It's time for Cute !

Cute and Beautiful: Valais Blacknose Sheep

Happy Friday again to everybody ! And yes, another rare sheep breed I was lucky enough to get my hands on and blend into something absolutely luscious. Now, there is one thing you have to know about me (if you already know I am sorry to repeat myself) but: I am stubborn and I have me own rebellious kind of way to process and blend fibres. I like rare sheep breeds. I like their ancient history, the stories they tell, the importance of survival for the communities who relied on them. In a lot of cases though, to our sensitive and over cultured skin, their qualities of strength (good for long wearing items like socks and jumpers ad coats). So, to adapt to the luxury of next to skin wear it has been a goal to change the perception of strong wools, like the Valais Blacknose sheep fleece, o our sensitive skin, by adding the ultimate luxury softness of Cashmere and angora bunny fibres and silk. I have been made fun of often in the past even trying to attempt this, but when you feel the result of the careful blending and the scientific, mathematical blending , you will be amazed and fall in love. But hey, I am biased…lol I have a very soft spot for rare breeds, as you know. Today the focus is on a cute rare sheep breed with it’s origins in Switzerland but is slowly but surely taking over the world with its cuteness overload.
There are now herds and breeding programs that have been started in Scotland, Ireland, new Zealand and the Netherlands. I would love to introduce this breed to Australia, but unless I win the lottery to deal with the import, quarantine etc, that is not going to happen. Instead I have been working to get this cute overload to you in another way in the shape of another one of my rare sheep breed adventures.

Tonight you will be able to get your hands on natural or hand dyed tops , but more on this later in this blog.

These last two weeks have been extremely busy not only because of the rare sheep breed adventures but also the June club parcels which are extremely special and dear to my heart. The June Clubs have shipped today, June 19th, or JUNETHEENTH. To read more about that please go to my Instagram or facebook post. I have added some of my family history to this June club as well. Please follow me on Instagram so you can see what I am up to on a very regular basis. New club sign ups for July-August-September are still open til end of the month as well and you can see all the details later on in this blog: b

Alpine Silver Tops

This new adventure is all about the Swiss cutest sheep : the Valais Blacknose!

These Valais Blacknose Sheep hail from Switzerland and I have combined their fibre with some lovely super soft fibres. Their fleece is not normally close to skin wear, but you know what I am going to say: blending a coarser fleece with angora and cashmere and doing some of my blending magic: it will be soft enough to wear close to skin!! Of course a high micron sheep’s fleece will not compare to super fine 13 micron merino or pure cashmere or angora, but every fibre has its purpose and every fibre can be blended to change the overall use. Everything has value, everything can be used and loved and cuddled.

The Valais Blacknose sheep originate in the Valais region of Switzerland. They are a dual-purpose breed, raised for meat and wool. The black patches on its nose, eyes, ears, knees, hocks and feet and otherwise light woolly coats make them quite unmistakable. They are a heritage breed, well-suited to living in the extreme climatic conditions of the high mountains. They are good at grazing steep, rocky slopes. Both sexes are horned. The earliest mention of the breed dates back to 1400 A.D., but they were first recognized as a separate breed in 1962.

Here are some photos of the lovelies in their natural habitat:

Valais Blacknose
Eco merino
Mulberry Silk
Angora
Cashmere


Tops 100+ grams: $26

Lavender Fields-sold-

Take 5-1left-

Silver Heather-4 left-

Winter Solstice-sold-

the Bees Knees-sold-

Rainforest dreams-sold-

Psychedelic Peacocks-sold-

Wild Sky (dyed with homegrown Woad)-4 left-

Cosmic-1 left-

Indigo Heartbeat-sold-

Love finds a way -sold-

Natural

IxCHeL club sign ups are open !

Note to all International club members:
All international club parcels are now being shipped with tracking and expedited. There is an option if you want all three of your clubs to be shipped together to save on shipping cost:
just ask me for a postage quote !

IxCHeL Fibre Club July, August and September 2020

The subscription is for a period of three months and you will receive one special hand dyed and special blended top/roving per month

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 #44 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (July, August and September 2020) is AU$78 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND there are good value double and triple serves available !!!

