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| speckled fire works |
Not this weekend, but next weekend, on Sunday the 26th to be exact, the biggest Yarn show in Victoria is happening and at this moment I am dyeing the last of all the yarns that I had on my list: Australian Cotton.
Now, cotton being a plant fibre and in my case not the bleach kind but raw cotton, needs a lot of scouring and washing and washing and , yes, washing again….( I feel my hands wrinkling up as I type this) and then it is best to soak it in a bath with big handfuls of Sodium carbonate, Na2CO3.
It sounds “chemical”, because let’s face it , everything in life is “chemical” even natural dyeing, and not all chemicals are necessarily harmful. H2O never killed anybody, although I did hear about a Canadian company marketing it as “liquid Death” trying to sell a hydrating water (H2O) to their Gothic and Death Metal customers…..funny thing…marketing…..LOL
So, where was I , oh yes, Sodium Carbonate, also known as washing soda or soda ash, is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, water-soluble salts. Soluble is a big word, it takes a lot of effort to whisk the crystals into liquid form in the high quantities I need to dye all my gazillion kilos of cotton. (PS don’t ask me why I left the cotton for last either: I guess it’s because , after dyeing about a 100 kilos of yarns for the upcoming show AND dyeing all the May Clubs, I am feeling myself physically shrinking into the hunchback of Notre Dame, I have come to t he conclusion that I am, in essence, a Sucker for Punishment and Lover of unattainable Deadlines…..Now , where’s my “Liquid Death” water bottle ????!)
So, Sodium Carbonate have a strongly alkaline taste and give moderately alkaline solutions in water. Historically it was extracted from the ashes of plants growing in sodium-rich soils. Because the ashes of these sodium-rich plants were noticeably different from ashes of wood (once used to produce potash), sodium carbonate became known as "soda ash". It is produced in large quantities from sodium chloride and limestone by the Solvay process.
Safe to say, I did not produce my own soda ash, although technically possible, it is easier to purchase it in the garden centre or the do it yourself store in the Pool section. (Note to self: it would be nice to have a pool as well…alas).
Soda Ash increases the Ph value of the water: it's an acidity regulator. It is also known as a water softener. For dyeing animal fibres you need high acidity, for dyeing plant fibres you need an alkaline environment and that is where the Soda Ash comes in.
If you have tried dyeing plant fibres and had mixed results, it is probably because the Ph value of your cotton was not right. It needs just the right environment for the pigments to attach to the plant fibres and in that respect it is a bit harder to dye plant fibres than it is protein or animal fibres. Everything has it’s quirks.
By the way, Sodium carbonate is also a food additive (E500) used as an acidity regulator, anticaking agent, raising agent, and stabilizer. It is one of the components of kansui (かん水), a solution of alkaline salts used to give ramen noodles their characteristic flavor and texture. And, Sodium carbonate is used in the production of sherbet powder. The cooling and fizzing sensation results from the endothermic reaction between sodium carbonate and a weak acid, commonly citric acid, releasing carbon dioxide gas, which occurs when the sherbet is moistened by saliva. Wowza !
In China, it is used to replace lye-water in the crust of traditional Cantonese moon cakes, and in many other Chinese steamed buns and noodles. In cooking, it is sometimes used in place of sodium hydroxide for lyeing, especially with German pretzels and lye rolls. These dishes are treated with a solution of an alkaline substance to change the pH of the surface of the food and improve browning.
So, here’s me , after three days of washing and scouring and a final soda ash soak, I have started dyeing and the results are awesome. Time consuming , but awesome. As usual , I am not a stickler for convention so I mish mash natural dyeing with the use of procion dyes. I had a bit of a brainwave in the early hours of the morning thinking I could easily dry the cotton faster when I put it in the dryer, in a pillowcase. So I did a test with some mini skeins. Result: I can honestly say , with all the effort I put in to secure the mini test skeins , they ended up in a bit of a mess ! So , that idea went straight out of the window…lol Thankfully the wood fire is raging and , fingers crossed, everything will be dry by next Sunday . Mind you I still have about 10 kilos to dye over the weekend. I will let you know if I am still upright at that stage…
So, Tonight I am offering you another preview of things to come at the Handknitters guild show on May 26th : a tiny selection of the IxCHeL Silver Star Yarn (4 ply or fingering weight). There will be lots more available at the Handknitters Guild and next week there will be some other yarns at the show as well but more on that on my facebook page and Instagram during the course of the week ! Yes, it is all happening ! Exciting !
On next week friday's blog update ( May 24th) : A full "shopping list" of all the fibres and yarns I am bringing to the Handknitters Guild SHow! Yeah !!!!!!
Oh before I forget: if you’re not following me (yet) on facebook or Instagram, please do: I do offer some special stuff on there as well on other days of the week. (Instagram : www.instagram.com/ixchelbunny and Facebook : www.facebook.com/IxchelYarnsAndFibres ). I will try to post as many photos there as I possibly can (or remember)....
