Angora And Merino Combo

Merino is one of the softest and finest sheep wool, almost as soft as Angora wool. These two fibers are very compatible to be used together. Some like to blend these two fibers but it is also very desirable to use different colored Merino to combine with white Angora.

These two skeins of yarn are made with one ply of 100% Angora and one ply of two different colored Merino. The effect is different from the yarns in the first photo.

The is one ply of black Merino and one ply of gray Angora spun about the same way.

This skein is made using the similar method as the yarns in the first photo: take some of tort Angora, spin for while, then take some of the green Merino, spin for a while and repeat. Use a fine beige thread and gold metallic thread to ply with the tort and green, it makes a skein of very interesting designer yarn.

This is a close up of the tort Angora and green Merino plied with beige and gold metallic threads.

White Rabbit Jumps Over Waterfall

Big white rabbit is determined, waterfall or mountain, he will jump over it.

(Graphic from Wells Fargo calendar).

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Found On The Net: Spinning Cat Hair

We spin our Angora rabbit wool, we make sweaters, scarves, hats, and even purse from our Angora yarns that are spun from our rabbits' wool. We don't make it to the news.

Danielle German, a dog and cat groomer in SC, got the idea of spinning the hair from grooming clients' dogs and cats. She washes all the hair first, dries them, cards them and then spins them. Then she makes purses out of them. Animal Planets made a segment on her spinning and she became an internet sensation in 2009. You can google her name and there is a nice video on youtube.

Have to say her purses are very pretty and they could be very sentimental for those who own the cats and dogs.

Retirement Life For Oldies

Counted 7 cut down English Angora in the shaded exercise pen.

Would you believe that there are 3 bucks and 4 does in this group?

Some like to be alone but most like to be in groups.

The could have a little fun without producing bunnies.

Betty says,

"People in shows frequently ask me to tour my barn, thinking that there are more of the full-coated glamorous looking rabbits at home. The full-coated show rabbits are analogous to the movie stars walking the red carpet, they are all dressed up, or more accurately all fluffed up, for the shows. For those who are done with showing, either they would be cut down for breeding or they would be totally retired from showing and breeding. They are routinely cut at the 3-4 month mark and some are paired to share their twilight years until the end. On days that are nice and cool, they come out to the exercise pen to munch on green grass and to have fun. My rabbits are so tame that even the bucks don't fight with each other. In these pictures, there are three old bucks and four old does ranging from 4 to 7 years old. The bucks had missed siring a few times before being considered for group fun. In 30 years of such practice, I have never experienced any unexpected litter from such group exercise. I know for a fact that the oldies really enjoy having a companion in the living quarter and having many companions when exercising. In my opinion, they would rather have their wool cut short and having fun out in the pen than being pretty and going to shows."

Blessed With Night Blooming Cereus Again

The big NB Cereus plant with a visible bulb that is about to bloom.

There is another bulb hiding behind the leaves and supporting sticks.

When the night falls, the two bulbs turn into beautiful flowers.

Another view of these two beauties.

A close up of the flower in the front.

A close up of the flower hiding in the back.

Betty says, "Two weeks after the first bloom of our Night Blooming Cereus, we are blessed with two more bulbs. These two bulbs bloom on the same night; what a glorious sight! After waiting for many years after the frost damage to our NB Cereus plant, it makes a comeback of making beautiful flowers."

Kerstin's English Angora Wins All Breed Best In Show in New Zealand

Kerstin reports from New Zealand:

"We had our Annual Show yesterday, I won BIS with my junior REW Angora buck Lord Chapstick (grandson of Lady Lipstick), his first show ever, not bad. For the first time in many many years, that an English Angora wins BIS. They almost vanished from the show scene and now they are back and they are getting recognized again and are improving. I got them to Best Fancy, Reserve BIS and now this. Very happy. It means even more under that particular judge who is very knowledgable and strict, but never favoured Angoras. So a very good result. :-) "

Congratulations to Kerstin's win and also congratulations to the first English Angora winning the major show in New Zealand in many years.

Remember When: Tom Sends Old Pictures

It's very hard to get away from Angora rabbits once you have them. Tom used to have English Angora, after many years of absence from the wonderful world of Angora, he is now owning some French Angora and also still eyeing for some English Angora. Tom sends this message to Betty, "I had to scan a couple of old pictures with 2 of your English Angora lines that I had. These are old pictures as Jenny, holding the rabbit is now grown, married & expecting her 3rd baby. Tony, with our white is now just about done with college. As you can see, we have always made pets of our angoras."

How time flies; it's hard to realize that time is running away from us until you see the kids are now adults.