballs. (It’s actually caused by the whale not being able to digest all of the cuddlefish it ate…)…Although it smells horrible on its own….it is a very important element in the perfume industry, where it is used to create a musky undertone scent and makes the perfume last longer while wearing it.

 The perfume industry is really a fascinating business….makes me want to read Perfume by Patrick Susskind again. I did delve into the Secret of Perfume a while back and it is just amazing how it all evolved and works.

Natural musks have all but one been banned from being used because it causes skin problems, jasmine can only be used in a very low % also because of the fact that so many people are allergic to it, so they are replacing lots and lots of scent elements with manmade scent “chemicals. The strange thing is that all things are “chemical” ofcourse even the natural essences…if you know what I mean…Why would anybody in their right mind want to dab an animals secretions from the nether regions(=musks) on their neck? It sounds absurd but still lots of people do it..not necessarily because they know what it is but because it is all part of a package called perfume that will make you smell “nice” or more “desireable”…the whole scent thing is amazing…and more important than you might think.

Just imagine when you would not be able to smell anything!….and this does happen ! Lots of people who have had the misfortune to be in a car accident for example had their sense of smell robbed from them. Michael Hutchince from INXS was one of them before he was catapulted into melancholy and ultimately suicide. When your sense of smell is not working anymore your sense of taste also goes out of the window: an apple will taste just like a potato! Imagine that! and more importantly it is directly linked to depression. Not being able to smell changes your whole way of life. You will not be able to smell that there is a fire somewhere or that your dinner is burning or food is off for that matter. So it is more important than you think to “smell the roses “…

It is already the first of February! The “slight” murmur of panic is starting to get louder and louder as the Bothwell Show is getting closer and closer. And there is still so much to do !!!! The whole house is filled with hand dyed fibres and yarns to be labelled and packed and there’s a big mountain of things still to be dyed and spun. Twenty six days to go before I hop on a ferry to Tasmania with my Tardis filled to the brim. I have never been to Tasmania but I have heard that it is a magical place. I am so looking forward to spending some quality time there. Preparations are on their way for Bothwell (march 1.2 and 3) and also a meet up with the Kingston Spinners and knitters group on Tuesday the 5th of March. It is going to be so exciting ! and ofcourse I can’t wait to meet up with good friends !


On offer on this weeks shopblog is a new upgraded GaGa! Top blend with added cashmere! YUM!!!! Also a new blend of angorino and flax for some fun spinning and some very luscious silk ! Enjoy !

How To Order from this Shop blog

 until the website www.ixchel.com.au is up and running –which will be sooooon-ish!-yeah yeah start laughing will ya.....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.

Payment : direct bank deposit, card or paypal ! easy !

(((HUGS)))

Charly

GaGa! Bunny TOPS

A  blend of Blue faced leicester, angora bunny , cashmere and glitz for that little bit of extra bling in your project

100grams+    for  AU$24

Orchid

Lark Spur

 

Sweet pea

Hummingbird

Rose

Kangaroo Paw

Waratah

Show me your teeth

Crocus

The IxCHeL GaGa ! Neutral Semi Solid Colour Range

….and don’t they look absolutely stunning together !

Heather

Duck Egg

Forest

Dreamy pink

Vampire Mix TOPS

A Fun blend of deep crimson blood red Angorino, a cloak of superfine merino in deep black  and a splash of vampire teeth…eh..I mean bleached flax…lol

100grams+    for  AU$24

Vampire bunny! O-oh!

Vampire Mix Tops

Two Tone Silk Tops

A beautiful mulberry silk in two natural colours blended together to create a romantic yarn.

50grams+    for  AU$23

Two Toned Mulberry silk

Dates to Remember:

THE FAMOUS BOTHWELL SPIN IN, Bothwell, Tasmania   

Friday March 1st, Saturday March 2nd and Sunday March 3rd.

I will be there with as much fibres and yarns and batts and tops and wooshes and badges and more as I can pack into my Tardis ! I will also have some very special spindles with me and some exquisite Fiberific! Nostepinne and ChiaGoo knitting needle sets and Fiberific! stitch markers : they are so cuuuute ! , not to mention Art Yarns , pre felts, needle felting, angelina and much much more ! There are still spots on the ferry and Im sure that you can jump on a plane as well, although I wouldn’t recommend swimming: it gets a bit cold in the Bass strait…

Kingston Spinners Tasmania Spin in!

Tuesday March 5th, Kingston Spin In.  9.30am-13

Uniting Church  42 Jindabyne Road, Kingston beach, Tasmania

A fun bunny get together and I am planning something special :)

It is going to be FUN!

McClelland Spinnes and Weavers Show 
Wednesday March 13th, from 10 til 3pm

with a Peter Rabbit theme this year! The McClelland Spinners and weavers are located in the most exquisite of places: in the McClelland sculpture park near Frankston (McClelland drive, Langwarrin, in the craft cottages on the grounds. The park is a great place for a wonderful lunch , walking around enjoying all the sculptures and visiting the gallery) .

I will be there supporting their wonderful group and the Peter Rabbit theme ofcourse ! and bringing heaps of fibres, yarns and goodies !

For any questions contact Betty Dyer the secretary of the McClelland Spinners and weavers or me

IxCHeL Fibre Farm Spin in  with the Lara Group Spinners

Saturday March 16th.  11am-16

IxCHeL fibre farm

Hand knitters guild Mini Wool Show

Date and place to be announced soon ! This is a not to miss fibre fun opportunity!

BENDIGO SHEEP AND WOOL SHOW!

Friday 19th of July, Saturday 20th of July and Sunday 21st of July

This is the Ultimate Fibre and fun mix of them all! There will be lots of new things on offer at my IxCHeL stall ofcourse, with prizes to be won and lots of fun to be had!

This is the place to support farmers, fibre producers and independant "Indie" dyers and crafters and have some great fun discovering new things and even win prizes !

In the flower Power Bunny Shed there will be some extra surprises and new things happening as well, including …this is so exciting!!!!: you can see and try out new spinning wheels from a wonderful new fibre fanatic fiberific! vendor ! Don’t miss seeing these new beauties! And ofcourse there will be lots more demos and wheels and spindles on offer as well in the flower power Bunny shed !
There is a woolcraft schedule available at the farm or you can email Dot : Dotv5@optusnet.com.au. Entries for your fiber art closes on June 14th and there are lots of prizes to be won! Our little IxCHeL fibre farm is sponsoring sections 24 and 25 so get started on your entry to win some very yummy stuff !

Any questions or requests?
Contact me on Ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny, message me on facebook

or email me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au or ixchel@rabbit.com.au

RABBIT ON !
 ((hugs))

Charly