Friday, March 4, 2011

Cheese and more fun stuff

Cheese bunny

What to do when you love cheese? Well, apart from eating it, you can learn how to make it yourself! Which is just what I did this week: I learnt how to make Feta ! YUM! It is amazing to see how all the food processes work and how long! It takes to make something that we just take for granted when we buy some at the supermarket ! Buying it is easy: just make a choice of what brand or what type you want and presto! Put it in your shopping basket , take it home and eat it. A pity it is not quite that easy and quick when you have to make it your self. However, when you do make it your self you are guaranteed of the freshness, the purity and the absence of anything chemical that is put in the darn supermarket food to enhance shelf life or make it “more appealing to the eye”by adding food colouring. No, when you make cheese yourself it is hard work but it is so worth it at the end!

We are lucky enough to be able to have super fresh milk (cow and goat) available. Even when you take a look at the milk as it comes fresh out of the cow you can SEE that it doesn’t even come close to the stuff that is flogged to death by the milk industry. The cheese making comes at a price though : if you are not careful and you do not sanitise everything ALL the time , instead of cheese you will create all these wonderful bacteria that will give you a nice bout of botulism. So you have to be so careful! There are two big blocks of feta cheese ready now though and I am guessing at least one will not survive the weekend..Paul has been eyeing that cheese off for the last three days and cannot wait to get his teeth into it. After the feta course I did, I am going to go a step further and do a camembert, Roquefort and Parmesan course as well. All those are a bit tricker I heard: you have to keep the temperature JUST right and stir the 10liters of milk in a huge pot on and off for about 6 hours! Phew! That’ll be a good work out !

Feta in its infancy


Feta…all fresh and yummy! with fresh herbs and spices


Ofcourse I have been doing other things as well this week: like dyeing and making batts ! I also have had a play with making a facebook page for the ixchel fibre farm where all kinds of goodies and specials will be announced (link is http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=31161&id=144152515648906&saved#!/pages/IxCHeL-Yarns-Fibres/144152515648906) and ofcourse on ravelry as well : http://www.ravelry.com/groups/ixchelbunny-fibre-and-yarn


There’s a lot to get through this week so I will stop rambling on and start with this weeks update AND the information on all the IxCHeL clubs (fibre, yarn and Batt clubs) that will start in April. Sign ups start this week so if you want to receive a wonderful fibre, yarn or batt parcel every month let me know ! Email me , message me on Rav or on FB.

Enjoy this weeks update!

Fibre Club #9 (april-may-june)
here is all the info for the fibre club sign ups :
The subscription is for a period of three months (april-may-june 2011) and you will receive one special hand dyed top/roving per month to the value of AU$20 or more !
All the tops will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel Fibre Club !
Sign up now and you will receive an Ixchel Hand dyed special top for three months!
Price to join the Ixchel Fibre Club #9 and receive your special hand dyed top :)) for three months is AU$60 + postage (parcel post or airmail). AND double and triple serves are available !!! So in short:
For Australia :
single serve $60+$15 postage (parcel post)
double serve $120+$18
triple serve $155+$18
For USA + Canada:
single serve AU$60+AU$32 (Airmail)
double serve AU$120+AU$50
For UK,Europe, rest of the world:
Single serve AU$60+AU$38 (airmail)
Double serve AU$120+AU$58
For Asia:
Single serve AU$60+AU$28 (airmail)
Double serve AU$120+AU$39
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FIBRE CLUB #9 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for fibre club #9 is march 30th ! And the first installment is going to be shipped out mid april:)
Payment via direct deposit or credit card. Just PM or email me your details :))


Ixchel Sock it to me yarn club April-may and June 2011
What is the deal? hmmm it is sooo good and fun and sockaliscious you just will HAVE to join :)
Here are the details:
Every month for three months you will receive:
enough hand dyed luscious yummy yarn to make a pair of socks; (the hand dyed yarn will be exclusive for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB and will range from a sockweight yarn or a 3ply or a 4 ply);
Every month a new sock pattern, tips and instructions ! Now is that GOOD or is that GOOD ??! :) I will even offer a double serve for those of you who like their socks extra long :)
Here is the nitty gritty:
For Australia :
single serve $78+$15 postage (parcel post)
double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +$18
For USA + Canada:
single serve AU$78+AU$32 (Airmail)
double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$49
For UK,Europe, rest of the world:
Single serve AU$78+AU$38 (airmail)
Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$57
For Asia:
Single serve AU$78+AU$28 (airmail)
Double serve $130 (= one skein FREE!!!) +AU$42
Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for the Ixchelbunny SOCK-IT-TO-ME Yarn CLUB! is March 30th ! And the first installment is going to be shipped out mid april 2011 :) among the yarn blends on offer this time will be an amazing handspun 4ply blue faced leicester bunny sock yarn and some other awesome yarns?) ;-))
Payment via direct deposit or credit card. Just PM or email me your details :))
By the way: you don’t HAVE to knit socks if you don’t want to.. the hand dyed yarn is amazingly nice for scarves, cowls, beanies and even tops ! Anything goes :)