Now, cotton being a plant fibre and in my case not the bleach kind but raw cotton, needs a lot of scouring and washing and washing and , yes, washing again….( I feel my hands wrinkling up as I type this) and then it is best to soak it in a bath with big handfuls of Sodium carbonate, Na2CO3.
It sounds “chemical”, because let’s face it , everything in life is “chemical” even natural dyeing, and not all chemicals are necessarily harmful. H2O never killed anybody, although I did hear about a Canadian company marketing it as “liquid Death” trying to sell a hydrating water (H2O) to their Gothic and Death Metal customers…..funny thing…marketing…..LOL
So, where was I , oh yes, Sodium Carbonate, also known as washing soda or soda ash, is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, water-soluble salts. Soluble is a big word, it takes a lot of effort to whisk the crystals into liquid form in the high quantities I need to dye all my gazillion kilos of cotton. (PS don’t ask me why I left the cotton for last either: I guess it’s because , after dyeing about a 100 kilos of yarns for the upcoming show AND dyeing all the May Clubs, I am feeling myself physically shrinking into the hunchback of Notre Dame, I have come to t he conclusion that I am, in essence, a Sucker for Punishment and Lover of unattainable Deadlines…..Now , where’s my “Liquid Death” water bottle ????!)
So, Sodium Carbonate have a strongly alkaline taste and give moderately alkaline solutions in water. Historically it was extracted from the ashes of plants growing in sodium-rich soils. Because the ashes of these sodium-rich plants were noticeably different from ashes of wood (once used to produce potash), sodium carbonate became known as "soda ash". It is produced in large quantities from sodium chloride and limestone by the Solvay process.
Safe to say, I did not produce my own soda ash, although technically possible, it is easier to purchase it in the garden centre or the do it yourself store in the Pool section. (Note to self: it would be nice to have a pool as well…alas).
Soda Ash increases the Ph value of the water: it's an acidity regulator. It is also known as a water softener. For dyeing animal fibres you need high acidity, for dyeing plant fibres you need an alkaline environment and that is where the Soda Ash comes in.
If you have tried dyeing plant fibres and had mixed results, it is probably because the Ph value of your cotton was not right. It needs just the right environment for the pigments to attach to the plant fibres and in that respect it is a bit harder to dye plant fibres than it is protein or animal fibres. Everything has it’s quirks.
By the way, Sodium carbonate is also a food additive (E500) used as an acidity regulator, anticaking agent, raising agent, and stabilizer. It is one of the components of kansui (かん水), a solution of alkaline salts used to give ramen noodles their characteristic flavor and texture. And, Sodium carbonate is used in the production of sherbet powder. The cooling and fizzing sensation results from the endothermic reaction between sodium carbonate and a weak acid, commonly citric acid, releasing carbon dioxide gas, which occurs when the sherbet is moistened by saliva. Wowza !
In China, it is used to replace lye-water in the crust of traditional Cantonese moon cakes, and in many other Chinese steamed buns and noodles. In cooking, it is sometimes used in place of sodium hydroxide for lyeing, especially with German pretzels and lye rolls. These dishes are treated with a solution of an alkaline substance to change the pH of the surface of the food and improve browning.
So, here’s me , after three days of washing and scouring and a final soda ash soak, I have started dyeing and the results are awesome. Time consuming , but awesome. As usual , I am not a stickler for convention so I mish mash natural dyeing with the use of procion dyes. I had a bit of a brainwave in the early hours of the morning thinking I could easily dry the cotton faster when I put it in the dryer, in a pillowcase. So I did a test with some mini skeins. Result: I can honestly say , with all the effort I put in to secure the mini test skeins , they ended up in a bit of a mess ! So , that idea went straight out of the window…lol Thankfully the wood fire is raging and , fingers crossed, everything will be dry by next Sunday . Mind you I still have about 10 kilos to dye over the weekend. I will let you know if I am still upright at that stage…
So, Tonight I am offering you another preview of things to come at the Handknitters guild show on May 26th : a tiny selection of the IxCHeL Silver Star Yarn (4 ply or fingering weight). There will be lots more available at the Handknitters Guild and next week there will be some other yarns at the show as well but more on that on my facebook page and Instagram during the course of the week ! Yes, it is all happening ! Exciting !
On next week friday's blog update ( May 24th) : A full "shopping list" of all the fibres and yarns I am bringing to the Handknitters Guild SHow! Yeah !!!!!!
Oh before I forget: if you’re not following me (yet) on facebook or Instagram, please do: I do offer some special stuff on there as well on other days of the week. (Instagram : www.instagram.com/ixchelbunny and Facebook : www.facebook.com/IxchelYarnsAndFibres ). I will try to post as many photos there as I possibly can (or remember)....
