Serenity Valley Rabbitry

The wool from English Angoras is the softest and warmest I have ever spun.  The length of the fiber makes it strong and more durable than I would have thought.  Also, the cleanliness of my herd makes it possible to pluck and spin without carding or cleaning the wool first. 

Every 12 weeks, or so, the bunny will molt so that the wool is easily plucked, revealing new growth underneath.  It is actually a service to the sweet bunny and they really don't mind being plucked.  If the bunny is truly molting it does not hurt them. 

The English Angoras can be shaved in the hot Summer months to make them more comfortable as their wool is about 7 times warmer than sheep wool!

Spun fleece from Bumblebeary Angoras. 

It was such beautiful fleece to work with.

From left to right we have Fawn, Chocolate Agouti, REW, and then Fawn on the bottom.

This was the product of a dye date with Janet from Five Ferns Farm.  I gave her the reigns and this was the end result. 

The interesting thing was that the angora took the blue dye more readily than the pink and purple so the striping came out more clearly....and it was a fun time.     

Here are some socks that I hand painted with my momma.  They are super thick because I was having a cold feet week/month/Winter! 

Yes, I like to dye with others....no one should dye alone :)

This was my first Kool Aid Dyeing.  I put it in a crock pot and sprinkled the 4 colors in 1/4's like a pie.  I laid the skeins in a swirl shape, sprinkling the Kool aid on one layer at a time.

I lifted the wool gently to make sure the color reached all of the wool. 

I know that Kool aid is acidic but I thought I would add the vinegar just to be on the safe side.

I love the colors and I LOVE the fact  that it I don't have to worry about inhalation of dangerous chemicals....and the smell is yummy. 

The wool I used was a worsted strand of Merino and a fine strand of a mix of my molting bun buns. Look to the 'links' page for crock pot dyeing instructions.

This is a fingering weight 100% Hunneshagen's Image (Broken Black English Angora) scarf in the making.  I know I am supposed to be making Christmas presents right now but I don't know if I could part with my first project from this lovely young lady.  

100% "Zoe" English Angora

 This was the first spinning I did from my very first bunny "Zoe", and it turned out beautifully.  

Since her first molting, I can literally spin from Zoe, if I were so inclined. This incredible color looks gray in some lights and a gray/brown in others.

Since my first attempt, I only spin what the bunnies molt instead of all that I brush off as well.  It keeps a greater continuity in the finished yarn. 

This baby hat was made from one strand of Zoe's second molting and another of a Merino/silk blend.

I hand painted the yarn and was pleasantly surprised at how well the Angora took to the dye.

This is a swatch of 100% 'Wash' knit up on my knitting machine...thanks to June-The Loomlady

Wash is a very orange tort.  This picture doesn't quite do the colour justice but it gives an idea of what a finely spun tort looks like.