How Many Breeds in 2000?

A few days ago there was a question in a forum, "how many breeds were accepted in 2000?" 

1996-2000 ARBA Standard of Perfection (SOP)

Breed listing in the 1996-2000 SOP.   If you wish to count, you'll get 45.

2001-2005 ARBA Standard of Perfection.  

 

Breed listing in the 2001-2005 SOP.  If you wish to count, you'll get 45 again.

The answer to the question at the top is very simple, 45.   These two SOP covered 10 years, there was no change in the number of breeds listed.   It was very different from today where there were new breeds or new varieties added each year.   

Satin Angora in the Old Days

Satin Angora was accepted in 1987 at the ARBA convention in Portland.  That was also the first ARBA convention that I attended.   The presenter was Mrs. L. P. Meyer, see:

Northern California Angora Guild: Remember When: Satin Angora Creator Mrs. L. P. Meyer (ncag.blogspot.com)

Polly Holmes was one of the early breeder and exhibitor of the Satin Angora.  She tirelessly promoted the Satin Angora by writing articles, doing fiber work and even taking out a COD to present the broken Satin Angora.  This photo was taken in the 1995 ARBA convention at Louisville, KY (yes, there were several ARBA conventions at Louisville: 1995, 1999, 2008, 2021 and the coming 2023.)  The Satin Angora was not as wooly nor as dense as the Satin Angora today but the color was more intense and the sheen was more evident.  There is a trade-off between density and texture/sheen/color in Satin Angora. The underwool supports density but the underwool has less sheen, less color; mixing more underwool with guard hairs will cause the color to be less intense and sheen less evident.  On the bright side, having more underwool means more density and more wool production.  

Here is a feature article published in the Spin Off magazine in 1994.   Spin Off was and still is the premier magazine for fiber artists.   This photo shows that the Satin Angora wool is spun very fine and the color is very intense.  

To have an article published in Spin Off is a major achievement for a fiber artist.  This article was authored by Polly.   If you wish to read it, you can click the photo and you'll get an enlarged version.   

 

Indigo Girl Makes a Comeback

Indigo Girl dominated the French Angora showing during the 2019 show season.  She won 3 all breed Best In Show and 2 Reserve In Show, won Best of the Best at King City and earn the top points to become the French Angora Rabbit of the Year during the sweepstakes year.  She returned to shows recently, this is her winning BOB at the Hollister show in December 11, 2021. 

While most of the shows were cancelled during 2020, Indigo Girl became a mama rabbit.  She raised 7 babies.   Some of her sons and daughters are now papas and mamas, she gains the status of being a grandma.  

Her coat looks nice in the second half of 2021, so she's back to shows.

She says, "Yay! I am back to the show table, it was fun".  

She won 2 BOB after out of shows for two years.

Betty grooming Indigo Girl at a show in November.

Indigo Girl's wool gains good length, a harvest is warranted.   

 

Susanna's First Coat and Second Coat

Susanna was born in January 2020, won lots of BOB and even BIS and RIS from July 2020 to April 2021, then was cut down in May 2021. 

In November and December 2021 when the shows returned to the No. CA area, Susanna is on the show table again and winning BOB and BOSB again.  Betty is grooming Susanna at a show in November.

Here is Susanna with her second coat.   Some people assume that English Angora only has one show coat, even call the breed "One coat wonder".   Look at Susanna, isn't her second coat as good as the first coat?    Susanna's littermate brother Evans won more legs with his second coat than his first coat, see:

Northern California Angora Guild: Evans Returns to Shows (ncag.blogspot.com)

Northern California Angora Guild: Evans Waits for His 3rd Coat (ncag.blogspot.com)

If the mama is willing to work hard, a good quality English Angora could be groomed back to beautiful show coats and does well on the show table.

Making Sweaters for Rabbits

It's getting cold but we still have to cut down the Angora if the coat is ripe or it could get matted or even cause the rabbit to have digestive stasis.   I have lots of leftover yarn from my own projects and others' projects, I use these leftover yarns to knit sweaters for the cut down buns.   I use big needles and two or three strands of yarns to increase the warmth but reduce the knitting time.  In the above photo, the lower part is from leftover yarns that Carol gave me.  The middle part is my handspun Angora with a fine commercial yarn.     The lower part covers the rabbit's butt thus does not need as much warmth as the middle part that is crucial as it covers the rabbit's neck, chest and back that need more warmth. 

   Cast on 10 stitches and add a stitch to each row until it gets to 22-26 stitches.   knit to desired length to make the armholes.  For the armholes, knit 3, cast off 4, knit the next stitches until there are 7 stitches left and cast off 4 then knit the last 3.   In the next row, knit 3, cast on 4 stitches, knit the rest to the next armhole to cast on 4 stitches then knit the last 3.  Knit the next row, you should have the same 22-26 stitches before the armholes.   Rib the next few rows before casting off.   Leave some yarn for sewing the sweater.

Use the yarn save at the collar to sew the Angora part together.  

This is the finished sweater view from the rabbit's back.  

 

Here are three finished leftover yarn rabbit sweaters.  The indentations on each side are the armholes. The sweaters don't have to be pretty or precise as the rabbits will destroy them in few wears.   It's a good use of the leftover yarn and at the same time keeping the rabbits warm after haircuts.     

French Angora Gifta is wearing one of such sweaters after being cut down.  
If one wonders whether the sweater should be made longer to cover the rear of the rabbit, you could make it longer on the back but not the underside.   If too close to the back legs, the back toenails could easily get hooked on the sweater and cause the whole sweater to slip off the rabbit.   As long as the chest and the back are covered and kept warm, it's quite enough to protect the rabbit from being chilled.  

It's 2022, Pandemic Go Away

 

Here is a photo of Carolyn's latest Kimekomi doll, an Amabie.   The four Japanese words on the left are the same as Chinese words, they translated into: "Diseases Recede Disappear".    It's 2022, we have been in the double pandemic of COVID and RHDV2 for two years.   Amabie says, "Pandemic Go Away!" 

Carolyn glamorized Amabie a bit and added the rabbit fabric in the back.

Legend has it that that the Amabie left a message - if a disease spreads, show people a picture of me and then disappeared into the sea.

 She is a mermaid with the beak of a bird. Nowadays in Japan, it has become popular to give an Amabie doll or show an illustration to friends and family with the hope that COVID will soon come to an end. 





  This photo shows what the original kit looked like. Carolyn's doll instructor kindly gifted the kit to each student wishing all to fend off diseases. 

Debbie’s English Angora Makes Big New Year's Splash

It's only the second day of 2022, would you believe that an English Angora already won two all breed Best In Show and one Reserve In Show?     Queen City Rabbit Society held triple all breed shows at Hickory, NC on New Year's Day.  

In show A, judge Andy High awards the Best In Show to Debbie's English Angora black senior doe Heartfelt Clarice.    Clarice is the winner of the colored junior doe class at the ARBA convention at Louisville in October, now a senior.

In show B, judge Rusty Westoff also awards the Best In Show to the same beauty.

 

In show C, judge Stacy Easton awards the Reserve In Show to Clarice as well.

There was a specialty show on New Year's Eve and Clarice won the specialty Best In Show.   Debbie and her English Angora are having a great start in 2022, we congratulate their success and wish more win to come.