the funky bunny batt club #9 (april-may-june)
Here are all the details and just pm me when you have any questions or want to be part of the funky bunny batt club Movement ;-) Welcome to the blingy dark side ;-D
At the request of so many fibre fans and bunny lovers I am starting this thread so that everybody who wants to join the 9TH funky bunny batt club can put their name on the list.
The subscription is for a period of three months (april-may-june!) and you will receive one special hand dyed funky bunny batt per month to the value of AU$32 or more . The batts will range in weight from 100grams to 150grams with luxury fibres like camel , angora, cashmere, silk, yak, llama even buffalo and wolf this time ! is on the cards for the next funky bunny club!! )
All the batts will be hand dyed and will be especially made for the members of Ixchel funky bunny Club ! Every month you will receive a HUGE luxury funky bunny batt !
Sign up now and you will receive an Ixchel Hand dyed , super luxurious funky bunny batt in april-may-june 2011 !
Price to join the Ixchel Funky bunny #9 :)) for three months is AU$96 + postage (parcel post or airmail). So in short:
For Australia : $96+$15postage (parcel post)
For USA + Canada: AU$96+AU$32 (Airmail)
For UK,Europe, rest of the world: AU$96+AU$38 (airmail)
For Asia: AU$96+AU$28 (airmail)
If you want to receive a fibre surprise every month then join the IXCHEL FUNKY BUNNY Batt CLUB#9 now. Numbers are strictly limited ! Deadline for signing up for the funky bunny batt club #9 is March30th! And the first installment is going to be shipped out mid April 2011 :)
Payment via direct deposit or credit card. Just PM or email me : ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au


Hand dyed Angorino
super fine 18micron organic merino and angora (95% merino+5%angora)
100+grams AU$20

Through the Stones


Flying Squirrel -1left-

Da mi basia mille -1left-

Flogging Molly -3left-

Road to Lallybroch -3left-



Funky Bunny Batts
These batts are amazing to spin, hve a wonderful softness and an amazing amount of different fibres you can play with. Spins beautifully and felts great as well !
A luxurious fibre blend in that spins like a dream. Predraft it fine to spin a fine thin yarn, great to core spin or to make art yarns as well. Gorgeous to work with , spin or felt it for amazing effects!


Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition
ingredients: Superfine merino, angora bunny, silk, baby camel, yak, sari silk, kid mohoir, tencel, glitz, angelina, navajo Churro, Norwegian wool
weight: 170grams of luscious fibre to spin or felt with (or just cuddle)
price : AU$45

Yoho Yoho and a bottle of rum
ingredients: Superfine merino, angora bunny, silk, baby camel, yak, sari silk, kid mohoir, tencel, glitz, angelina, weight: 114grams of luscious fibre to spin or felt with (or just cuddle)
price : AU$33

Sillkies cave
ingredients: Superfine merino, angora bunny, silk, baby camel, yak, sari silk, kid mohoir, tencel, glitz, angelina, navajo Churro, Norwegian wool, woilf, quiviut
weight: 163grams of luscious fibre to spin or felt with (or just cuddle)
price : AU$44

Hawk for a handsaw
ingredients: Superfine merino, angora bunny, silk, baby camel, yak, sari silk, kid mohoir, tencel, glitz, angelina, navajo Churro, Norwegian wool
weight: 156grams of luscious fibre to spin or felt with (or just cuddle)
price : AU$40

Treasure Island
ingredients: Superfine merino, angora bunny, silk, baby camel, yak, sari silk, kid mohoir, tencel, glitz, angelina, Quiviut
weight: 137grams of luscious fibre to spin or felt with (or just cuddle)
price : AU$39

Amo Amas -SOLD-
ingredients: Superfine merino, angora bunny, silk, baby camel, yak, sari silk, kid mohoir, tencel, glitz, angelina, wolf fibres, quiviut
130grams of luscious fibre AU$39


Hand Dyed Yak Bunny Merino 4ply Yarn
100+grams AU$26
yardage: 100grams 500meters!!
Excellent for lace shawls but also wonderful for socks and mittens!
One skein is enough for a big pair of socks and even a citron shawl! two skeins for a huge shawl or even a top.
This is the very last time I will be able to offer this yarn, so grab it while you can!

Dragonfly (1 skein available)

PINK! -1 skein available)

Inverness (2 skeins available)

Galadriel (2skeins available)


Pink Penguin (1 skein available)

Autumn (1 skein available)


RAVE (1 skein available)


Coral (2 skeins available)



Email me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au if you want to adopt any of these babies or message me on Ravelry or facebook where I am Ixchelbunny !


Dates to Remember:

Bunny Spin in at the Ixchel Fibre Farm:

Saturday March 19th
Thursday March 24th
Bring your wheel, spindle, knitting, crocheting and a plate to share with everybody. There is cake and coffee and tea and a lovely bunny to cuddle and lots of fibres and yarn!) very important ! : Please, please let me now beforehand by email or message that you would like to come and visit so I can prepare the infrastructure and cake ofcourse !
Contact me on Ravelry where I am Ixchelbunny, message me on facebook there or email me on Ixchelbunny@yahoo.com.au
Thanks heaps for your support !

RABBIT ON!!
((hugs))
Charly

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