IxCHeL Silver Star Sock fingering weight yarn
hand dyed right here on the IxCHeL Fibre FarmSuperfine merino, Cashmere, Nylon, Silver Angelina 75/5/15/5)+/- 431meters/470yards, 100grams/3.53oz)AU$32
Starry Night (inspired by the van Gogh painting)
Fire Works ( a semi solid dyed with Indigo, combined with a fantastic vibrant colour array of speckles)
Bugatti Romance (inspired by the painting by Tamara de Lempicka but using woad as a semi solid base combined with a smattering of brown, beige and ochre speckles with a splash of red)
Unicorn Dreams ( a rainbow in the middle of Unicorn white)
My Strange Addiction( A semi solid deep forest green combined with fun speckles) )
Come Out and Play ( Inspired by happy Spring Flowers )
Pm me if you would like to give some of the botanical dyed yarns or the Buddhas tears tea a good home or if you want to sign up for the IxCHeL Clubs ! Enjoy looking and 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 to be found at the end of this week’s blog entry.
IxCHeL Buddhas tears tea
carefully packed and presented in a special organza gift bag
50g/ AU$19
Two organically grown superior green tea leaves and a jasmine bud are plucked from the best quality tea bushes and mixed with delicately smelling jasmine blossoms, then sieved and hand rolled on bamboo trays, into small balls while the leaves are not quite dry.
The leaf captures the fine jasmine aroma and releases it during brewing, giving a champagne coloured cup.
Brewing: 1-3 minutes 75-80degC ,
4 pearls/cup,
you can reinfuse 3-4 times so those 4 pearls last a looong time
Carefully handrolled tea
Enjoy the tea over and over again, by adding hot water again and again
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Carefully handrolled tea
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Enjoy the tea over and over again, by adding hot water again and again
IxCHeL Club Sign ups for the third trimester of 2019 are OPEN!!!
Here is the overview of all the clubs shipped out to all the members in 2018 and 2019.
Teasers of the april club will be posted on my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter soon !
If you would like to join for the next round just PM me.
Here is a photo compilation of the 2018/2019 clubs to give you an idea what the "Art Journey" Theme has been all about : The interpretation of art into fibre.
IxCHeL Clubs 2019
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March Yarn Club
March Fibre Club
March Batt ClubIxCHeL Fibre Club July, August and September 2019
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$25 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 #40 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (July, August and September 2019) is AU$75 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double serves available !!!
For Australia : single serve $75+$29 postage (parcel post), double serve $142+$29 (save $8) or triple serves $214 (save $11!) + postage
For USA + Canada: single serve AU$75+AU$57 (Airmail) double serve AU$142+AU$57; triple serve $214 (save $11) + postage
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$72+AU$69 (airmail) Double serve AU$136+AU$69; triple serve $214 (save $11) + postage
For Asia: Single serve AU$72+AU$50 (airmail) Double serve AU$136+AU$50; triple serves $214 (save $11) + postage
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #40 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The July 2019 Club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club early to mid September. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details.
The IxCHeL Yarn Clubs July, August and September 2019
Every month for three months (July, August and September 2019) you will receive: enough hand dyed luscious yummy yarn to make a pair of socks or a lush shawl or scarf of course! (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 or scarf 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 or scarves extra long !
For Australia : single serve $87+$29 postage (parcel post) double serve $150( save $24!!) +$29 postage
For USA + Canada: single serve AU$87+AU$57 (Airmail) double serve $150 (Save $24!!) +AU$57
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$87+AU$69 (airmail) Double serve $150 (Save $24!!) +AU$69
For Asia: Single serve AU$87+AU$50 (airmail) Double serve $150 (= Save $24!!!) +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 2019 Club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club Early to mid September.
IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Clubs July, August and September 2019
Here are all the details. 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 170grams 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 2019
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 2019 Club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club Early to mid SeptemberJune. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me
Have a fun week Creating your Dreams!
All my contact details are here:
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 !!!
Have a fun weekend !!!
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.
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
Handknitters Guild Show, Coburg Town Hall
Sunday 26th of May, 10 – 3pm.Coburg Town hall, 90 Bell Street, Coburg VIC 3058
I will also have spindles by the amazing Bearded Dragon and lots of fibre tools as well from darning mushrooms to noste pinne, Turkish spindles, Navajo and Mayan spindles, and needle cases to distaffs.
Get ready for a fabulous SUNDAY filled with lots of craft and YARNIE fun !!!
Friday July 19th to Sunday July 21st
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, Turkish spindles, Navajo and Mayan spindles, Turkish spindles and needle cases to distaffs, and something amazing for spinners and knitters.
Get ready for a fabulous weekend filled with lots of craft and fun !!!
RABBIT ON !
((hugs))
Charly
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