Doesn’t Everyone….

dry their fiber in their dining room?

Or breakfast nook?  When it’s dyeing and drying time here, fiber can end up almost anywhere (closest to the heater) especially in the winter.  In the spring and summer, it all goes outside and is dry in no time.  However, since it’s winter, fiber is anywhere I can get it dry fast.  Or fastest…it doesn’t really dry that fast at all.

I think I need more drying racks.  As soon as all of this is dry, it’s off to the mill to be made into felting and spinning batts.  Look for more colorways soon!

And if you are in the area, the Sacramento Weavers and Spinners Guild is having their annual Open House February 13 and 14th at the Shepard Art and Garden Center in McKinley Park.  Hope to see you there!

More Babies

Believe it or not, there are six babies in here!  They are just about two weeks old now.  I haven’t seem much of them–it’s been so cold, they have been buried in the nest.  And Mother Shasta is not too happy when I go poking around!

I expect them out of the nestbox soon.  I doubt Shasta will like that either.

Here is Voodoo’s November litter.  They are about 7 weeks old now and looking good.

Chill Chaser

This luxurious hand dyed cowl was knitted up with just a half a skein of Bungalow Farm’s Angora Blizzard (85% German Angora/15% Merino Wool).  The cowl weighs less than one oz., or 27 grams to be exact.

Easy and quick, it’s a Brioche stitch borrowed from Brooklyn Tweed’s Morningside Neckwarmer. Knit in the round, of course.  Whip one up for a quick Holiday gift!

You can order a skein (or two) from the Bungalow Farm website or email me.  I have a few skeins ON SALE right now on my Esty page.

Winter Shearing

Winter shearing can be tricky, especially if you take off all the wool like I do.  Right now, it’s not that cold here, but cold enough that I leave a light on over the cage and coat the rabbits. I also put lots of hay or straw in the cage so they aren’t sitting on cold wire.

 

 

Here is Konrad in his new berber coat!

 

 

 

Klaudia and the Siamese, Kimi are checking each other out.  I had Klaudia in the house for awhile to take the chill off.

 

 

 

 

I sheared both Klaus and Klaudia at 60 days instead of 90.  They are only six months old, so really these are baby coats.  But look at that crimp!  They both had good length and amazing density.  I try and keep records of the babies every time I shear them.  This litter was born in May and I started shearing them at about 6 weeks, and then once every 4 weeks during the summer.  Keeping records helped me decide on who to keep from the litter.  Klaus and Klaudia were the top wool producers over a four month period.   Keeping my litters that long gives me more time to evaluate them.  At eight weeks, they really aren’t developed enough to tell and they haven’t been sheared enough times for me to evaluate any shearing data.  I weigh each clipping from each bunny and put it in an Excel spreadsheet.  That way I can see over time how much wool each bunny is producing.  Yesterday, at six months, Klaudia produced about 350 grams over a 60 day period.  Klaus produced 320 grams over the same period.    Their wool production has continued to impress me.  By the way, by keeping the litters longer, I can also better evaluate body type as well as wool production and texture.

Black German Bunny Update

Here they are at two and a half weeks.  Already they have been out of the nestbox, scouting around.  Seven of the eight have survived, one albino died the first week.   A good number and they are all well fed and doing well!

Black German Litter!

Voodoo, our IAGARB registered black German doe, kindled 8 babies yesterday. Six of the eight are pure black! The sire is a purebred black German as well. He has only been here about a month; brought all the way from Ontario Canada. He is fantastic and has an excellent pedigree.

We are looking forward to see how these babies develop.

Back to Ontario

One day, Leslie took me to the St. Jacobs Farmers Market.  It’s huge and surrounded by farms and dairies.  You can get just about anything here.

Here are a few shots of the many fruits and vegetables offered at the Market.

Rhinebeck

Rhinebeck was amazing.  I have never seen anything quite like it.  The booths and aisles were packed with people all day on Saturday.

I ran into many old friends, including the infamous Marcy!

The Fall colors were outstanding!

IAGARB had a booth with Shearing demonstrations and IAGARB Registration Testing.  Here IAGARB Vice President Sheri presents Michaele with a prize for winning Highest Wool Production for her buck Basketful Gustav.

Trip to Rhinebeck

October, 2009:  I drove with my friend Leslie from Sacramento, California to Ontario, Canada before we left the following week for the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY.

We had a blast.  Laughed and ate our way across country.  We seemed to miss all the storms that either occurred behind us or ahead of us.

Nine states and one Province in four days.  Whew.  We were glad to finally arrive in Ontario to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving on October 11.

Along the Continental Divide in Wyoming.

At the Ft. Cody Trading Post in North Platte, Nebraska.  Make sure you stop if you ever pass through!  Quite a place.

While you are there, don’t miss the two-headed calf!

Just In From the Mill

This luscious Pesto Green is 50% German Angora and 50% Polwarth.  Yummy to spin!  It will be available at Lambtown in the Fiber Confections booth.

Also new is the Trumpetvine Roving.  Same Angora/Merino blend and equally as luscious.

Trumpetvine

Both rovings are a dream to spin!

Trumpetvine Roving and Skein