For Australia : single serve $78+$30 postage (parcel post), double serve $150(save $6) +$30m postage or triple serves $225 (save $9!) + $30 postage

For New Zealand : single serve $78+$45 postage (parcel post) double serve $150(save $6) +$45 postage

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$75+AU$60 (Airmail) double serve AU$150+AU$60; triple serve $225 (save $9) + AU$60postage

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$78+AU$72 (airmail) Double serve AU$150+AU$72; triple serve $225 (save $9) + AU$72postage

 For Asia: Single serve AU$78+AU$57 (airmail) Double serve AU$150+AU$57; triple serves $225 (save $9) + AU$57postage 

If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #44 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! The July 2020 Club is going to be shipped out end of July. the August club mid August and the September club early 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 2020

Every month for three months (July, August and September 2020) 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); 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 $96+$30 postage (parcel post) double serve $177( save $15!!) +$30 postage

For New Zealand : single serve $96+$45 postage (parcel post) double serve $177( save $15!!) +$45 postage

For USA + Canada: single serve AU$96+AU$60 (Airmail) double serve $177 (Save $15!!) +AU$60 

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: Single serve AU$96+AU$72 (airmail) Double serve $177 (Save $15!!) +AU$72

For Asia: Single serve AU$96+AU$57 (airmail) Double serve $177 (= Save $15!!!) +AU$57

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 July2020 Club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club early September. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Clubs July, August and September 2020

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 2020

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

For Australia : $114+$30 postage (parcel post)

For New Zealand : single serve $114+$45 postage (parcel post)

For USA + Canada: AU$114+AU$60 (Airmail)

For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$114+AU$72 (airmail)

For Asia: AU$114+AU$57 (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 2020 Club is going to be shipped out end of July, the August club mid August and the September club early September. Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details.

To become a member just email me on ixchelbunnyart at gmail dot com or message me on facebook or Instagram. More on how to order the clubs and anything from this update later in the blog in the section “how to order”

To order: email or message me on facebook, Ravelry or Instagram, quoting the colourway and the quantity you would like, together with your postal address and I will get right back to you with all the payment details.

Woad, Japanese Indigo  Dye seed packs

At the moment I have three dye seeds available: 
Woad, Japanese Indigo and True Indigo. 
Please note that due to quarantine restrictions I have been advised not to ship to Western Australia, Tasmania or overseas.

Woad seed packs are $7 

Japanese Indigo seeds are $8  

both come with planting instructions and a recipe to make your own dye bath!

beautiful woad plants getting bigger !

To become a member just email me on ixchelbunnyart at gmail dot com or message me on facebook or Instagram. More on how to order the clubs and anything from this update later in the blog in the section “how to order”

IxCHeL Aran Tweed Yarn

I have two colourways available at the moment: Both with the most colourful speckles and pops of colour you can think of and both in pure wool, spun with lots of love

50 grams AU$16 , appr 80 meters per skein.

IxCHeL Aran Tweed Coral Sea

IxCHeL Aran weight Tweed Coral Sea with bright pops of colour

IxCHeL Aran Tweed Coral Sea 

IxCHeL Aran Tweed Opal

IxCHeL Aran weight Tweed Opal  with bright pops of colour

IxCHeL Tweed fingering weight yarn

Super soft lambswool 70% and Kid Mohair 30%

Spun singles, fingering or sock weight yarn

+/- 200meters/218yards

50grams      1.76oz

AU$16

NEW Colours !!!

Great Barrier Reef

Leafy Seadragon

Flying Fox

Airlie Beach

Sea Mist

Amethyst

Wattle
(A beautiful sunshine yellow that goes so well with the kookaburra the silver grey)

Kata Tjuta
(an intense pure red that goes well with the Kookaburra and the Wattle and the Amethyst colourway and soooooomany others)

Kookaburra
(a beautiful silver grey with ochre accents that complement the dingo colourway)

Dingo
( A beautiful warm honey ochre with pops of royal bluebell, kingfisher and kangaroo paw)

Grevillea
(a gorgeous raspberry base with pops of royal bluebell, flowering gum, grey and daintree)

Flowering Gum
( a gorgeous medieval warm red with bright red, kookaburra and fern forest accents)

Fern Forest
( a deep forest green with accents of bright red, dusky purple and daintree) )

Jacarandah 
( a fabulous deep purple with accents of royal bluebell, daintree, grevillea and kingfisher )

Wombat
( a fabulous deep walnut brown with accents of dingo and kookaburra)

Kangaroo Paw 
( a fabulous warm orange with accents of fern forest, royal bluebell and grevillea and dingo )

isn’t it gorgeous how the Kangaroo paw knits up?! )

Royal Bluebell 
( a deep blue with accents of flowering gum, kookaburra and fern forest )

Wallaby
( a warm light brown with accents of soft blue and kookaburra)

Daintree ( a soft green with accents of fern forest and dingo)

Kingfisher 
( a fabulous Turquoise blue with accents of fern forest, kangaroo paw, Jacaranda and Grevillea)

Landscape dyes

 100g tubs   AU$12
250 g tubs AU$27

Want to dye your own with easy to use acid dyes? I have been selling these Landscape dyes at my workshops and shows for a long time :  They are extremely easy to use and come in great shades.

Just contact me with the name of the colour you are after and I will get right back to you.

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 !!!

How To Order:

1. You can email me on ixchelbunnyart at gmail dot com  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

keep your eyes out for any news on the 

ixchelbunny Instagram feed and the IxCHeL facebook page!!

 RABBIT ON !

((hugs))

Charly