Art inspired colour ways

 

Almost Halloween!!  Yes, I’m excited..although there’s absolutely no trick or treating going on where I live in the middle of nowhere and I basically have my Halloween candles, figurines and other decorations flying around the rest of the year anyway…coz you know I’m witchy weird that way..lol

What else has been going on here? Well, I got distracted…SURPRISE!  and found myself in desperate need to knit something halloweeny and the @tellybeanknits designs were just the ticket ! Her #boneyardsweetheartshat  is awesome and comes in either DK or fingering weight pattern versions so yeah, I had to.

Next up is her MKAL. Now, I don’t know about you but I am not very good at participating at MKALS. I think it’s the pressure or fear of falling behind…which I probably will do with everything I need to work on to keep the IxCHeL shop stocked. I could of course do “me” and totally immerse myself into an MKAL and focus so much on it that I finish the first clue in a few hours and then it’s nail biting time for the next clue to land in a weeks time… so, You see? MKALS don’t work with my personality…lol. It’s either ALL or nothing…until of course I get distracted by a new shiny or fluffy thing and the. I’m all steam ahead to get on to that adventure….  How many adventures or WIPS  can you have going at the same time? Are there any WIPS that you started a decade ago and you have no idea where the pattern is anymore? Yeah…sounds familiar eh?

And another one….glow in the dark 😉

I was very proud of myself getting ahead in the game and getting fibres ready ahead of time before updates but the weather and before the November club dyeing got in the way of my “efficiency”…! Btw, I will post teaser label photos of the November club over the weekend! AND, tonight I am happy to announce that I have opened up sign ups for the first quarter of 2024! I had a lot of people ask me when the new club sign ups  would be open..we’ll actually, after the show and tell of the October club fibres and yarns, a lot of people asked me if there were still spots open for this year. I had to unfortunately tell them all that every spot was filled. I really hate telling people no. I like enabling so saying “no, sorry” goes against very part of my being…lol In short: I have opened up the club sign ups for 2024 now. 

Just in case you were wondering why I have a quarterly club: seeing I’m preparing all the blends and special fibres, I unfortunately can only blend, dye and produce so much…I prepare and organise ahead of time so I need to know the exact quantities I can get my hands on , the time it takes to prepare everything and work from that. It all takes time. 

Tonights update is a very special blend I concocted and cooked up literally about ten years ago, because I am totally weird and though why not try and spin cactus…agave to be exact? I mean we drink it..well I do…tequila, mescal..margarita cocktails..why not spin it?! 
You can read all about it on my blog I wrote  in 2016 ( you can read all my old blogs from way back in the early 2000s on www.Ixchelbunny.blogspot.com ).

The thing is, I wanted this blend to be not only special and linked to the time I lived in a Mexico and was totally infatuated(and still am) with Frida Kahlo, but also mix it with my love for Navajo churro sheep which I grew up with and loved spinning. The blend combines a lovely wool with a strong plant fibre. The agave fibres are an excellent plant alternative for nylon: it gives strength and softness over time by wearing. It is a fabulous blend for spinning and for sock knitting. I have to say that I have heard a person say she picked the bast fibres out of the blend because she thought they would be too harsh..please don’t! Don’t be fooled by the agave plant fibres. They may seem more coarse than the wool you are spinning but they will soften up with wear and washing! It is like hemp or flax only softer! 

To read all about agave and spinning it and the history behind the viva Frida blend please  go here: https://ixchelbunny.blogspot.com/2016/09/wings-to-fly.html

Dyeing these special tops I was particularly inspired by my muse:Frida Kahlo. One painting especially resonates with me : “What the water gave me “ and it became a colourway….

 

also the way Frida dressed was amazing…the colours she combines together were an inspiration for Friday’s dresses or “teh cactus flower” colourway you see here. It took a great deal of mixing and blending pigments to create that old timey sage green look but I think I pulled it off 😉

 Here are some other colourways with their inspiration taken directly from Friday’s paintings and one I dyed to reflect a beautiful painting by Alison Munti Riley : 7 sisters dreaming.

