Let’s create some magic !

Sometimes I wish I had a magic wand to create more time..the days have just flown by and I hardly had time to do anything else but prepping, dyeing, spinning and feeding Bob…yes, Bob: I decided to start on my sourdough starter and bread making journey after the handknitters guild show and named my starter Bob…lol. I know I am super late to the party of sourdough bread making and I don’t really know what I am doing, but the starter …sorry I mean Bob…looks bubbly and happy so I think I’m going to try my hand at making a loaf this weekend. I’m a bit intimidated by the fact that making sourdough bread seems to take days..so I will let you know what happens… in the meantime I am going to keep making my “regular” yeast breads because , well, the masses need to be fed.

If the sourdough starter, Bob, performs well, I will upgrade him to King Bob 🤣

I have found an especially tasty nut bread recipe from Emile Henry’s Instagram page. Made it once (easy peasy) and it was a big hit…why mess with perfection eh?lol

Here’s a photo of that yummy bread:

for the recipe just go the Emile Henry Instagram page and look at their bread week recipes ! It’s well worth it!

Anyway! Magic is everywhere..not necessarily in creating time, but we can make all kinds of things from scratch, plain air plus some ingredients plus a lot of imagination. That goes for anything! Cooking, baking, spinning yarn !, knitting, felting, sewing. Whatever you do, you are creating something unique and special. The magic ingredients I believe are passion and love. 
have you ever found that when you are upset, or stressed or feeling very sick you cannot concentrate or make something? Well, I have…it takes a bit of calming yourself and find that little piece of quiet and magic, inside yourself. When you do…everything seems to fall into place. And, even more important than that: by spinning yarn or knitting or painting, doing anything you love doing, will make you feel less stressed! It’s like the gift that keeps on giving!

Here I am going on a tangent again … where was I? Oh yeah..I wish I had a wand to make more time! 
So, what has been going on? Lots! Of course..lol almost important things were getting all the May clubs dyed, carded, prepped (not necessarily in that order..lol), dry, labelled, packed, write up the art journey information sheets that go with the clubs and getting all the parcels ready with their shipping labels and then driving to the nearby post office to deliver that truckload of fluffy colourful happiness just in time for the Australia Post truck to get it on Board. That last bit happened early this morning! Yeah!!! A week late …for which I humbly apologise. Doing a big show that needed lots of prep and dyeing etc took a lot of time and unfortunately I still don’t have either that magic wand or the ability to clone myself ( not that I would ever want that! Too scary…lolol. )

I posted a teaser label on last weeks blog : Alphonse Mucha with his design for the poster Gismonda from 1894. I will share photos of all the May clubs in the course of the next week or so.

Next week I will be dealing with a mountain of fluff to prep and card for the June club, which will..I promise!!..be shipped as usual mid month and it will be AMAZING!

Please do keep an eye out for the June Club teaser label posts which will be appearing on my Facebook and Instagram pages next week!

so much to look forward to!!

For this weeks shop update I offer you Magic Bunny tops AND some freshly harvested angora bunny fibre tops :  I was in a magical mood plus it is getting pretty cold here (there is fresh snow, about 3cm, on mount Donna Buang and there will be more tomorrow). Here, a bit lower down, we only have very big, heavy drops of rain. I have taken a video..will have to share that with you later…

Don’t forget: sign ups for the third quarter (July, August, September) are open now!  

on a side note: I was totally taken aback this week by a comment on social media on one of my replies where I was showing off some sock yarn…A person more or less mentioned:  “i stay away from IxCHeL..coz of bunnies. I have bunnies and I don’t want them to be hurt”. Now you would think that after doing what I do for over 20 years , and dealing with all kinds of abuse and misinformation and downright harassment, mainly by people who believe in the things that Peta are saying about mistreatment of bunnies, that I would have gotten used to this. I obviously have not,because it hurts like hell when you get these kind of remarks slung at your face. I know it’s down to misinformation and the fact that people assume and not even ask, but yeah.. I have to keep explaining that “no bunnies were harmed getting their fibre. They get combed every day and have a haircut every three months while they are getting patted and given snacks”. Our animals are our family. Have a look at our logo! I am cuddling a bunny! I thought it would be a good idea though to put this message up on my blog again.

I always say: be critical but never assume, always ask if you have any questions ! 

Have a wonderful weekend! Let’s create some magic !

 

big hugs

Charly

 

 

Curiouser and curiouser

“We’re all mad here”, The Cheshire Cat says to Alice in one of the most concise descriptions of the strange world down the rabbit hole. Unlike the world Alice left behind, "mad" isn't necessarily a bad thing. Here (and as you're reading), you should embrace a side of you that is quirky and unpredictable, and maybe when you get back to reality, you'll want to take a little of that with you. And, that’s just what I do all day, every day.
Writing Alice in Wonderland, one of my favourite literary works in the world, even Lewis Carroll could not have imagined the absolute fluffy wonderland we have tried to take with us last weekend at the handknitters guild show.

