A rare sheep breed with a twist

Do you love Seaweed? Did you know that there are sheep who do? Today's update is all about a very special rare breed sheep on the Scottish Isle of North Ronaldsay.

The North Ronaldsay Sheep are the only animals in the world, aside from a certain Galapagos lizard, to be able to subsist entirely on seaweed, leading to its nickname ‘seaweed sheep’. The breed is thought to be over 5000 years old. The breed is farmed within the Northern Ronaldsay Islands, Orkney and kept nearby the seashore for most of the year. In 1832 the Laird of North Ronaldsay decided that his pastureland should not be wasted on native sheep and a dyke was built round the island to keep them on the shore and off the land. It was most probably this separation that resulted in the preservation of the North Ronaldsay, as it prevented cross breeding which had been the downfall of other Orkney sheep.

The North Ronaldsay is one of the Northern Shorttailed primitive group of breeds that also includes the Manx Loghtan, Soay, Shetland and Icelandic . The North Ronaldsay is still mainly found on its native island, the northernmost of the Orkneys. The sheep keeping system on North Ronaldsay is unique and involves a stone wall which keeps the sheep on the seashore and away from the cultivated land for most of the year. This wall was built in 1832 and since then the breed has evolved to survive primarily on seaweed. The sheep live on the seashore most of the year around and are only brought onto the better land for lambing.

The North Ronaldsay is one of group of primitive Northern Short-tailed sheep and represents a very early stage in the evolution of domestic sheep. DNA studies have shown a close relationship to sheep found in the Stone Age village of Skara Brae on mainland Orkney, which dates from 3000 BC. In 1832 a wall was built around their native island to confine the animals to the foreshore for most of the year in order to conserve the inland grazing. Since then the breed has developed its distinctive metabolism due to its diet of seaweed, which also renders it susceptible to copper poisoning under standard sheep management systems. North Ronaldsays are very sensitive to copper and will die of copper toxicity if put on the wrong type of grazing. This is due to their seaweed diet and the unique metabolism they have evolved. They should not be fed commercial sheep mixes as despite the label saying “No Added Copper” the normal ingredients used will often have a background level high enough to be toxic (ten parts per million is too high). The North Ronaldsay is capable of surviving on less than larger breeds and is an active browser, used to ranging over long distances in search of food.

Colours of their fleece are variable: including white, various shades of grey, black and moorit (deep brown). The double fleece has coarse outer guard hairs and a fine soft inner coat. I have never ever felt and dyed something as extraordinary as this sheeps fleece. It is springy, almost feels moist even after its scouring and washing. It almost feels like it resists the dye when you pour the pigments on and everything immediately flows to the bottom, leaving the top layer of the fibre springy and almost without dye. At least, that is what appears to happen…it takes the dye beautifully and retains its springy texture and openness.

Before dyeing and spinning though was the rather painful process of getting rid of the guardhairs !

 Here’s a view of the raw fleece :

After all of the cleaning and carding and blending you get what I am offering you today !

It is a dream to spin and work with. You can make a yarn that is strong and still soft to wear. It is very very special ! There are only about 600 of these seaweed sheep left in the world. Only through our effort of conservation of the environment and conservation through appreciation of this rare breed by spinning and knitting its fleece, can we hold on to one of the oldest and most special breeds in the world alive today.

There is a documentary about the island with its seaweed eating sheep on youtube for you to see; It shows you what the island looks like, the important wild life : Seals ! (warning ! Cute overload !) bird populations and of course its most famous inhabitants:" the seaweed sheep ! (another cute overload ! @ 16:50 mins in) :

Enjoy!

Please understand that I do not have a lot of stock of this exceptional rare breed fibre. This particular lot was a test run with glitz added in and I do not have any more of this anymore. Do not wait too long to pounce on this week’s update to avoid disappointment. These tops  are an amazing spinning experience.

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 weeks blog entry. Have fun !!!

North Ronaldsay blended with  Silver infused Seaweed, Blue faced Leicester, Cashmere and Glitz   

100 gram tops $25

Velvet Rose-sold-

Natural-sold-

Bumblebee Party-sold-

Full Moon Country-sold-

Purple Haze-1 left-

Have a fun weekend Creating your Dreams!

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 !!!

The IxCHeL Club sign ups are OPEN until June 30th or until spaces are filled !!!

Get a monthly fibre and yarn surprise !

Always great blends and new colourways inspired by the Art Journey Theme ! 

July, August and September 2018

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 July , August and September 2018

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 #36 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (July, August and September 2018) is AU$72 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double serves available !!!

For Australia : single serve $72+$29 postage (parcel post), double serve $136+$29 (save $8) or triple serves $204 (save $12!) + postage

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$72+AU$57 (Airmail) double serve AU$136+AU$57

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$50 (airmail) Double serve AU$136+AU$50

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #36 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The July 2018 Club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club mid September. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details.

The IxCHeL Sock Yarn Clubs  July, August and September 2018

Every month for three months (July, August and September 2018) 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 (a 4ply/fingering weight yarn) or an 8ply / DK weight enough to make a pair of socks ; Every month a 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 $87+$29 postage (parcel post) double serve $146(= one skein FREE!!!) +$29

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$87+AU$57 (Airmail) double serve $146 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$57

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$87+AU$69 (airmail) Double serve $145 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$69

For Asia: Single serve AU$87+AU$50 (airmail) Double serve $145 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$50

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 . The July 2018 Club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club Mid September.

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Clubs  July, August and September 2018

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 wallaby 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 July, August and September 2018.

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

For Australia : $114+$29 postage (parcel post)

For USA + Canada: AU$114+AU$57 (Airmail)

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$114+AU$69 (airmail)

For Asia: AU$114+AU$50 (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 July 2018 club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club mid September 2018. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me

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 a fun weekend !!!

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 also to be found at the end of this week’s blog entry.

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:

Have a Creative and Fun week!

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.
4. message me on Instagram 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.

Dates to put in your Calendar

Friday July 20th to Sunday July 22nd 

Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo.
Go to http://www.sheepshow.com to see what is happening and book your tickets. The Bendigo Sheep and Wool show is the biggest wool show in Australia ! with an amazing amount of woolcraft, indie dyers, a huge amount of tops, yarn, craft, felt and spindles, spinning wheels and anything you need for your knitting,crocheting and crafting.
I will be there with an amazing amount of new exclusive wool blends and yarns, batts, felt and landscape and botanical natural dyes and so much more !!!
I will also have spindles by the amazing Bearded Dragon and lots of fibre tools as well from darning mushrooms to noste pinne and needle cases to distaffs. And, there will also be some wonderful Turkish spindles from my friend Scott Snyder available again !

Get ready for a fabulous weekend filled with lots of craft and fun !!!

Sunday September 30th

Sheep and Woolcraft Field day
Pakenham Hall
Corner Henry and John Street , Pakenham
9.30 - 3.00pm

This awesome event is hosted by the Black & Coloured Sheep Breeders of South East Victoria
There will be craft demos, wonderful fleeces, a petting farm from the Elisabeth Murdoch College, Raffle prizes and of course a huge amount of stall holders offering fantastic fluffy fibres and yarns. I will be there again as well of course (would not miss it for the world) and I will have some new products again that could not be ready for the Bendigo Show like, natural dyes, plant seeds to grow your own dye garden, natural dye kits, new yarn and design kits as well as my usual range of super fluffy yarns and blends. I will give you a nice list closer to the date to help you prepare your shopping list  ;-)

 RABBIT ON !

((hugs))

Charly