Friday, September 24, 2021

Precious


The weekend could not get any better : For this Friday I have some super special TREATS (Plural! ) planned for the last rare breed update of this month ! 

But, before I get started on all that, I thought you would like to know that all the Halloween Fibre Treat bundles have been shipped out ! I have spent several weeks on putting all of it together and I was even blamed for the recent magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Victoria this week, because I was packing so many spooky fluffy and scary items together, creating an extreme power vortex in the space and time continuum, resulting in a terrible crack in the earth’s crust 10 kilometers below Mansfield. I apologise sincerely. 

Here’s a tiny preview of the Halloween Fibre Treat bundle packaging that have been shipped:  I will only reveal the content sometime in October to not spoil the surprise.



No damage from the earthquake  here,  except one of my priceless film props from the Empire strikes back : Han Solo in Carbonite mask, when half of Han’s face literally shook off the back of his skull and ….falling down on my drying racks just below it, luckily protecting it from splintering into a million pieces on the floor. The back of his skull is still attached to the brick wall it was attached to. Apart from that incident in our tiny little universe, everything seems to be fine, although the animals were going berserk and had to be calmed down for at least an hour…

 
proof that they don’t make carbonite like they used to…….
Magn 5.9 results in head cracking




So , what have I got planned for you tonight? 
 Apart from that awesome IxCHeL Tweed yarns AND only one week left to sign up for the next three months of IxCHeL Art Journey Clubs !!!! 

Tonight’s update is all about two very special rare breeds from Peru, Chile and Argentina: Three different types of blends! 
 1. Vicuna blend ! I only have 3 boxes of this amazing blend, since remortgaging the farm was out of the question….lol 
2. Guanaco blend with 60% guanaco ! So super luxurious is feels like pure heaven and 
3. A new blend I have been spending heaps of time on blending just right and is amaaaaazing to feel and spin, hence the name “Precious” Because once you have it in your hand, you don’t want to let go …..

 Let’s get started ! Message or email me if you want to get hold of this absolute fibre heaven ! Vicuna !


 

The Vicuna belongs to the camelid family, like the alpaca and the guanaco, but lives in the wild at an altitude of more than 4000 meters above sea level. You can find vicunas from as far north as Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. The vicuna is the smallest of the 4 south American camelids (Vicuna, guanaco, alpaca and llama). The colour of their fibre is caramel in colour with a white bib below their face. Their height is between 1 to 1.3 meters and they weigh approximately 35 to 40 kilos. Their fibres are classified as one of the most finest in the world with a micron count of appr 9 to 12micron with a staple length of about 3cms. You can find the vicuna in three kinds of social groups: the polygamous groups with 1 male and 10 females; a group of males and then there are the solitary males. The gestation period for vicunas is about 10 to 11 months.

Centuries ago, the Inca harvested prized vicuña fibre by harmlessly shearing the animals, which they considered sacred. The exquisitely soft but ultra-warm garments created from vicuña wool were reserved for rulers/emperors, under threat of death for violators.

When the Spanish arrived, they were equally entranced by the fibres, but in keeping with their violent conquest of the Incan Empire in the 16th century, they simply killed vicuñas to access their wool. That method persisted until the 1960s, when just 10,000 vicuñas remained.

Realizing that the species was in danger of imminent extinction, conservationists and vicuña range-state governments began scrambling to save it; first by protecting the animals and outlawing trade in their wool; then in the 1990s and 2000s, by launching programs that harkened back to the old way of doing things: introducing community-led efforts to harmlessly and sustainably shear vicuñas and manage populations.

At first, the plan seemed to be working. Locals worked together to harvest the wool, which they then used to make handicrafts or sold to textile companies in Italy, Scotland and Japan. “The program started quite well, but for the past 15 years we’ve discovered a series of fundamental problems,” says Cristian Bonacic, currently a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and permanently based at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Communities working directly with vicuñas, most of which are extremely poor, currently receive little profit for all their effort — “the smallest piece of the pie,” says Daniel Elias Maydana, a technical advisor for the National Association of Vicuña Fibre Producers who works in Bolivia and northern Argentina. “The money obtained from managing vicuñas is important, but it’s certainly not sufficient to lift families out of poverty.”

