Saturday, February 28, 2009

Wheeeee look what I found!!!


I couldn't believe the ad on out local freecycle pages. I read it twice to make sure it was true. Called the person and they said they had no idea what it was or if it worked but come take it before it went to the dump!
So here it is :)

Can you see the grin from here......

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Another great new motto to live by...


Dream far, sing loud, breathe deep, talk slow, walk soft, let go.
Give big, take less, don't count, just guess.
Act fair, think long, laugh loud, sing strong.
Plan bold, dream far, feel loved, you are.

Judith Challis, May 2004

More bunny pics -chcolate, blue, lynx, lilac and REW





Here's some more bunny pics. Lilac and Lynx satin angoras "Kaede and Kabir" both bucks and our new REW doe "Kashmir". French Angora sisters "Lil Blue and Larkspur" - blue and chocolate.
Colour colour everywhere!!!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Jared joined the school knitting club


I'm so proud! They ahd their first meeting today and they learned finger knitting. He's proudly showing me how to do it now. He's so amazingly talented. And so darn cute too.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Drop spindle Class at Wool-Tyme


Today I was off and sharing my love of spinning at the local Wool-Tyme store. 6 brave souls came in and spent the afternoon with me as I rambled on about fibres, spinning and of course rabbits. They were awesome!! Everybody went home with usable one of a kind designer yarn :) I even met a fellow Raveler.

Friday, February 20, 2009

More bunny pics -more odd colours :)



Here's some more rabbit pictures.
First up is RM's Percival a stunning chocolate chinchilla German hybrid who now lives with my dear friend Julianna. Percy's mom was named Perfect and she pretty mcuh was -100% German -density and body to cry over. His dad was Smiths' Lancelot a black chinchilla from Vermont. I want to work on getting mroe satin angoras in this colour -I would LOVE to spin it!!

Then we have Fuzzies Timelss Manner and RM's Friday the 13th. Time is a smoke pearl and Friday is a sable. You can see the differnece in the shading. Both of these guys are 100% French Angora.

I love the different colours :) More to come. I really need to get taking more pictures of the rabbits. The problem is the camera cannot capture truly the beauty of the shading.

Here's Loki !!!



I've decided to try to take pictures of all the angoras as they arrive :) Here's one of the two newest arrvials LOKI! Loki is a just turned senior satin angora in the rather stunning and very rare shade of Pearl. I have to figure out what variety yet -there is black, blue, chocolate, lilac and sable pearl that are showable. I'm leaning towards sable or black pearl right now. He's going to be a busy boy come spring when I introduce him to my girls ;) He arrived with Truffles a chocolate satin angora who said "no pictures please" so she'll get done later when the camera recharges. I'm trying very hard to prove there are other colours than "white, black, fawn and tort" in angoras LOL.
His coat is the colour of vanilla cream when it comes off -delicious!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

My spinning Wheel has turned to the Dark Side

My Ashford Kiwi has gone psycho. It has shredded through two tension bands and eaten three bobbins in the last two days. My handy mechanical man hasn't had time to look at it yet......guess its spindle spinning for me for a while.
Hopefully it can be fixed.
If not its time for a new wheel.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

More Fibery deliveries -what was I thinking!




Okay I'll admit it

"My name IS Kim AND I AM FIBRE ADDICT" ROTFLMAO

Kilogram bumps of dyed Corriedale and merino/silk from Ashford as well as a dye kit.

Oh the excitment!!!

Fleece pictures at last




Heres the the pictures of the fleece its stunning. The crimp and sheen is incredible. This is raw out of the box :)
BFN
Kim

Monday, February 16, 2009

What do you mean more rabbits?!?

I'm sure my husband asks this question daily LOL. Went to a friends house today to register some rabbits with the ARBA registrar she had coming up. Got 3 french angoras and a satin done today. Of course I couldn't be rude and refuse the gorgeous white American chinchilla doe and litter offered to me now could I? Heehee of course not. Also brought home a trio of American Chinchillas for another friend.
But best of all Val my friend has a CHINCHILLA Satin angora!!!! She's breeding her soon and has promised me one if she kindles. I have been looking for one for over a year and now there one is.
Wheeeeeee more rabbits -there is never enough :)
HUGS
Kim

Saturday, February 14, 2009

What is Love??



Love is simple, Love is complex, Love is easy and Love is Hard. Love is holding hands for the first time, first kiss, saying goodbye, finding somebody to spend the rest of your life with. Love is anticipation and excitement, love is holding your baby for the first time, love is holding someones hand and saying goodbye forever. Love is ever changing and growing, it never stops changing and evolving.

Today Jared asked me if I loved him the same as I did when he was first born. I replied of course not. It grows with every breath you take I told him, with every new thing you learn, it grows stronger and deeper as life throws obstacles at you.
I told him the day he was born I loved him, with all the wonder of a new mother, I loved him even when he tested me and still tests me, I loved him for growing and changing and I will always love him even when he makes mistakes. I told him its the same way with his dad and his sister. Love changes it is never the same as it was yesterday but it is always there. Love always remains no matter what. So on this day of Love and friendship I say this to all of you:

LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Bright days and Blessings upon you!

