The big Yarn and Fibre Show 2024 is coming up !

 

A big yarn and fibre show is on every year in Melbourne, more precise in the suburb of Coburg at Merribek town hall, organised by the fabulous handknitters and crocheters  guild Victoria and, Paul and I are there like clockwork. It is fun, it’s super well organised and all the people the and the “vibe” is amazing. This year, like the last few years since the pandemic, it runs over two days and this time it’s next weekend: Saturday June 1st and Sunday June 2nd (from 10-3pm).

Exciting ! It is a fabulous event and so, like every year, I have been preparing special fluffy products for..well, since the day the last show ended..lol. So many yarns, so much handspun, so many special fibres on offer and so many gorgeous spindles, bowls, tools and more.

This year, this handknitters guild Yarn and Fibre show will be the ONLY show I will be doing so, if you want to take advantage of seeing both Paul and myself in action like Kermit the frog flailing about and trying to get our stall up and running in…eh..two hours (we only get two hours to set up) this is the time!

Also, every year, I think the same thing: do we have enough stock?I don’t have enough…I need more of this and that and wouldn’t it be a great idea to do this extra bit? By the end of all that excruciating deliberating, it is safe to say I ALWAYS come to the same conclusion when packing the van AND when putting up the stall for the show: “I need a bigger boat”! 🤣 Clearly, 20 years of doing this have not taught me anything because I still think, until two hours before the show that I do not have enough 🤣 

So, here I am, done all the dyeing (finished yesterday!) and yes, I am still spinning and plying yarn ! Paul has been doing some great organising to get everything labelled, and packed into tubs ready for transport and entering all of our stock into the Square payment point of sale system we will be using at the market so everybody can shop using their various cards if need be but if you want to pay by cash that is equally very acceptable. Actually, I think cash is always better for us stallholders, because the bank fees are excruciating..and sometimes shows are at places where there is limited reception (not this one !) so it’s always safe to have several options open I always say. Anyway, I digress…(see I’m a bit hectic atm, trying to get as much done as possible..lol).

Well, I have promised all of you an overview of what will be on offer at the show (call it a shopping list) so, here it is !  Get ready! Set? Go!

YARNS

Handspun yarns

Angora bunny natural and hand dyed

Angora bunny, cashmere and silk yarns in fabulous colours

Wallaby, Cashmere, Silk, Merino yarn

Possum Cashmere Silk Merino yarn

Guanaco yarns

Rare breed yarns with bison and vampire deer

IxCHeL sock yarn :merino, silk, nylon (100g,410m) 33 colourways !! About 20 kilos of it!

IxCHeL silver star sock yarn: merino, cashmere, nylon, silver stellina (423m/100g): 24 colourways ( over 12kilos of silver star yarn)

IxCHeL tweed yarns ! Fabulous for colourwork! 28 colourways! More than 15 kilos of solid dyed with fun tweedy colour pops!

IxCHeL cashmerino Lace yarn : 30 hand dyed colourways: over 14 kilos of yumminess

IxCHeL kid mohair Silk Merino yarn: 11 colourways!

IxCHeL Gaia DK organic merino yarn: 28 colourways with about 10 kilos of knitting fun!

Silk ribbon yarns (great for weaving and art yarn accents!)

Cotton Spiral spun yarns

Blind date yarn surprise packs !

AND THATS JUST THE YARN SECTION! Now on to the Lair of the Bearded Dragon spindles and tools:

LAIR OF THE BEARDED DRAGON SPINDLES: there will be LOTS of spindles WITH AND WITHOUT INLAY in all shapes and sizes and weights. There are drop spindles with top and bottom whorls, Tibetan support spindles, Lotus phangs, Scottish style dealgans (mini and full sized ones).

Spindle Bowls and Chalice lapbowls!

wood turned Orifice hooks, with WPI gauge (twist it little helpers)

Nøstepinne!

 
FIBRE

Will there be fibre? I hear you ask?! OH YESSSS! Sooooooooo much fibre! And here’s the list:

BATTS! (Wallaby, possum and angora batts!!)