In 2014, for example, Peru exported 10 tons of vicuña fibre to Italy, for which all Peruvian communities combined received a grand total of $250,000. “That is ridiculously small,” Bonacic says.
A single coat, using just two kilos (4.4 pounds) of wool, can cost $50,000, he says, meaning that the fashion industry’s revenue from just five garments can equal the entire earnings that the whole of Peru’s vicuña-producing communities sees in a year.

Another tit-bit of information: there was even a political scandal called the “Vicuna coat Affair”: In 1958, Sherman Adams, President Dwight Eisenhower's forceful chief of staff, was one of Washington's most influential men. His career, however, ended abruptly after he accepted an overcoat from a textile magnate under federal investigation. The gift might seem innocuous enough, but the coat in question was made of vicuña—an incredibly soft, light, rare and very expensive yarn. It was alleged that Mr. Adams, swayed by such luxurious gifts, subsequently tried to influence federal agencies on the magnate's behalf. Despite the politico's protestations of innocence, he resigned in a scandal that some dubbed the Vicuña Coat Affair.

Now, the silky vicuna fibre sits at the nose-bleed-high pinnacle of tailored luxury. Each year, only 13,000 to 17,500 pounds of vicuña become available. The Italian tailoring house Kiton makes only about 100 vicuña pieces a year; an off-the-rack sport coat costs at least US$21,000, while the price of a made-to-measure suit starts at US$40,000. A single vicuña scarf is about US$4,000. There are only 30 vicuña suits produced per year. Each is numbered, and the most affordable model goes for US$46,500.
Handspun and handwoven vicuna and cashmere scarf, the price to the end consumer US$17.000 ,
the reward given to artists and poor communities ensuring the ethical shearing of vicunas:
 a tiny, tiny fraction . spin and weave your own ethically 

In 2008, a high end Italian fashion house established an eight-square-mile reserve to study the animals. And earlier this year, the company took a controlling stake in Sanin SA, an Argentinean firm that has the rights to shear around 6,000 wild vicuña living on a 328-square-mile territory in the country's Catamarca province. It's part of it's long-term strategy to establish large reserves where the local people can protect, breed and shear vicuña ethically.

Vicuñas are now listed as a species of “Least Concern” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but most experts agree that there is cause for concern. Vicuña populations now hover at 400,000 to 500,000 animals, but their numbers have remained stagnant or — in the case of Chile — declined over the past two decades.

“It’s true that populations are large, but they’re far less than the 7 to 8 million that we should have,” Bonacic says. “I seriously think that if poaching continues to increase, some populations may go extinct.”

As in everything in this world, we as consumers and fibre artists have to be aware of where the fibre comes from but more than anything to realise that everything comes at a price: there is no way that handpicked, hand carded, fibres of a rare breed that is carefully hand sheared can be offered with low prices.

What we see happening all over the world is that the wealthy end consumer pays a huge amount of money of which only a tiny fraction goes to the preservation and the maintaining of the natural habitat and the poor communities that live off the land. We all have to be conscious that this attitude has to change.

I have been trying to do my bit with bringing rare breeds to you and trying to tell you the story of how important it is to preserve and protect. You may think how can 1 person change something? But I truly believe you can. We all can make a change together. So with this story of this truly royal and exquisite animal, I offer you a magnificent blend. Do your bit and help this amazing animal survive and make life better for numerous poor communities who are doing the right thing.

 All my contact details and HOW TO ORDER can to be found at the end of this week’s blog entry. 


IxCHeL Vicuna Blend

Vicuna (40%), Muga Silk (30%) and Exquisite light brown Australian cashmere (30%) 
 All hand blended with great care

25-28grams AU$60



A beautiful Vicuna blend gift packaged in a box or a gorgeous organza bag.

SOLD 






Guanaco Blends !



The next blend on offer is
 Guanaco Blend with 60 % Guanaco ! 

 Here are some beautiful photos of Guanacos in the wild :

Guanaco striking da pose in Peru

So what is Guanaco and where does it come from?