HUGS
Kim

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Keep the Fleece :) Pass the message on


Well okay since you insist to celebrate the International Year of Natural Fibre I bought a raw fleece. A Badgerface to be exact -oh its yummy long silky and crimp galore on natural greys and creams :)

Check out the website at http://www.keepthefleece.org/ . What a creative bunch these people are on the steering committee. They have set up a design competition with categories such as "Camelot" using fibre from camel, llama, alpaca, etc. Another category is "Inch by Inch" for designers using pure silk. Isn't that fun?


Wheeee off to spin!! Pictures of the fleece forthcoming -as soon as I'm done fondling it!

They are also aiming to create the world's longest scarf (which will later be divided into sensible lengths and donated charity.) The altruistic aim of the scarf exercise is to find knitter/sponsors who will contribute $1/row to participate in its growth. The funds will then go to Heifer International which supports the raising of flocks in developing countries.

Monday, February 09, 2009

Fibre, Fibre everywhere!!!



Went out to the barn this afternoon and came home with a garbage bag full of angora and 10 bare buns happily munching in their hay stuffed cages. 14 more to go but I ran out of time and energy. Here's one of the still to be done bunnies RM's Bucky Boy -chocolate who will be looking for a wooler home. Bucky will not live up to his name -he's rather snuggle with a person than with a doe. Put him in with one and he backs into the corner with a look of panic on his face. He IS a boy or at least he has all the necessary parts LOL. Anybody want a new fibre friend??
And then there is the view in the bathroom -Jared and Lindsay dyed 5lbs of corriedale on the weekend -here it is drying. It smells fantastic in there as its all Koolaid dyed.
Add to that the deliveries that keep piling up and the fibre is definetely restocking for spring.
Plus best of all my book order arrived today -Three Bags Full was in it so I'm off to read the sheep mystery :)
HUGs all
Kim

New Fibre form the Mill!!!!


Fresh new and funky!!!
Merino wool/ Bamboo and Mohair 60/40/40 Yummmo!!!!
Six exciting new colourways:

Juniper
Marine
Aztec
Purple Haze
Americana
Rosewood

8 ounces is $35. These bags are MINE!!! LOL Unless you talk really nice to me.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

A Big Box of Fibre arrvies -JOY!




A Big box of fibery goodness from Louet! Northern Lites colourways and some new exciting colours in the corriedale line. All this does is make me want to spin more!!

WHEE! Oh wait have to go water the bunnies first and chase a two year old around the house. Maybe later.....

Jazzy Dyesigns by Jared -the latest collections






Jared has been busy with the dyepots again -this time its mohair, silk hankies, silk caps and wool!!

Mohair 8 ounces $25 (there is one bag of dark purples and blues not pictured)
Silk Hankes 1 ounce bags $6
Silk caps $7.50 each
Wool 8 ounce lots $20 -4 ounce lots $10

Can we say talented!!! He's turning 11 this year and shows no sign of declinng interest :) HURRAY!!!!

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

In defence of Steels -Angoras that is


On many lists you will see other breeders trash steel angoras -they donèt want them in their lines, they say they cause white spotting and toenails (false), they donèt have the coat density (false) or they just plain donèt like the colour. To me it is one of the most AWESOME colours to spin. They come in silver of gold tipped. My absolute favorite is a black golden tipped steel. I have had steels for three generations now starting with the aquisition of Sommerhills Calypso and now currenty with RMs Karma -registered black golden steel. How can anybody not think THIS is gorgeous!
Mind you she has a wicked temper -the blood in the picture is mine LOL.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Natural Fibre of the Month -Yak!


I promise there will be angora in the future -too cold to harvest off the bunnies right now :)

Anyways fibre of the month will be Yak -why? Because I think they are the some of the neatest creatures out there. Here's some information about them :)

Yaks produce two types of hair. The outer coarse guard hair is good for braiding into ropes and halters or weaving into rugs, belts, and bags. The soft underhair is called "down" and has a diameter of 14-16 microns, comparable to cashmere. For maximum softness, it must be "dehaired" to remove any guard hair. It's very short staple make it a challenge to spin in pure form and it is often blended with fibers with a longer staple such as wool or silk. Yaks living in cold weather will put on a heavy coat and produce one to two pounds of fiber annually.

We here at Cornerstone Fibres offer two colours of Yak fibre for your spinning pleasure -cream and brown.

Brown(charcoal) normally $17 for 2 ounces is on sale for $13
Cream (vanilla) noramlly $21 for 2 ounces is on sale for $15

Happy Imbolc!!!


Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Wheel of the Year, celebrated among Neopagans, Wiccans, and other similar cultures either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on February 2, since this is the cross-quarter day on the solar calendar, halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere. Originally dedicated to the goddess Brighid, in the Christian period it was adopted as St Brigid's Day. In Scotland the festival is also known as Là Fhèill Brìghde, in Ireland as Lá Fhéile Bríde, and in Wales as Gŵyl Fair

Brighid

Brighid was one of the most beloved Goddesses of all time, and was widely worshipped and respected by the ancient Celts. She represented motherhood, fertility, animal husbandry, power, warmth and light, the home and creativity. She is also the goddess of homecrafts -spinning, weaving, dyeing and more.