So not on,y will you be able to spin agave cactus with a  rare breed blend but now you can basically spin a painting at the same time !

Please click here to go to the website and start browsing  https://ixchel.com.au/collections/whats-new

wishing you all a wonderful weekend and happy spinning and knitting!

big hugs

Charly

Majestic super soft luxury and Halloween fun

 

What a super hectic week it has been here! Blending, dyeing, a new sock yarn arrival ready to be dyed later, all the October clubs shipped out  and new Halloween fun organised ready to put on show on the shop, plus a short stint at the hospital for me to get my bionic heart sorted out..call it my yearly maintenance to keep my motor beating. All went well, apart from the fact that I seem to be an expert in hurting myself doing normal stuff, like getting up from a low chair and somehow pulled a muscle. Yes, I’m a clutz…it’s a miracle I have made it this long since I seem to be prone to hurting myself falling over me air…lol anyway..I’m back home, hopping along and trying to get as much as I can done. 

So, what have  I got a treat for you tonight? A freshly blended rare breed adventure, because life gets wayyyyy more interesting when you add new adventures doesn't it? Especially the fluffy and cute kind of adventures.

Tonight’s special adventure update is my out of this world blend with guanaco !!

  

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.

It has always been a dream of mine 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 last year and this year 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.

  

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.

Have lots of fun exploring the new adventures on the IxCHeL shop ! To find everything NEW. go to www.ixchel.com.au and go to the "What's new section".

Big fluffy hugs,

Charly

Hocus Pocus

 

Happy Friday October 13th! It doesn’t happen that often, well, actually, it happens every eleven years that a Friday the 13th falls in October.  There are all these superstitions attached to a Friday the 13th…black cats bringing bad luck (or…white cats when you are in Mexico…), don’t walk under ladders, etc etc.

Some people are so afraid of this day they don’t go out or want to do anything…There is actually a name for this phobia: Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th. The word "paraskevidekatriaphobia" was devised by Dr. Donald Dossey who told his patients that "when you learn to pronounce it, you're cured!"  Paraskevidekatriaphobia is an extension of Triskaidekaphobia. It originates from Paraskevi, (Greek for Friday).  So, what causes the fear? Both the number 13 and Fridays have negative connotations in many societies. For instance, some believe that because the Great Flood in the Bible occurred on a Friday, all Fridays are unlucky.  In the Middle Ages, the day was associated with punishment: "This was the time when the Knights Templars were tortured by King Philip IV of France. The day of torture happened to be Friday the 13th."

In British culture, Friday "was the day of the hangman or the noose, as many public hangings took place on this day. Also there were exactly 13 steps to the gallows."  Thankfully for those with the phobia, Friday the 13ths never occur more than three times a year and usually occur only twice. Some years have only one. 

Well, let’s just make this Friday the 13th a lucky one 😉 with heaps of new spindles and handdyed tops!

I have had lots of fun dyeing this batch of superfine cashmere merino and silk tops: new colourways and new experiments with blending dye pigments!

Here are some to choose from, starting with some cherry blossom romance:

and then there is Coraline of course:

and some pumpkin patches with gorgeous autumnal colours: 

To see all the new handdyed tops, please go here: https://ixchel.com.au/collections/whats-new

I have added some videos on my social media for the Tibetan spindles Paul aka the Lair of the Bearded Dragon has turned with some gorgeous inlay of rose quarts, malachite, Howlite and azurite. I really love how the Peruvian walnut and the American walnut looks and the cypress with a gorgeous natural feature ! Paul did tell me that he is almost out of Peruvian walnut and it is almost impossible to get hold of, so if you like what you see, don’t wait too long to snaffle! 

