IxCHeL Fibres, Yarns & Art: Fluffy Freedom

It has been a very busy week again..again…again…. Clubs dyed , labelled , packed and shipped; custom orders dyed , spinning of custom orders continues, inktober challenges in it’s third week and I am surprisingly keeping up (although I am losing a bit more sleep..lol) and blanding and carding lots of fibres for next updates. It is all happening. I have been tapped on the shoulder by some saying : “ you are supposed to be taking it easier !” , but yeah… It’s hard to change isn’t it?

Also, hoorah for those predominantly in inner city Melbourne : You have gained your “freedom” out of perpetual pandemic lockdown it seems. I saw a video of someone recording the celebratiionary shouts, applause and singing from his Melbourne apartment building … Ecstasy that they could all go out and mix with hundreds of others to celebrate that they could come out and “play” outside again….

It’s a tough one…for almost two years we have been “programmed” to look at the pandemic case numbers, now rocketing out of control in Victoria, and yet we are opening up …it’s strange to be told that we have to lock down when 50 cases were there, but we can open up and be “Free” when there are over 2000 cases…. Epidemiology and Logic tells me it’s because of vaccination numbers over a certain percentage, but it is a whole different way of thinking we have to become accustomed to.

It is a strange reality we are living in and one that we need to constantly adapt to . Like today: Because I look like a distant relative of “Cousin It” , from the Addams Family, at the moment I thought: let’s call my hairdresser “now we are free and opened up again” and make an appointment. Looks like I can’t get in for another two weeks because they are fully booked. That did not surprise me ! lol

What did surprise me was the next call ,I was very reluctant to make, was to my dentist and what happened.....

Back story: I am absolutely terrified of any dental things. I have been “graced” with the same bad teeth my parents had and I tell you that is a horror story all on its own. My dad was so terrified, he abandoned me at the dentist office as a kid, and let me stay there all on my own because he was just toooo terrified… yeah..that didn’t help either..lol

It also didn’t help that when I was in the public health system in primary school they had dental busses come to school and give everybody a check up and some dental work if need be. As it so happens, I was the lucky one who had a small cavity in one of my teeth, and the dentist was more interested in chatting to his assistant about curtains he had bought for his house than to keep an eye on where he was drilling…he slipped and went straight into my cheek! Safe to say..that didn’t help alleviate my future anxieties ……..

This brings me to the current obvious illogical situation: after lockdown I called my dentist because I REALLY have to have a tooth looked at which looks like it had enough being in my mouth and decided to pack it’s bags and move out…so I called my dentist and what do you know? I can get in earlier into my dentist office than the hairdresser! This is unheard of!!! Normally when one is in excruciating dental pain you call your dentist and you can only get an appointment in three month’s time ! Now, it’s harder to get an appointment to get your hair done than it is to have your teeth fixed !!! The world truly is gone mad…..LOL

Apart from that little look into my (sur)reality…I have to say I feel very strange going out again. I have been happily living in the confinement of our house and its' immediate surroundings for the last two years, without the damming stigma of “normal” people telling me to go out or otherwise I would be branded socially inept.. Now that whole pressure of having to socialize is back on the cards……. Well, let me tell you: I will not be pressured in having to have a 100 people in my house even though Plague regulations allow it..lolol

So, just in case you feel the same way as me: Freedom as they call it is just a construct. You have the freedom to happily knit, read a book or paint and be by yourself and your family rather than go mix with hundreds of others. Freedom is defined by what you want to do , what you feel is good for yourself. Don’t let other people’s idea of what freedom is define you.

There: rant over…lol

Or, in the words of some great philosopher :

”Let all us introverts unite, separately , in our own homes”….

So, THIRD week of inktober ! Yeah ! Every day you receive a prompt, as a kind of a hint of inspiration to draw and ink something. Here are the third seven days. I have never , ever lasted this long !!!!!

It’s pretty hard to keep it up every day, but I will do my best to keep it up ! As usual I want to have a bunny in each of the drawings …lol no surprise there….

Can you spot the Doctor Who references? How many are there?

Funnily enough, todays Inktober prompt was OPEN ! lol

Great timing with Victoria announcing it's "Opening up" so I hereby present you with this illustration and philosophy :

"Although a door opens, it doesn't mean you have to barge through it..

Take your time, assess the situation and do what is good for you."

Keep your eye on my other drawings and fluffy musings on Instagram, including some fun videos too....just look up @ixchelbunny. I would love to see you following my adventures there.

Now, what have I got planned for you tonight? Absolutely fabulous handdyed Camel Bunny Silk Cashmere Tops!!

These handdyed tops are amazing to spin and felt with. They are fully blended so it makes for an easy, relaxing spin and it is truly magical to wear. A friend , Siobhan Colley, sent me this shawlette as a present more than ten years ago I think : Handspun and then knitted into this truly fabulous "Fallen leaf" shawlette, pattern by Kyoto Nakayoshi. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.