People who have known me for years recognise that I am, to say the least, driven. Driven by the desire to enable everybody who comes close with colourful mountains of fluff. I see a yarn and fibre show as an event, a celebration and a way to immerse yourself in a total fluffy and colour explosion of fun! I guess that drives me to produce wayyyyyyy more than I could possibly ever sell at an event🤣 but hey, you had the “wall of sound” of the sixties , why not have the “wall of Fluffy Colour” ?! 

To recap: we had an amazing time at the show last weekend! It was awesome (see: all the superlatives are coming out to play 😜) to meet all my crafty friends again AND make new ones! Doing these kind of events are fun but also very, very intense! I’m not talking about being AT the show and enabling all the people who come and visit our stall. I am talking about the months and months of producing, dyeing, spinning, skeining, labelling, dyeing, dyeing and blending and carding and so, so much more… not to mention the gargantuan task of setting a space up to look like a fluffy Wonderland of Fluffy Colour in a mere two hours before the floodgates  open and let all the people in to wool and yarn dive. 

here is a video and some photos of the IxCHeL wonderland of Colour stall at the show:

Click on the YouTube Ixchelbunny channel here : 

https://youtu.be/cgxZOV7KRYs

 

What does being at a big yarn and fibre event mean? On your feet for two days and then….packing everything up again in record time, ready to drive your whole magical Wonderland back home and…unpack, organise and add to the online shop. 

I was super lucky : Paul has done all the stock taking and shop update stuff ( “doing at least six impossible things before breakfast” as is described in Alice in Wonderland), while I was tackling custom orders and getting straight back into the dye room getting the May clubs ready for shipping nxt week! Fingers crossed for nice, warmer and dry weather!!

i lost track what I did and didn’t tell you, so if I repeat myself I am sorry..lol. Here’s a teaser label of the May clubs by one of my fav artists Alphonse Mucha. THE quintessential look of the Art Nouveau movement, much lauded by his muse and patron the actor Sarah Bernhardt. Writing the whole background information for all the clubmembers to enjoy atm.

here’s a sneak peek of the label and the dyeing process of the yarns😉

 

Yes, eh, I re-use ice cream containers to prep some of my pigments 😜

I have been asked at the event if I will be going to the Bendigo show this year….in short: no.

I love to support fabulous organisers like the handknitters guild who do an absolutely fantastic job taking care of their stall holders (big shout out to Susan McDougall and ALL the volunteers at the show!!). The Bendigo show this year I cannot possibly be at because of so many reasons but mainly, it takes a LOT to prepare and invest and dye and do things like I want them to be. I guess I’m a bit OCD about the whole thing but support flows two ways: a show needs their stallholders and stallholders need a fabulous event that supports them too, especially when times are tough for everybody. I know my limits. There’s only so much I can do. So I choose to do what I can. No compromise. That means I cannot be everywhere at the same time or at once unless I invent a TARDIS or a mini me, and especially that second image would be just too frightening for the world 🤣😂 There will be weekly shop updates and more coming. I do thing about at least six impossible things before breakfast…so nothing is off the table I guess🤣

So, what’s up  and NEW on tonight’s update?!? 
so many things, like this and much, much more!

I have spun lots of fluffy yarns and made lots of scrumptious batts for you to feast your eyes on: there are pure angora yarns, vampire deer yarns, wallaby yarns and so, so much more!

Heres a peek into the fluffy fun stuff: 

 From batt to yarn…

all is available on the shop in the yarn and batt section.

If there are any colours that you see are either sold out or I haven’t listed: please let me know! Anything goes! If you would like a yarn in a particular colourway or colour: ask! I am very happy to talk you through your colour choices for your projects. It’s fun! And I am here you! I will gladly and safely guide you through the rabbit hole !

This weekend  and the upcoming week is all about getting the May club dyed and ready to ship, so I will spend most of my time at the carder and dye room, plus labelling and writing. Never a dull moment here at the IxCHeL fibre farm!

I wish you a fabulous week filled with magical crafting!

big hugs

Charly

 

Mountains of fluff and yarns

The weather is becoming a bit wild and woolly here...which means the fire is on, ready to warm the house but most importantly: getting the mountain of yarns and fibres ready and dry for the handknitters guild show at the Merri-Bek hall in Coburg on May 13th and 14th. In my mind I thought at one point that we were still in April, but hey, that was wishful thinking for sure!  With only a week to go to get all the yarns dry, skeined up, labelled and packed it is starting to become a mad scramble again…lol. I guess that’s  my modus operandi I cannot escape from..lol. Studying for exams or preparing for shows: why do I always seem to leave things til the very last minute to get everything ready? One day, I will start preparing even earlier and will sip cocktails on the verandah, relaxing, instead of this mad hatters party eality I’m living in…rofl. Never mind!  I can always relax AFTER the show!

don’t forget to book your free tickets ! And get all the information about what is going on when you scan the QR code on the poster here:

This week has all been about dyeing, dyeing and …dyeing plus plying the handspun angora yarns, wallaby yarns, guanaco yarns and more! I’m afraid I have let the social media stuff escape me for a bit due to lack of time but I hope, fingers crossed , I will get a chance to post preview photos of all the yarns and fibres hopping to the show with me, together with magnificent spindles, nostepinne, wrist distaffs and bowls made by Paul aka Lair of the bearded dragon. 

