The Longest Launch Ever...

Let the Spinning FUN Begin !!!
(Frozen Lakes Colourway on the awesome Wensleydale tops)

aaah !!!procrastination ! What a wonderful and amazing pastime it is.. it should actually be called “doing things that you love rather than doing your taxes or writing code to put a website together", ..but hey, who am I..lol 

 I guess I am not the only one: If you had a choice what would you rather do? The thing you LOVE to do or something that really needs to be done but is a bit of a pain in the ..eh…backside…lol 

Obviously there are different ways of tackling stuff…you cannot hide forever from doing what needs to be done, be it taxes, housework or , yes there is that word again : a website.. Honestly: I have been saying the IxCHeL website is coming soon for SIXTEEN years !! 16 !!! years !!! you would have thought I get my act together by now, but …here I go again…

it is so darn easy to make excuses: I do a blog every week, went to markets, it is too hard, I dye too much fluff, I dye too little, I do not want my creativity curtailed by automation, I love interacting with my customers rather than being an automated puppet, where people can shop when THEY want….lol 

oh believe me : I have so many excuses on why NOT to do a website, it must be a world record ….okay..call it website procrastination. 

Also, I never ever thought myself as either “controlling”, OCD or micro manager extraordinaire but the truth of it is…I AM.. ! It is mind blowing that at my age I am still amazed at how my mind seems to work…or ...not work logically

BUT…but hey! At least it is getting CLOSER !!! very CLOSE! This must surely be known as the ‘LONGEST WEBSITE LAUNCH EVER” !!!! Like 16 years and counting …lol

Anyway… Please do be patient..I am so trying to make things as perfect and fluffy and fab as possible.

Also, I have received lots of messages, again, with people asking me where they can find me at the Bendigo Show in July. I am so sorry to disappoint lots of people but I will NOT be at the Bendigo Show this year. I cannot be there because of all the physical stuff going on (my first appointment and treatment is going to be next week on the 11th and I will need some time to recover). Soyeah,  I had to make a very hard decision. I will still be doing my blogs AND there will be the exciting OPENING of the IxCHeL online shop in July  (I will just add the year..to make sure...2022 !!!!) ! So still lots of exciting things happening !!!!

If you would like to stay informed and get all the news first  hand and when it is happening, I would like to ask you to “hop to it” and email hop@ixchel.com.au and sign up for the ixchelbunny newsletter and follow me on Instagram and Facebook as well. There are fantastical things “ a foot” as they say and you will be the first to know !

Now, for the update, because yes, guess what?, I am still also dyeing and spinning and doing crafty stuff at the same time as “website procrastinating” …lol (

This weekend: WENSLEYDALE !!!!!!

Now what have I got planned for you : 

Wensleydale tops ! 

And here are the sheep they come from :

 

Wensleydale sheep in the photo studio !

Wensleydale sheep with her two lambs

Yes, there are black Wensleydale sheep as well !

Look at those curls !

The Wensleydale is a British breed of domestic sheep. 

 It is named for the Wensleydale region of North Yorkshire, in the north of England, where it was bred in the early nineteenth century by cross-breeding a Dishley Leicester ram with local long-woolled sheep of a breed that is now extinct. 

It has a blue-grey face and long purled wool, and is among the heaviest of British sheep breeds. It is an endangered breed, and is categorised as "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. It is often used as a ram breed to cross with other breeds to obtain market lambs, and for its high-quality wool. The Wensleydale has also played a part in creating the gorgeous Blue Faced Leicester Sheep with its lustrous wool. But, I digress…. 

The legend behind the origin of the breed tells us the story of a ram named Blue Cap which was born from the crossing between a Dishley Leicester and a – now-extinct – long-wool Yorkshire breed. Our sources describe Blue Clap as a ‘wild spirited’ and ‘outstanding animal’, that weighed over 230 kilos !, and bore the blue face and lustrous wool characteristic of the breed. Born in 1939 Blue Cap, was widely used by local farmers to improve their livestock by crossbreeding. By giving lambs consistently like himself, Blue Cap became the founding sire of the Wensleydale breed. The Wensleydale sheep quickly established itself as an excellent crossing breed providing with hardy, prolific animals and heavy milking ewes. 

Beside these enviable qualities, Wensleydales also produce good quantity of lean meat, and a wool particularly lustrous and silky in appearance. 

The breed was officially named in 1876 leading to the foundation of the Wensleydale Long Wool Sheep Association in 1920, which at its creation included 197 members and 3059 registered ewes. Despite its early popularity, British farming communities soon lost interest in Wensleydales. In 1967 the number of Wensleydales declined to only 18 registered flocks and 291 ewes. After the formation of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in 1973 the breed was put on a critical list. Although it is still considered as a rare breed, thanks to the work of dedicated breeders, Wensleydales are once again established all over the UK, and have extended into Europe and North America, but unfortunately not in Australia.

Wensleydales classify as a ‘luster long wool’ breed i.e a long wool breed specifically selected for the sheen and brilliance of their fleece. Long wool sheep are naturally strong, hard-wearing and lustrous, however Wensleydales fleece presents a thinner fibre diameter and a longer staple length, which makes it softer and even more lustrous than most long wools. 

It takes on average 15 months for a lamb to grow its full fleece. Once shorn it will never grow back as long again, thus most photos of Wensleydales with wool down to the ground are those of lambs that have kept their first fleece. 

As Wensleydales do not produce any kemp, most of their raw fleece can be used for spinning, resulting in 5kg of usable wool per animal. Wensleydales are easily recognizable due to their extremely long fleece divided in well-defined curly locks, and their deep blue head and ears. Their head is broad and partly covered in fine wool. Both rams and ewes are polled and can be either black or white. 

They are also distinctively tall and strongly built; ewes weigh on average 90 kg while the ram can go up to 135 kg, making the Wensleydale sheep one of the heaviest British breeds.

Wensleydale wool has the great advantage of being shiny, fairly soft and hard wearing. Yarns made from long wool are usually worsted spun, a spinning method than enhanced the natural properties of the Wensleydale fleece by adding some extra strength, softness and sheen to the finish product. Ultimately Wensleydale wool is a great fibre to knit with, if you want to prioritize the strength, drape and shine of your knitted garments. 

 I hope you are inspired to try spinning with these amazing tops: it is a fabulous experience and I can’t wait to see all your Wensleydale spinning adventures !

Enjoy browsing tonight's blog ! And, please message or email me if you have any questions or are looking for fibre or yarn: I am always blending and spinning and dyeing so chances are that I can help !

So, 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 Wensleydale Longwool Tops

A gorgeous shiny rare sheep breed top
beautiful to spin !

+/- 100+ grams          

Frozen Lakes   SOLD

Mango Rainbow   SOLD

Lavender Sky  SOLD

Fenrir sold

Gothic Velvet   Sold

Rosy Future  sold

Heather  SOLD

Indigo SOLD

Loch Ness  SOLD

Dragonfly in Amber   SOLD

Natural. SOLD

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. 

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”

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