Babydoll Southdown tops

Black Bunny Tops

Blossom Bunny tops with rose fibres

Camelbunny silk Cashmere tops

Cashmere Fling tops

Cashmerino Silk tops

Castlemilk Moorit tops rare breed

Diva Tops 

Fire Star tops great for adding to batts, felting or art yarn for that extra bit of glamour shine

Flower Power tops with alpaca

Gothic tops super black merino with lush silk in 10 colourways!

Grå Trønder rare (breed tops)

Guanaco blend tops (rare breed)

Happy Bunny tops with hemp

Hog Island sheep tops (rare breed)

Machu Picchu tops with superfine merino, silk and merino

 Magic  tops with rainbow glitz 

Manx Laughtan tops (rare breed)

Merino Silk tops 

Merino Tencel Silk tops

Mulberry Silk tops 

Navajo Churro tops (rare breed)

North Ronaldsay blend tops (rare breed)

Ouessant Bfl silk tops (rare breed)

Pearl bunny tops with chitin!

Romanov tops (rare breed)

Shetland dream tops (rare breed)

Tundra tops with qiviut (rare breed)

Viva Frida tops with Navajo Churro

Wensleydale tops (rare breed)

Yak tops

.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz… I was thinking of getting some rest after the show, but I need to prep and dye the June club immediately when I come back!

also: important notice! The online  shop will still be available but with very limited offerings. Unfortunately we can’t be in two places at the same time ..lol 

Safe to say there will be NO Friday shop update but I will definitely make it up to you when I get back from the show.

I hope to see you at the show. Please say hello and do some wool and yarn diving! 

have a fun week!

hugs

charly

 

 

 

Yakety yak!

 

It’s been almost a month between blogs! For years and years I have been consistently blogging every Friday at 8pm and it “only” took the upkeep of an online shop, social media marketing, emails and what have you to let me totally lose my medal in the consistency department.

And if that’s not the only thing: keeping lots of hand made and hand dyed fibre, yarn and spindles consistently stocked up, is proving to be extremely hard as well. In short: I cannot keep up!  Hilarious but true, I thought having an online shop and not going to weekly markets and lots of big shows would take the pressure off. Hilarious! Hilariously out of touch with reality you mean! Lol

Anyway, Paul has been nudging me to look into having a holiday, but at this point, even remotely looking into that proves amazingly hard. And yet, I always said to myself, if it is important you will find time. And that, proves to be hard as well. I think it’s to do with the fact that I have been so conditioned to working all the time, through everything: whether it be sickness, pandemics or even just hard times. My brain can’t seem to cope with anything that is not productive or creative. As soon as I sit down with a book for half an hour or even when thinking about having a relaxing bath, my mind goes in “guilty mode”…as if I’m a naughty kid doing something wrong! Am I the only one ? Do any of you experience that as well? You know, that guilty feeling of doing nothing..well, I mean something for yourself instead of working. It’s really strange and it’s obviously not sustainable or healthy. So, I had a relaxing bath last night, I read for an hour, but…I still am not closer to deciding where or when to take a holiday. If I don’t decide fast, Paul will rebel I’m sure and I can’t have a rebelling bearded dragon on my hand..lol

Anyway, no time to relax yet because in a months time there’s a fabulous market I will be attending and I still have about 30 kilos of yarn to dye, numerous yarns to spin and dye, oh! And a May club to dye and ship out…. If I was organised enough to abide by lists, I’d be freaking out….!

so, the whole house is currently filled with drying yarns and  fibres and a manic bunny, me, trying to do all the things all at once🤣 

The April clubs have been shipped two weeks ago so it’s about time to show you all the photos: 

The May clubs are currently being prepped and getting ready for a dyebath ! The teaser for the May club will be posted on my social media over the weekend so keep an eye out!

This week I have some amazingly soft and rich chocolate …. Yak tops for sale ! Check them out in the “what’s new” section on www.ixchel.com.au  

Also: new tulip wood and beech twist it little helpers aka orifice hooks with a WPI gauge.

plus NEW anniversary products sale : Stitch markers!

you can find them all on the IxCHeL website in the what’s new section!

well, this bunny is off to cook some dinner and feed the hungry masses before I have a revolution on my hands!

wishing everybody a fabulous craft and fun weekend!

Let the adventures begin !

big fluffy hugs

Charly