Guanaco fibre is particularly prized for its soft, warm feel and is found in luxury fabric. The guanaco's soft wool is valued second only to that of the vicuña. The guanaco is double-coated with coarse guard hairs and a soft undercoat, which is about 16-18 µ in diameter and comparable to the best cashmere. Only the super soft undercoat is used in this blend and it is amazing !

The guanaco is an animal native to the arid, mountainous regions of South America. They are found in the altiplano of Peru, Bolivia and Chile . In Argentina, they are more numerous in Patagonian regions, as well as in places such as the Torres del Paine National Park, and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. In these areas, they have more robust populations, since grazing competition from livestock is limited. Estimates, as of 2011, place their numbers at 400,000 to 600,000. A small introduced population exists on Staats Island in the Falkland Islands, with a population of around 400 as of 2003. Guanacos live in herds composed of females, their young, and a dominant male. Bachelor males form separate herds. While female groups tend to remain small, often containing no more than 10 adults, bachelor herds may contain as many as 50 males. When they feel threatened, guanacos alert the herd to flee with a high-pitched, bleating call. The male usually runs behind the herd to defend them. They can run at 56 km (35 mi) per hour, often over steep and rocky terrain. They are also excellent swimmers!! A guanaco's typical lifespan is 20 to 25 years. Guanacos are one of the largest wild mammal species found in South America (along with the manatee, the tapir, and the jaguar). Natural predators include cougars, jaguars, and foxes. Guanacos often spit when threatened, same as their alpaca and llama counterparts! To protect its neck from harm, the guanaco has developed thicker skin on its neck, a trait still found in its domestic counterpart, the llama, and its relatives, the wild vicuña and domesticated alpaca.

 




Mating season occurs between November and February, during which males often fight violently to establish dominance and breeding rights. Eleven-and-a-half months later, a single chulengo, or baby Guanaco, is born. Chulengos are able to walk immediately after birth. Male chulengos are chased off from the herd around one year of age.

Although the species is still considered wild, around 300 guanacos are in US zoos and around 200 are registered in private herds.



Another titbit of information: Guanacos are often found at high altitudes, up to 4,000 meters above sea level, except in Patagonia, where the southerly latitude means ice covers the vegetation at these altitudes. For guanacos to survive in the low oxygen levels found at these high altitudes, their blood is rich in red blood cells. A teaspoon of guanaco blood contains about 68 billion red blood cells – four times that of a human !

Some guanacos live in the Atacama Desert, where in some areas it has not rained for over 50 years! A coastline running parallel to the desert enables them to survive. Where the cool water touches the hot land, the air above the desert is cooled, creating a fog and thus, water vapour. Winds carry the fog across the desert, where cacti catch the water droplets and lichens that cling to the cacti soak it in like a sponge. When the guanacos eat the cacti flowers and the lichens, the water is transferred to them. So when they eat the cactus flowers they basically get a drink at the same time.



If you do not spin but would like to have some Guanaco yarn, let me know! I can spin it for you 😊 ! Have a fun week creating and cuddling some fluffy yarns and fibres ! To order: email or message me on facebook 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.




Guanaco Blend Tops

Guanaco, Muga Silk, Cashmere, Angora Bunny

50g + AU$45





Good Vibes  SOLD







Love Shack SOLD








Dusky Heather  sold







Lagoon Paradise       1 available








Lavender Dreams    1 available






Dusky Velvet     Sold





 Night Sky  (dyed with Japanese Indigo)  
  Sold





Indigo Love (triple dipped indigo )    Sold


NEW super luxurious blended tops “Precious” 


Lots of careful blending was involved making this blend : lots of calculating and trials have brought this blend to you comprising of guanaco,  silk, Amazing Baby Camel, Tencel for the shine and superfine merino for fibre memory. 

 As you can imagine, it is already extremely hard getting your hands on this fibre in normal times, but with the Pandemic going on, it has proven to be almost impossible. I wanted to make a blend with guanaco that combined several super soft fibres from different rare breed animals: and “precious” is the one ! 

