Rapunxel...Wool Ambassador Extraordinaire

I can't say how much it means to me to get pictures and/or updates on the rabbits that go to their new homes. 

Jerrilyn is so awesome. She sends me the best pictures of Rapunxel enjoying life. 

Rapunxel is quite the public figure, teaching about her breed's purpose at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts' Eco-Fair. 

She is a great ambassador for her breed...and I'm sure an attraction all to herself! Rapunxel's duties have taken her to events such as Christmas at Old Fort Concho and a fiber arts demo at the Chicken Farm Art Center. 

Rapunxel lives a wonderful life as a wool producing house rabbit with Jerrilyn.  

New (to me) Spinning Wheel

Aretha

Been waiting a long time for this, but I finally got a spinning wheel.  Yay!! I actually got a very simple model called the Honey Bee from Bluebonnet Spinning Wheel Company.  It was a good price for a beginner so I couldn't resist the Craigslist ad. 

 I spent the next day trying to get the hang of it. It didn't actually take that long, once I watched a couple of YouTube videos. But, I dragged it out for one complete day so everyone would let me spin.  I'm hooked!

Of course, I had to name her.  So I christened this spinning wheel Aretha.  She is plain and simple, but a dream to me...all she wants is a little respect.  

I will probably never touch a drop spindle again.  A wheel is just so much faster to do the same thing. I quickly spun up some fibers that I had laying around since November. Can't wait to ply what I've spun and actually finish my first yarn.    

These Are A Few of My Favorite (Rabbit) Things...

This is probably not what Maria in The Sound of Music had in mind, but here are a few of my favorite things over the course of this year. 

Rabbitech cages:  I LOVE my Rabbitech cages! If I never live to see another drop pan, I'll be OK.  I just need another set of cages for Kiki's Satin Angoras. 

Sherwood Forest Natural Rabbit Feed: This feed is the best rabbit nutrition around IMO.  I can't wait for it to come in 50# bags. Yes, it's expensive if you have a larger herd, but my herd is small so it works for me. I choose to feed it because nutrition makes the most difference...for all of us, including rabbits. If you see me at the shows, ask about this feed.  I'll be happy to talk to you about it...and give you a small sample bag.  I'm not a representative, just a happy customer. 


Wools & Tools:  My favorite yarn shop in town where I hone my skills at knitting, crocheting and spinning yarn.  Plus, they're the only other folks in town that go ga-ga over fiber. 

Wee-Wee Puppy Pads:  I used to put pine pellets in the bottom of my carrier trays, but now I prefer 1/2 sheet of a Wee-Wee Pad  in my trays when traveling.  The post-show cleanup is so much easier. I also use the puppy pads to line  nestboxes. Wee-Wee Pads have a frequent purchase program.  Collect 10 UPC codes from your packages and mail them in to get $10 in savings back. I buy mine at Tractor Supply Stores where they're $5 for a bag of 30.

Texas Thrift Stores:  I have snagged whole packages of adult Depends (for kits in the nestbox..I know, I know), crocks, litterboxes and a ton of polyester grooming shirts that make me look like I belong on the set of That 70's show. Note: make sure to sanitize any pet supplies you get at secondhand stores...just in case.  

Rabbit/Fiber Friends: Can't complete a list of my favorite things without adding my rabbit and fiber friends (both new and old). I've learned a lot from everyone and I sooo appreciate it.  Thanks for everything :)

We Have TWO Yarn Shops Now!

So...there's this new yarn shop right around the corner from my house. This could be trouble. 

I've been there about three times within the week and plan to be there tonight for the Friday night group.  Figured that this would be a wonderful way to prep for Christmas gifts.  I already have a list of items I wish to make for the holidays.  Now I just have to carve out time to make everything. 

My current project is a shawl for Mom (Cassie don't tell lol).  I chose a wonderful Malabrigo worsted weight yarn in a color called Paris Nights.  It's beautiful....dark blue with a touch of forest green.  Looks like the deep ocean.  Fabulous!  
 
The shop is stocked with KnitPicks, Malabrigo yarns, dyed roving, wool, spindles and an assortment of other fiber fiend goodies. 
 
And best of all...that's not the only yarn shop in town. Yay! The other one is the Old Spinning Wheel shop. I really like it, too. 

Old Spinnng Wheel has a nice complement of items like Cascade yarns, wonderful books, and also KnitPicks.  They have a group that meets on Thursdays if you're on that side of town. I'm so happy to see fiber enthusiasts have places of their own in our area.

If you're in the Central Texas area, check them both out....Wools & Tools and The Old Spinning Wheel.  

Learning to Dye Yarn

One of the perks of being a TARC club member is access to all our webinars...not bad for $5 a year.  I have gotten a lot of great information from these little informal webinars.  My favorite so far was the interactive webinar Dyeing with Dana.  It was so much fun!  

I gathered all the supplies and dyed my yarn along with Dana from Gray Haven Farms.  We had a great time! I chose Berry Punch and Lemon Lime Flavor Aid.  I'm very pleased with the color.  Dana showed us how to dye our yarn, dry it, and then card it using slicker brushes.  

Once my wool dried, I couldn't resist trying my drop spindle again and spun the yarn.  I made a 100% English Angora 2-ply yarn. Yay!

This was my first real attempt at making my own yarn so it's pretty lumpy (art yarn-ish) but I had a blast creating something myself from animals I raise. Best of all, it wasn't hard at all. 

 I only made a small amount of yarn so I searched the Web for a tiny project and found a cute, little bracelet.  I'm going to try to make it.

Once I'm done, I'll post a picture.  This was such a fun project. I can't wait to try more colors.    

Not The Type of Christening I Had In Mind

Athena, the offender

Even though our little dog is housetrained and has a very large yard in which to do her business...she decided to christen our shed yesterday.  

Scene of the crime

After taking a midday break, we came back to a "piddle" in the corner of the partially constructed fiber and craft creativity hut.  I'm not sure who has more irritated...DH or me (who actually cleaned it up). Athena appeared to be quite pleased with herself as evidenced by her photo. That dog is always all smiles. 

I guess she felt the need to leave her mark on our little construction project and identify it as hers.

In the end, we all ended up having a bit of a laugh about it...but  she is now restricted from the area as a result of her actions. 

Bad dog!...but cute dog, too.

Construction on the Kelfla Craft & Fiber Hut

Well, OK....It's just a shed, but I'm still super excited about having my own place to work on fiber projects and whatever else I come up with. As always, DH is busy helping make things better.  Thank goodness for him.

Although I'll have to share my "creativity hut" with holiday decorations, long forgotten sports equipment and empty computer boxes...I can hardly wait to be able to have a dedicated space for fiber storage, a spinning wheel, and an endless supply of craft magazines and supplies.  

Hopefully, we'll be finished within the next two weeks.  A lot of our schedule depends on how tough a semester Brian has.

Then we can begin on the next project:  a deck around the shed so I can sit on the front porch and spin in the morning sun. 


But...as hubby says..."One thing at a time."