Dream and make it happen !

King Rabbit by Brian Despain

It has only been a month since the Bendigo Show and it somehow seems like ages have gone by. I think it’s because so much has happened and I have so much work to do. I guess the more you do, the faster time goes….no time for boredom here at the farm that’s for sure!

This week was filled with doing custom orders and something very exciting: the birth of a new blend soon to take centre stage , so keep your eyes peeled : hopefully in the next month or so all will be revealed. Safe to say, I have been having a ball trying to put different fibres together. People often ask me how do I determine a new blend? Is it by colour? By micron? by softness? What determines a nice blend and what fibres can be put together?
Safe to say, I am not a “purist”..lol…I do tend to mix and match all different fibres with all different gradients and all different levels of softness and staple length.

 Ofcourse there are “rules but it is so much more fun thinking outside of the box. There are rules in spinning mills because they don’t want to soil the milling process so all needs to be one particular colour, they don’t want to mess up and get short and long staple lengths together because the machine will cough up nepps and short bits all over the place. BUT, we are not machines, when you do things by hand or on a small scale, like using a mini mill or blending by hand using a blending hackle or combs or a drum carder, you can make a magical blend of anything you want !. That way it is so much fun to spin and make your own magic happening! Be surprised at the different elements coming together in your own hand spun yarn.

I guess I have always been a dreamer and thinking of new creative things, whether it be in fibre, painting, writing or discovering new ways of doing things.  The most important thing about being a dreamer is remembering the dream when you wake up and act on it immediately or write it down. Don't ever let it slip away.  Dreams can come true and you are the onlly one who can make it happen. Never ever think along the lines of: I cannot do this or cannot do that. the worst thing that can happen is that you have tried and it comes out differently than you anticipated and maybe even better ...!
When you think about it: a lot of great inventions or beautiful things have been created by mistake. Mistakes, trial and errors are good for the soul: so, open your mind, let your dreams colour your soul and most of all: Have fun and say to yourself; Anything goes !!!!!! 

This week I can show you two types of yarns I have been working on: a uniformly spun 3ply luxury yarn: made up of angora, lambswool, cashmere and mink no less (a NEW IxCHeL yarn!!!) and a 4 ply hemp bunny and hemp cotton yarn.

 The hemp bunny yarn was carded up together with some ice blue sparkles and is a blend of 50% angora and 50% hemp: it is luscious and soft while still having that strong character the hemp fibres give to it. The other one is a soft strong shint hemp cotton yarn:; the hemp was spun very fine and then plied with fine cotton thread. So those two different yarns are on offer to you this week ! Enjoy!

I am continuously preparing fibres and yarns and dyepots, this week was no different. So this week I wanted to tell you all about dyeing with Osage Orange (Maclura Pomifera) is a tree that grows in North America where it is also known as the hedge apple. It bears large inedible orange fruits and the heartwood provides the dye stuff, like shavings, chips or as a concentrated dye powder. If you are using wood chips soak them overnight before starting the dyeing to obtain a stronger dye. Dry them after use and re use them for a lighter colour !. 

Osage orange to me is very special. It always meant a very magical tree for me and in Native American culture it was a very important and versatile wood: it is a great wood for making bows. I am fortunate to own beautiful osage orange spindles and a needle case :

Bristlecone Glindle made from Osage orange
 

A Malcolm Fielding Tibetan Spindle made from Osage orange

A Spinning woodie gift pack with an osage orange needle case, a book mark and some shavings

the osage orange tree

Osage orange bowl in the making and all the shavings can be used ! Double goodie ! 

some osage orange dyeing examples

Do you need to use mordants? Yes you do. The type of mordants you use has a huge effect on what colours you getThis time yo can use alum as a mordant.


So, here is a recipe to dye with osage orange:
100 grams of protein fibres
5grams of concentrated dry osage orange powder or a 100grams of sahvings or chips you soaked over night
about 4 liters of rainwater (yes, rainwater is best, because the chemicals added to drinking water will change the colours or have different effects on your natural dyeing)
alum as a mordant...10grams
cream of tartar as a modifier, 7 grams

if you are using the concentrate powder , make a paste first and then add it to the water, if you are using chips of shavings make sure you have soaked them overnight! And ! keep them in a muselin or onion bag in the dyepot, otherwise your yarn will touch the wood and you will get it all over the place in your yarn or fibres (talk about vm..lol) also this direct contact can make your fibres “spotty “looking so beware !
Add your yarn or fibres to the dyebath and simmer it on low. Never let it boil! Do not take the fibres or yarn out of the dyebath. Let it all cool down naturally or, until you like the depth of colour in your yarn or fibre.
Take it out, rinse it all in luke warm to cool water and dry in the shade. Voila! Your own magical osage orange recipe ! Welcome to the magical world of natural dyeing !

