Chunky Bunny Moss Beach

Bungalow Farm has new yarn!  Chunky Bunny is a luscious, cushy two ply heavy worsted/chunky yarn blend of 50% German Angora and 50% Rambouillet/Merino wools.  The Rambouillet and Merino are both domestic, as is of course, the angora.  Spun by Zeilingers.  It just came in a few weeks ago, and since then I have been dyeing and knitting like crazy.  And designing a few new patterns as well.  The cowl, shown below is made with one skein of Chunky Bunny:

Chenilles Laineux Cowl

The Chenilles Laineaux (woolly caterpillars) is a fun, easy to memorize and quick knit. Roomy enough to pull up over your ears on a cold day.

Chunky Bunny is put up in 4 oz. skeins with approximately 265 yards per skein.  With a gauge of 3.5 to 4.5 stitches per inch (size 7 to 9 needles), it is quite a versatile yarn.

Another new product we have here is pin roving made with the same blend as Chunky Bunny:

Angora/Rambouillet/Merino Pencil Roving

I haven’t had much time yet to work with this, but it will make a great addition to a felted project.  Either as structure or as embellishment.  The possibilities are endless!

Both new products will be available at the Lamb Festival in Dixon, October 1.  Look for my booth there!

Breezy and Bella

Breezy grazing

It’s fall cleanup time so I brought the girls in to help.  Breezy and Bella belong to my neighbor but were happy to come over and help out.  They love the worms and grubs under the cages.

This is serious business!

Just napping on a hot summer day

Bungalow Farm's Klaudia

Bungalow Farm’s Klaudia has made her publishing debut. Klaudia is such a ham here…she had so much fun that day performing for the camera.  Here she is on the cover of the the Summer 2011 issue of Wild Fibers magazine. Wild Fibers is great issue featuring a story on angoras in China.  As usual, Wild Fibers presents interesting articles from places to which most of us only dream of traveling.  Klaudia is IAGARB registered with 98 points and 1942 g./an.  She has had two gorgeous litters since then for which I have hopes!

While Brunhilde registered with the highest overall wool production of the day, Bungalow Farm’s Odessa, a black German doe owned by Katie, came away with the highest registered wool production (ever) for a colored angora!  Katie’s Odessa had an annual wool production of 2004 g.!

Bungalow Farm's Odessa Reg. 2004 g./yr. © 2011 Bungalow Farm Angora

Garden Rose ©2011 Bungalow Farm Angora

Just a parting nod to a lovely Spring here at Bungalow Farm.

Spring Dogwood "Cherokee Chief"

Finally! I really hate to say that, because I love winter. And Spring, but spring can be short here (especially when it’s late) and burst right into Summer. And we all know what that means. HEAT. It’s a four letter word in the Rabbit World.  Lucky for me, Spring was still around when I returned from Ontario, Canada.  Where Spring wasn’t.  There was some green grass here and there, but snow was still on the ground and it was plenty chilly.

View of Fairchild Creek

From Ontario, we drove to Portland, Maine for the IAGARB Annual General Meeting.  What a blast!  We had such a great time.   There was a great speaker– a vet with the University of  Maine Cooperative Extension who spoke on Bio Security.

Also, the meeting featured a felted beret class with Leslie Samson, lunches, dinners (of course, lots of great food!), registration testing and the meeting itself.  Leslie also did a presentation on the History of the Rabbit which was fascinating!

Sue and Chris felting berets

Rosalie Shearing for Registration

Visiting Daphne at her fabulous Victorian in Newton, Mass.

Once home, I hit the ground running.  As it warms up and the spring flowers fade, it’s time to jump in to all the barn chores after a long wet winter.  For a bit of excitement upon my return, I did a photo shoot with Klaudia for a magazine!  Stayed tuned for the particulars on that.

Bungalow Farm's Klaudia Reg. 1940 g/an.

A parting shot of Spring in No. California:

Old Garden Iris

Morning Glory Angora/Polwarth Batt

Felted Hats

Bungalow Farm Angora batts, rovings, yarns and hats will be on display and for sale at the upcoming Sacramento Weavers and Spinners Guild Open House this weekend: February 12 and 13, 2011.  There will be fiber arts galore along with demonstrations in weaving, spinning, fiber processing, basketry, kumihimo, navajo weaving and others.  There will also be a sales area with members displaying and selling their handspun, handwoven, handmade, and homegrown products.

Hope to see y’all there!

©2010 Bungalow Farm Angora

The  Mont-Tremblant Neck Gaiter.  Fast and easy to knit, using just one skein of Bungalow Farm’s Angora Frost yarn.  Washable.  Makes a great holiday gift!

To order see below.

©2010 Bungalow Farm Angora

The Woolly Winter Gauntlets are also knit with the Bungalow Farm Angora Frost yarn.  One skein, quick and easy to knit.  Soft and luxurious, yet practical at the same time.

Bungalow Farms Angora Frost is a three ply, washable yarn that knits like a dream. It is 50% German Angora, 30% nylon and 20% superwash Merino Wool.  The yarn is made in the US and the angora is raised in North America on small farms.  Our yarn is spun to our specifications and offered directly to you.  These homegrown yarns will bloom as you knit.

$25 per skein.

Patterns are free with yarn purchase.  Holiday special, through December: FREE SHIPPING (within Continental US)! To order yarn and patterns, email me. Paypal Accepted.

©Bungalow Farm Angora

UPDATE: Just in from the Mill–luscious, luxurious, Angora Socks!  Makes a great Holiday gift or treat yourself!  These socks are the same blend as our Angora Frost yarn, so they are machine washable.  Available in both men’s and womens sizes.  Crew and 1/4 cuff (womens only on the 1/4 cuff).  $25/pr.

Bungalow Farm's Boris

As the days get shorter and weather turns chillier, the German angoras here at Bungalow Farm get a little friskier.  The summer heat is gone and the angora wool coats are a bit longer.  The soft, dense wool will be ready for harvest in the next few weeks.  German angora rabbits are not only known for the quantity of wool they produce, but for quality as well.  Through decades (over 80 years) of selective breeding, the quantity of wool produced by many German angoras has surpassed their ancestors by hundreds of grams per 90 day shearing.  Yearly totals increased from mere ounces to over four pounds. The wool is silky, crimpy, yet strong and can be commercially processed without damage to the wool.  The soft wool is pure luxury to wear next to the skin, yet will not matt or felt with wear.  What more could you ask for?

As for Boris, he is due for a shearing soon.  Next week will be ideal as day time temps should warm up a bit.  A warm Berber bunny coat for nighttime and a lamp over the cage should keep him warm and toasty until his wool quickly grows back long enough to keep him warm without it.

Bungalow Farm's Klaus after shearing