I am also prepping and dyeing the May clubs next week! The shipping of the away club will be a tiny bit later than usual but I am hoping to get everything dry and ready a bit later than mid May. The teaser labels will appear on social media this weekend so make sure you follow me on Instagram where I am @ixchelbunny 💕🐰💕

Now, where was I? Oh yes!! The handknitters show or let’s just call it “the fabulous fondle of fluff & yarn weekend” of the year! 

what can you expect?

short answer to that is : A LOT!  There will be heaps of super interesting and fun vendors there selling their handdyed yarns and I will be there as well with the Bearded Dragon himself, in our stall, the first on the left as soon as you walk in the entrance door to the show.

I did post some videos of last years show on social media so if you would like a sneak peek of the happening, please do!

What will be on offer?

short answer? A LOT!

Here’s a list to help you organise a shopping list:

Yarns:

handspun angora 

handspun angora wallaby

handspun angora possum

handspun guanaco and vampire deer yarns

sock weight yarns spun in Victoria and dyed on the IxCHeL farm, ranging from fun speckles to saturated semi solid colours

Silver Star sock yarn superfine merino cashmere and bling! Handdyed fabulous fun and super soft!

luxurious merino silk and cashmere sock weight yarn

IxCHeL merino/mohair and fine lambswool tweed yarns in over 20 colours!

Gaia DK yarns hand dyed speckles to variegated and semi solids

Fibres

ALL THE FIBRES I HAVE IN STOCK in the shop will be going to the show! Together with drop spindles, bowls, dealgans, support spindles, phangs, bowls and all the tools. 

o-oh! I think I need a “bigger boat” to get everything to the show😜🤣😂

This week I have a fab blend for you on offer : 

A Ouessant/Blue Faced Leicester/Mulberry Silk blend that is so smoochy and soft and fluffy you have to try it ! The different colours in all the fleeces blended together made a gorgeous base to dye on and resulted in amazing tonal values of the dyed tops. 

I love dyeing tops that have different coloured fleeces in them: it is magical ! spinning this blend will give you a gorgeous heathered and saturated, magical colour play yarn, that is soft and suitable to close to skin wear with a gorgeous drape.

Located 12 miles off the French coast in the Sea of Iroise, the island of Ouessant (or Ushant in English) is the original homeland of Ouessant Sheep. 

 Ouessant sheep are the most primitive of the native French breeds. For centuries, they were raised in isolation on the island where they played an integral part of the self-sufficient closed economy, providing both wool and meat. By the end of the 18th century there were over 6,000 sheep on the island of Ouessant. But economic improvements along with a move toward modernization at the beginning of the 19th century radically changed the future prospects of this small primitive breed. ortunately, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a number of wealthy families imported small numbers of traditional Ouessant sheep to the French mainland to graze the lands around their estates. 

Ultimately, this seemingly insignificant event insured the survival of the breed. Today, Ouessant sheep are sought after both as companion animals and as “environmentally-friendly lawn mowers”. 

They have also gained a certain amount of popularity in several different European countries : Most notably Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. 

A member of the Northern European Short-Tailed breeds, Ouessant sheep are distant cousins of the Shetland and Icelandic breeds. The two most distinctive features of Ouessant sheep are their size and their color. 

Considered by many to be the smallest breed of sheep in the world, adult ewes measure less than 18″ (46cm) at the shoulders and rams are under 20″ (50cm). 

Additionally, Ouessant sheep come in a number of different colors : Including black, white, brown, and grey. It is true that the small size of Ouessant sheep contributes to the breed’s characteristic charm and appeal. However, their diminutive size also means that the breed is not commercially viable in the modern world of agricultural production. In fact, one of the primary objectives for breeding Ouessant sheep today is the preservation and conservation of the rare genetic resources that are found in the breed. 

Despite their small size, these charming little sheep produce a particularly beautiful and versatile wool. Ouessant sheep have a distinctive double-coated fleece with an average fiber diameter of 25 microns and, on average, fleeces weigh approximately 750 grams (1.5 lbs.). It is important to keep in mind that Ouessant sheep are an unimproved breed, which means that from one sheep to another there is less standardization and more variability in wool type and quality than one would normally find in modern improved breeds. 

For the handspinner, this variation presents a unique opportunity : From one small flock of Ouessant sheep it is possible to produce wool that can be used for a wide variety of projects, ranging from lace shawls to hats, cardigans, and even rugs. 

 I have taken great care to only select the finest of the Ouessant fibre and blending that with the shiny Blue faced Leicester and the mulberry silk  to create a beautiful heathered effect when dyed.

RABBIT ON !

((hugs))

Charly