It has an amazing soft handle, a bit of shine and most of all a natural beauty in it’s colour palette that just needs to be seen to be believed. 

I have not dyed this blend yet, but I could, I just did not have the time this month with the huge amount of clubs and Halloween fibre treat bundles I had to get done. 

If you would like me to dye or even spin this blend for you, please let me know the colours you would like and what ply and I will do it for you !

Precious Tops

Guanaco, Silk, baby Camel, Yak, Tencel and 15micron Merino

50g +         $32





The natural colours in this blend are amazing !


To order: email or message me on facebook 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.



To order: email or message me on facebook 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.




IxCHeL club sign ups for October, November, December 2021 are open until September 30th !

 Here are some photos of the previous clubs.





August 2021 Fibre Club



Aug 21 batt club


August 2021 Yarn Club




June 2021 Club





June 2021 Club

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 October, November, December 2021


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 #49 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months (October, November, December 2021) 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$78+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$78 (airmail) Double serve AU$150+AU$78; triple serve $225 (save $9) + AU$78postage

 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 #49 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details.

 The IxCHeL Yarn Clubs October, November, December 2021


Every month for three months (October, November, December 2021) 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$78 (airmail) Double serve $177 (Save $15!!) +AU$78

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 Payment via direct deposit or credit card or paypal. Just PM or email me your details

IxCHeL Funky Bunny Batt Clubs October, November, December 2021


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 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, December 2021

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$78 (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 !

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”


IxCHeL Tweed Yarn  

Hand dyed


Super soft lambs wool 70% and Kid Mohair 30%

Spun singles, fingering or sock weight yarn

+/- 200meters/218yards

50grams      1.76oz

AU$18







Botanical dyes 
(dyed with Eucalypt, Madder root, Walnut, Elderberry, Indigo,Acorn)



Indigo






Jewels





NEW colours !!! 

 IxCHeL Tweed Yarn 


Super soft lambs wool 70% and Kid Mohair 30%

Spun singles, fingering or sock weight yarn

+/- 200meters/218yards

50grams      1.76oz

AU$16





Nephrite Jade 
 (A beautiful deep sage green colour with fun blue, lime and salmon speckles)
SOLD
Making new batch soon! 



Grevillea + new ! 
 A vibrant raspberry pink tweed with deep purple, lime and soft pink speckles)








IxCHeL Tweed fingering weight yarn


Super soft lambs wool 70% and Kid Mohair 30%

Spun singles, fingering or sock weight yarn

+/- 200meters/218yards

50grams      1.76oz

AU$16





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           BACK IN STOCK !!!
(an intense pure red that goes well with the Kookaburra and the Wattle and the Amethyst colourway and soooooo  many 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)





Dusky 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)
(Out of stock but more coming soon !)





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? Any questions about custom orders: spinning or dyeing orders: Always happy to enable. 

How to Order: email or message me on facebook, Ravelry or Instagram, quoting how many tops, yarns or clubs you would like, together with your postal and email address and I will get right back to you with all your order and payment details. 

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



Shipping : Lock down or not: I am still working and mailing the parcels out fast as humanly possible :-) All orders received and paid for of the Friday updates, will be shipped first thing monday morning. We do daily post office runs (if necessary). The recent AusPost changes to parcel pickups from businesses therefore does not apply to us because WE deliver your parcel directly to our nearest AusPost hub.
Seeing that there are currently lots of Covid cases, especially in NSW and in lesser extent in VIC, there can be some AusPost sorting centres that do not have enough staff so there will be delays in getting the parcel to you. As soon as your parcel is shipped you will receive an automatic email from AusPost with the tracking number so you can see where your parcel is and the approximate ETA. Please be patient during these pandemic times. We do our utmost to keep everything running smoothly on our end and if you have any questions: please do not hesitate to ask. Always happy to help! 

Stay safe! 
Keep crafting !
Be Happy !
Stay Awesome !


Keep your eyes out for any news on the 

ixchelbunny Instagram feed and the IxCHeL facebook page!!

Show the Love and Follow me on Instagram 





 RABBIT ON !
((hugs))
Charly
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