Woolybuns

Get Your Cuteness Here!

I haven't been keeping these cuties a secret, just haven't posted them here.  I update more frequently on Facebook so you can look there if you miss me.  :)   These babies are Satin angora crossbreds, sire is a red satin angora, dam is Hollyhop, 75% Satin angora but with only one copy of the satin gene.  Two of her babies got two copies of that gene so they are satinized red angora.  The other 4 are a nice rich color but not satinized.  They, like the two satinized babies, have color on their bellies, which comes from the wide band gene.  That is a gene I have not not seen in my bunnies so I am delighted it has finally showed up.  A spinning guild buddy has the sire, Perry.  She gets one of the red satinized babies and the other stays here.  The other 4 babies are available to reserve.  They are only 4 weeks old, so won't be ready to leave until Sept. 14.  I think the gender split is 2 and 2 but have to check to verify that. 

I also have another litter with 2 babies, red Satin angora, also sired by Perry.  Both are does and one stays here while the other goes to Perry's house.  And in a lovely bit of generosity from the goddess of my warren, the red satinized baby in Hollyhop's litter that I am keeping is a buck.  I will not breed these two babies together because they are so closely related but I can breed each of them to unrelated non-satin angoras then - goddess willing - have a buck and doe in another generation that can be bred together to produce more satinized angoras.  But that's a ways off, so remains a hope, not a plan.

Two other bunnies available now.  First is Opal's last available baby as she is now retired from breeding, this little 11 week old buck should have a really nice coat.  Body type is also promising.  His sire is Hoppin' Fresh, a pure German with outstanding coat and great body type, including some of the best shoulders I've had here.  This buck could turn out to be pure German quality at a crossbred price.  And then there is Puffalump, a lilac chinchilla with a lovely temperament and lots of yummy soft fiber, just not up to my standard for breeding.  He would love to be a house bunny. 

A Couple Of FOs Give Me The Ho Ho Ho's

So, ravellenic games 2012.  I completed one project.  Yep.  One.  Plumeria Frill, a delightful crochet scarf with multiple personalities.   Well, I actually did two PFs but I screwed up the first so I frogged it, and started the same project with a different yarn.   I did a much better job with the pattern the second time, though there are still a couple bits of wonk.  LOVE this pattern.  It's my first finished crochet project in years.  Lots of years but we don't need to go into just how many.  The pattern has a few set up rows, then a bunch of "do what you did last row", an increase row and a final row of do what you did last row.  It's fully reversible, cushy, curvy and fun.  Makes me giggle with glee.  The yarn is luscious, merino cashmere nylon, a gift from a friend who bought it from another friend at Fiber Frolic 2011, so it had to be a FO for Fiber Frolic 2012.  Love how friendship leads to such goodness.  Oh, and that sweet little bronze pin that fits the yarn color so well?  Yep, another friend made it. She made the pin shown on the designer's PF, too.  They go together so well!  Plumeria Frill pattern calls for @400 yards but I don't seem to use that much and I don't know why.  Myrtle blocks to the same dimensions the pattern specifies but I had more than an ounce of yarn left over, which is well over 100 yards, so I decided to see if I could come up with a mitt to go with it.  Since designer Michelle did all  the work with the stitch design, it was just a matter of plunking it into a mitt format.  I'm quite pleased.  But only had enough for one mitt.  Yep, I'm gonna order another skein of Myrtle so I can make another mitt.  And have lots of yarn left over to make... I dunno, where will this all end? Maybe it won't.  :)

How much do I love this pattern?  After I finished it, I pulled out the frogged yarn from my first attempt and whipped up another Plumeria Frill in about 3 days.  It's not blocked yet, but I did a much better job with the stitches so I know I will be grinning with this one blocked as much  as I do with Myrtle.  The yarn for this one is also from an indie dyer I know (slightly different colorway than in the link), and I won it in a raffle.  I think the universe lately has been saying sorry for all the yuck life brings at times.  I am grateful.  And blessed with some lovely friends.