To see all the spindles please go here: https://ixchel.com.au/collections/spindles

The October clubs are almost done and will be shipped off next week Tuesday. The super wet weather has set me back a bit. It’s  Spring here in the southern hemisphere but it is brrrrr cold and wet here at the moment. Mind you, up north the temperatures are soaring: Australia is a HUGE country, well, a continent actually….lol

well, I better keep going! I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland! “I’m late! I’m late! For an important date with my dye cauldron” 😉

Have a fabulous weekend and happy crafting !

big hugs

Charly

Hopping to Halloween

 

Memory is a weird thing: for the first time in a long time I cannot remember being so busy, chaotic, flailing like Kermit the frog AND trying to get things done at the same time, while failing to do 1. My Inktober inking and drawing exercises from day one! And 2. Not even managed to ball up my geogradient set (I chose the Witchcraft geogradient 😉 see below) to start the 14th Westknits MKAL Geogradient knit along ! 

I do not want to get to a point where I say to myself on both counts : “oh well, too late now! I’m running behind so much, I might as well not do it at all”….  That’s the thing isn’t it? Falling behind… missing out…not able to get all the things done you have to get done before you even get to the fun stuff…You know how it is!

and social media does not help! We seem to be surrounded by super human beings who are not only creating the most amazing work but are so fast at it as well!  Solution: Never, ever compare yourself to others and go at your own pace! 
easier said than done, I know, but still..don’t let those pesky devils on your shoulder tell you anything…they’re lying! 😜 Just do it at your own pace.

So, what have I been up to? Well, it seems I’ve not done a lot..at least not in my mind… I’ve blended fluff, I dyed fluff, dyed custom orders, prepared the October clubs, done all the admin that goes with organising anything…lol, took care of all the hungry demands of  animals and humans around me..hey! I even went to the doctor…not my favourite pass-time because as soon as I see a gp…it’s never the same bloody one and they look me up and down and go “you have to take better care of yourself ! You should be in hospital!” To which I say nothing and think… “ you have no idea what zombie witch you are talking to, got too much to do”… honestly, some doctors REALLY have NO idea how to talk to patients/visitors. This one in particular should have a warning sign on his door saying “come see me if you want high blood pressure”.  Anyway, October is going to be fun: another “nice” re-organising my essential motor (let’s call it heart maintenance) plus the real fun stuff (and I mean that): dyeing all the October clubs this weekend and getting everything ready to ship late next week…I say that with lots of hope because the weather has and will be extremely wet and cold..again…yes, we have the fire on again! Can you believe it? 

Fornthose of you who do not follow my socials and therefore have missed the teaser label of the October Art Journey club: here it is!

I wanted to show case her fabulous work, not only because she is a wonderful artist, but also because on the 14th of October, with the Referendum in The Voice, I hope all Australians will vote for hope, love, listening & learning from First Nations People by giving them a voice. 
It seems that there is so much misinformation by bots, conspiracy theorists, right wing political factions that are sowing doubt and fear into the minds of so many. It’s sad and it puts so much emotional pressure on everybody involved.  When you have a choice between hope or fear: always side with hope. 

Here is Alison at work: 

So, what’s new this week? Ooooh lots of new exciting fluffy things! Mind you, not the exciting new fluffy things I had planned but are still drying …remember? : it’s super wet and cold…brrr

So, plan B went into action, which was planned for next week!..see: Always have a plan B!

For this years Halloween I planned my Frankenfluff blend tops and oh wow! Are they amazing! There’s a LOT more silk and super soft merino in the mix than previous batches and all the different colourways look awesome. Frankenfluff is easy to spin, thoroughly blended tops AFTER they have been dyed. This results in a tweed-like yarn (see top photo) with heathery colour changes throughout your yarn. Of course the colourways are inspired by classic horror movies like Frankenstein, Poltergeist, the Exorcist, Wolfman and more….to celebrate the upcoming Halloween. You don’t have to wait to spin Frankenfluff tops for Halloween, you can spin them any time of year…lol

Also, all the Halloween fibre treat parcels have been shipped out this morning ! Yeah!  Here’s a little peak into what everybody who ordered them can look forward to😉

Oh and before I forget: I have also dyed some more Cashmere Fling tops! You can find all the new fluffy stuff in the Whats new section in the IxCHeL shop ! www.IxCHeL.com.au

Have lots of fun this weekend! Do what you love to do ♥️

Big hugs

Charly