Dates to Remember:

The black and coloured Sheep breeders Associations of Victoria 2013

Sunday 29th-September 2013 from 9.30am to 3 pm

I will be there with heaps of new fluffy stuff !!

Cranbourne Public Hall (near KFC….),

Join me in all the fun ! There will be a huge amount of new blends and fibres to choose from. Here is the flyer with the information:

And now: drumroll!!!!

Here is the special yarn update of this week ! Enjoy!

Hand dyed IxCHeL Luxury 3 ply yarn
50+grams     AU$18
a unique IxCHeL blend of Angora Rabbit (50%) Lambswool 30%, cashmere 15% and mink 5%
this yarn has 400meters per 50grams , it is super light, is the perfect super soft exquisite yarn for your special luxury project !

Zen -4 avaiilable-

Rainbow-4 available-

Indigo Blue-4 available-

heather-4 available-

Dusky Rose-4 available-

Dream-4 available-

Crocodile-4 avaiilable-

Autumn Leaves-3 available-

Natural-10 available, more in the making -

IxCHeL Handspun Hemp yarns

Hemp is a very sustainable fibre, organically grown here in Australia and hand spun at the IxCHeL Fibre farm. Hemp has beautiful anti bacterial properties and is a strong but yet soft and lustrous fibre. It is perfect to make garments, socks and skirts !

Hand dyed with natural dyes using eucalypt, lichen and red cabbage, plied with a hand dyed ccotton fine thread and weighing 126grams.
It is a 3-4ply weight yarn and has appr 530-540meters ! AU$32

A 50/50 hemp bunny blend with ice blue sparkles .
It is super special yarn,, weighing 127 grams, a 4-5ply weight and has +/- 520-540meters. A unique yarn for a unique project ! AU$35

IxCHeL Club sign ups are Open ! THE LAST CLUBS OF 2013 !!!!

The IxCHeL clubs sign ups are open!! for the fibre, yarn, mini skein and batt clubs for October, November and December 2013! Can you believe it is almost 2014 ???  !

 

IxCHeL Fibre Club October, November and December 2013

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$22 , and as all of you past members know you get tops that are usually around $24 ! so it is a great deal!

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 #18 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (October, November and December 2013) is AU$66 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double serves available !!!

 

For Australia : single serve $66+$24 postage (parcel post), double serve $120+$24

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$66+AU$45 (Airmail) double serve AU$120+AU$45

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$66+AU$58 (airmail) Double serve AU$120+AU$58

For Asia: Single serve AU$66+AU$36 (airmail) Double serve AU$120+AU$36

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #18 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for fibre club #18 is October 8th! And the first instalment is going to be shipped out end of October. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

 

The IxCHeL Sock Yarn Club October, November and December 2013

Every month for three months (October, November and December 2013) 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+$24 postage (parcel post) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +$24

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$78+AU$45 (Airmail) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$45

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$78+AU$54 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$54

For Asia: Single serve AU$78+AU$36 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$36

 

Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB! is October 8th.

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 Mini skein Club October, November and December 2013

Every month I will be offering a monthly exclusive IxCHeL mini skein selection for Club members. In that monthly selection there are 12 hand dyed miniskeins that are hand dyed and or even hand spun and awesome to add to your mini skein projects.

Here are all the details for the sign ups for the IxCHeL Mini Skein Club:

For Australia : single serve $69+$24 postage (parcel post) double serve $130 (=even a better deal!) +$24

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$69+AU$45 (Airmail) double serve $130 (even a better deal!) +AU$45

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$69+AU$54 (airmail) Double serve $130 (even a better deal!)+AU$54

For Asia: Single serve AU$69+AU$36 (airmail) Double serve $130 (even a better deal!)+AU$36

 

Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for the IxCHeL Mini Skein Club is October 8th. The first Club mini skeins will be sent out end of October. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

 

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Club October, November and December 2013

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$32 or more .

The batts will range in weight from 100grams to 150grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even wolf and bison this time ! 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 ad December 2013!

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

For Australia : $96+$24 postage (parcel post)

For USA + Canada: AU$96+AU$45 (Airmail)

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$96+AU$54 (airmail)

For Asia: AU$96+AU$36 (airmail)

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FUNKY BUNNY Batt CLUB now. Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for the funky bunny batt club October 8th and the first installment is going to be shipped out end of October 2013 :) Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me

How To Order:

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.

Thank you so much for your help and support !

 RABBIT ON !

((hugs))

Charly