Friday, April 29, 2022

Time to go on a fluffy adventure !







Well, I could start again by saying it was a busy busy week of course, but that’s getting a bit tired since every week is busy. Especially with two weeks to go to a big yarn show ! 

I noticed I had not made a poster to advertise the show yet although I did mention it several times on the blog and on social media posts here and there, but something VISUAL is always better than text I have learnt over the years, so I enthusiastically started making a poster design, text etc etc and posted it on insta and facebook yesterday afternoon. 

Then, I got on with more skeining, labelling and prepping dye pots UNTIL…….

I got a message saying : 
“ eh……the dates of the market have changed!!!!!” 

Then all hell broke loose here with my lungs filling up with air and me shouting into the void :
 “WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!” 

 Anyway, for the second year in a row, the Coburg town hall decided to put a spanner in the works for the organisers, the Handknitters and Crochet Guild of Victoria, and told them they “urgently” needed the hall for “council business” (?) I can only speculate what that would entail…safe to say if it has anything to do with Clive Palmer, a political party’s soiree or a something like that, I’m going to be extremely …eh….angry… 

So there ya go! I had to contact all the people who had asked me to pick things up from the show, lots of interstate people and others having to drive loooooooong distances to get to the show and now, you guessed it, cannot make it (insert sad face)...

To say I am disappointed is an understatement but it would not be me if I did not see a silver lining: It means I have two more weeks to get more ready…although saying that, I do need that time to get the May clubs dyed and shipped out as well BEFORE the show, because the NEW DATE for the Yarn and Craft Show at the COBURG town Hall is Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th , both days I will be there from 10 am til 3pm, together with heaps of other super passionate crafty stallholders who need your support and are ready to enable !! 

Here's the NEW poster btw : 


Tell your friends, tell your family ! 
and please, please share the poster around so lots and lots of people know! I have posted on facebook and Instagram and I would be very grateful if you could share it on your pages. Every bit of help is appreciated to let the new dates be known to as many crafty fans as possible ! 
You can book your ticket for both days or just the Saturday or the Sunday at the trybooking dot com site (see poster)


 So, what’s on offer tonight? Well, have I got a treat for you ! A gorgeous new rare breed blend with super soft Guanaco !



Here are some beautiful photos of Guanacos in the wild :

Guanaco striking da pose in Peru

Warning: There is only a tiny bit of this awesome fibre. Safe to say I have had to be extremely careful and not breathe too heavy because I cannot afford it being blown off in the wind never to be seen again; it is just too preciousssss: Guanaco.

Guanaco near the observatory


It has been a dream of mine after the IxCHeL Vicuna blend in 2015 to get my hands on the wonderful and super soft Guanaco and here it is: I concocted a blend that is literally so soft it cannot be described other than “orgasmic” ..yes, really. Lots of careful blending and calculating and trials have brought this blend to you comprising of 60% guanaco, Luscious Muga silk, Amazing cashmere and the ever lovely Angora bunny! As you can imagine, it is already extremely hard getting your hands on this fibre in normal times, but the last three years with the Pandemic going on, have proven to be super tough. I am happy to say that all the almost super human effort has paid off !

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.

 
A little Chulengo with its mum



Some Guanaco family fun


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.
What a pretty Guanaco!!


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.


Fluffy kisses


 Have a fun week creating and cuddling some fluffy yarns and fibres  and go on a soft and fluffy adventure !
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 (60/25/12/3)

50g + AU$45



Natural




Autumn Love. SOLD




Gothic Velvet. 4 left





Rose (dyed with madder root) 2 left







Indigo (dyed with indigo) SOLD







Stress Giggle 1 left






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.




Princess Bride Tweed Yarn

Black Superfine Merino, Super soft Lambswool Tweed 4 ply yarn with little pops of colour

50+grams (+/-1.75Oz)    +/-  200meters      AU$16






Princess in Training






Inconceivable






As you Wish






True Love






Have Fun Storming the Castle



a gorgeous colourwork jumper with 
"have fun storming the castle" and "Kingfisher" mohair tweed yarn


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. Lock down or not: I am still working and mailing the parcels out fast as humanly possible :-)




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





Indigo  1 available






Jewels  2 available






 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)



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







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)





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.



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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