Angelic Bunnies and Rare Sheep

Castlemilk Moorit Sheep
(photo:RBST Caledonian Support Group)

THe last week was all about care of Hilde, our smoke grey bunny with the eye problem and  custom spinning and dyeing: a lot of it !!! 
Hildes right eye in particular was giving me a lot of worries becaus eof a bump that was showing on top of her eye, her left eye was red and inflaed as well so last week we went to the vet who said it may be a tumour but here are some treatments for the eyes (different ones of the left and the right eye!) and you have to administer it every 4 hours. Like clockwork every 4 hours I treated her eyes, gave her a massage, took care of any naughty discharge of her eyes. almost a full time bunny nurse..lol   So every 4 hours the ointment went in, a delicate eyemassage and presto !!! the inflamation is totally gone!!!! yeah !!! There is still a tiny little bump visible on her right eye ball  but it is much smaller and the vet is really hopeful that keeping this treatment up will hopefully mean that the right eye can be saved ! I could not be happier !!! We have to go back to the vet in three weeks time..I will keep you posted!

So bunny care and ...special custom spinning were  filling up this week for me ! One project especially where a very fluffy angora yarn with a bit of silvery sparkle ! needs to be spun for a very special occasion: a wedding.  After a special bunny was selected to do this project ( if it is one garment I always like to take fibre off the one bunny because every bunny has different fibre qualities.  Especially for this project excessive staple length and "fluffy halo" (yes technical term..lol) was needed to be able to create a magical bolero.  I therefore made up a special long draw technique with an occasional nip so to speak. (very hard to explain in words but I hope you get my drift). THe thing is when you spin fluffy fibres and guide the fibres back with your drafting hand, the "halo" tends to stick to the rest of the fibres and the only way to get some kind of halo back is to whack it after spinning the yarn making it bloom or brush the yarn after spinning.  I wanted to see if I could already create this halo effect while it was on the wheel with this technique and brush afterwards as well for double the effect.  Nor every fibre is suited though: if your bunny fibres are very short it will not work and you will lose half of it before you even get started. It will work with a longer stapled bunny fibre though, especially an english angora. Long draw, not guiding the fibres back and a fairly low ratio is the trick. It is coming up beautifully ! 

Next update I will be able to show you some extra special custom order yarns I am working on this weekend: Art Yarns with a twist and lots of .....curls !!!!

Angel english angora bunny in full coat

very fluffy pure english angora bunny, spun with a special long draw technique with a low ratio

Angelic Bolero worn by Kate Middleton

By now you all must know I have a soft spot for bunnies and well...eh...rare breeds. So this update is going to have another rare sheep breed offering and I am very very busy trying to get new magical things happening for the fibre and batt clubs for the last three months of this year AND new rare sheep breed adventures as well for 2017 !!!!   It takes a lot of blood sweat and tears sometimes, but I think it is all so worth it!  Don't forget, if you want to be part of the  IxCHeL Clubs: they are filling up fast ! Don't leave it too late to sign up.

In my search for the rarer kind of sheep breeds I have come across the story of the Castlemilk Moorit sheep. First I read about them and then, when I saw what they looked like and what their fleece was like , well, I was sold. 

Castlemilk Moorit sheep are the cutest most feisty little things. The Castlemilk Moorit sheep breed take their name from the Castlemilk estate in Dumfriesshire, where they originated in the early 1900s. They were originally bred to provide meat, wool to make clothing for the estate workers, and also to prance around the parklands of the estate. They are graceful, elegant sheep with fine, kemp-free wool, which is mid honey brown (moorit is a Scottish word for brown) at the base and bleached to a fawn colour at the tips.

Castlemilk Moorit sheep have some Manx Loghtan sheep and mouflon sheep breed ancestry and have retained the interesting mouflon markings of white underbelly, lower jaw, knee, eye markings (‘spectacles’) and a white rump patch. They are also feisty and pretty fast! 

Once clipped they look totally different – almost like deer – as they revert to the dark brown colour for a few weeks, until the growing fleece bleaches back to fawn at the tips. At one point in the early 1970s Castlemilk Moorits were reduced to only around 12 individuals and could easily have simply ‘disappeared’. However, those few remaining were rescued in two groups, including six ewes and two rams which were taken to Cotswold Farm Park. All of today’s Castlemilks, which include around 700 registered females, are descended from these two small groups.
In the past couple of years the breed has been downlisted from the ‘Endangered’ to the ‘Vulnerable” category on the RBST watchlist – a big success.

Cute Castlemilk Moorit lambs
4th barrier island from the top right of the picture

lambs with their mum

As with everything the way that you scour and process the fibre is very important. The fleece of the castlemilk moorit ranges from 28 to 32 microns and the staple length is about 6 cms. The outer edges of the staple are often bleached by the sun and the locks often have a pointy tip. I find it very easy to spin. It reminds me of Manx Loughtan but definitely finer and softer. It is not that easy to get hold of this quality fibre so I only have a limited amount, but it is oh so worth it !

Have a fun snaffle !!!

Warning : There is only a very limited quantity available.

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 !!!

Castlemilk Moorit Sheep Tops   

100+gram tops, Natural AU$23

New IxCHeL Club sign ups are open

for the months : October, November and December 2016 

(til quotas are reached or until October 1st)

For all our international club fans there is a possibility to ship all three clubs together to save on postage if you want :-) Just pm me and enquire about the options available.

IxCHeL Fibre Club October, November and December 2016

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$24 or more

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 #30 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (October, November and December) 2016) is AU$72 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double serves available !!!

For Australia : single serve $72+$28 postage (parcel post), double serve $136+$28 (save $8) or triple serves $204 (save $12!) + postage

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$72+AU$56 (Airmail) double serve AU$136+AU$56

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$72+AU$69 (airmail) Double serve AU$136+AU$69

For Asia: Single serve AU$72+AU$45 (airmail) Double serve AU$136+AU$45

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #30 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The October 2016 Club 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 Clubs October, November and December 2016

Every month for three months (October, November and December2016) 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+$28 postage (parcel post) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +$28

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$78+AU$56 (Airmail) double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$56

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$78+AU$69 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$69

For Asia: Single serve AU$78+AU$45 (airmail) Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$45

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 .

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Clubs October , November and December 2016

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$40 or more .

The batts will range in weight from 140grams to 180grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even wolf and bison and rare sheep 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 2016.

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

For Australia : $108+$28 postage (parcel post)

For USA + Canada: AU$108+AU$56 (Airmail)

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$108+AU$69 (airmail)

For Asia: AU$108+AU$45 (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 first installment is going to be shipped out end of October Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me

Have a creative week!

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 here:

How To Order:

1. You can email me on ixchel at rabbit dot com dot au 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.

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.

Thank you so much for your help and support !

 RABBIT ON !

((hugs))

Charly