Category: Angora-rabbits - Trickle Creek Mercantile

Happiness is Holding Fluff!

9/26/2015

We often have the wonderful opportunity to share the joy of our animals with others and when we get to bring some fuzzy fun to local Grandpas and Grandmas, it's especially fulfilling. This time, rather than bringing in our spinning wheel, carders, and some of our fiber creations to demonstrate 'fiber to finished product'; their creative Activities Directors planned a Petting Zoo day, complete with a 20 lb cat, mini donkey, mini horse, a lizard, two different types of dogs and we brought a duckling and some bunnies! The weather was perfect and the smiles were broad! You cannot see them, as the photos were edited for their privacy, but we hope you can sense the warmth in these photos.

All the grandparents feel especially satisfied if they are able to have the rabbits fall asleep while they snuggle them close.

Our Muscovy duckling was a last minute addition as their planned 'chicken sharer' was a late cancellation. He was happy to eat their grasshoppers and worms while 'tolerating' doting employees.

While these Grandpas talked rabbits, 'Fat Cat' absorbed some sun rays and shyly stayed in her crate.

Sometimes folks are a bit hesitant to hold any rabbit and often ask, ''Do they bite?'' It's understandable, but we always assure them they do not, they're friendly rabbits. *smile* Once they get comfortable, they're soon snuggling them closer.

These guys are adorable! We have dreamed about our own donkey as a livestock guardian and boy, did this make us love them all the more! Did you know that donkeys have a black dorsal stripe on their backs in the shape of a cross? These boys are definitely chunky, but were both very well behaved.

A happy snuggling bunny grateful for a warm lap!

The rabbits get passed around and snuggled for a good hour or two, never getting irritated or aggressive. Every time we go, we pray for the Lord's work and believe that's why humans and animals always have so much peace during and after the experience!

Yes, this lizard has it's own harness and leash...but he stayed snuggled to her the entire time. He LOVED the sun and heat! It was exciting to see his colors deepen and enhance in the natural light.

We are so thankful to have the resources to bring even a little of God's joy to the hearts and minds of those who value and appreciate the beauty of the Lord's creation. He continues to richly bless us and we gratefully give in the way we can. Too often our seniors are far too undervalued in society but we come away learning several things every time we take a few moments to interact with our elder friends.

...for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Snowberry

11/23/2014

This beautiful boy has greatly enriched our homestead. He comes from an extremely loving, natural- rearing focused home (Thank you, Miss Alison) and he has amazingly soft, silky (not cottony) and dense fiber! That excellent start on life makes him especially easy to care for...He can consume vast amounts of greens happily, with only positive effects and is always full of energy! He is the first we've found from another home with this vigor and fiber and he confirms why we strive to raise ours the same. It also shows why smaller numbers can mean more attentiveness to care and higher quality fiber. This continues to be a month of affirmations and support to further hone the focus of our homestead and we're pleased to share such a beautiful example!

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2

Perfect Fiber Producers

10/27/2014

Lil Miss has a couple of beautiful angora crosses she's willing to offer, for an excellent price, to the right homes.
Both females, these ladies are well mannered and offer the softest fiber blend of breeds.
If you'd like to learn more, leave a comment below (double check your email address) and we'll get back with you!

Fawn and chestnut agouti does (ladies)...

Trash to Treasure

9/11/2014

A mountain of Alpaca Fiber

One of the things important to complete before winter is cleaning and storing your wool. The first steps for wool processing are shearing it from the animal and once it's off, skirting or removing the filthiest parts of the wool from what you'll retain. This year we have over 20 lbs of alpaca fiber most from a friend that has asked us to clean, spin and knit/crochet into gifts for her family. Fiber prep from animals that enjoy rolling in the dirt and rustling through bushes can be a lengthy task and our first step is to remove as much of that dust, dirt, vegetation and second cuts (those shorter pieces that are accidentally cut twice and too short to use) from the fiber before we wash it.

Wild Waves of the West

7/27/2014

140 yds, 154 yds, 140 yds, and 102 yds.... Lots of yarn and lots of fun!

We're prepping to demonstrate our spinning and share Angora rabbits again, at the August 1st Orting Farmer's Market, this Friday! We want to be sure to have our examples of what a few colorful batts can create, in various weights. The market begins at 3:00 pm, but we are asked to come at 4:00 pm, to find the perfect spot after vendors have settled in. We stay until closing at 7:00 and enjoy every minute we share! Please join us to see how we harvest fiber from our animals, dye with kitchen items, card fiber, spin and create with it~ it's Wooler to Wearable!

Touring Our Homestead

7/14/2014

We have been busy with several activities in our area meeting, greeting sharing and teaching eager ~new and old~ fiber (and rabbit) lovers. At our booths, quite a few ask us questions on the ins and outs of rearing fiber animals, their feeds, as well as the many and varied ways of working with their glorious fluff! Several are so eager to glean they ask to tour our homestead and get ideas for their own fiber pursuits. We love encouraging and supporting families in these endeavors and this is precisely why we take time to keep our humble website and work to be involved in several public venues...

Grooming Day

6/27/2014

We've had questions regarding accessories for angora care. Today, while grooming 'Coal' we thought it would be great to show what we use!
First we'll introduce 'Coal', he is a beautiful English Angora with a lot to offer. His coat is dense, fine fibered and he joined our rabbitry from a very colorful litter in northern Washington where his Dad took top local awards. He's fathered his first litter and we hope to have a colorful result.

Farmer's MArket

6/20/2014

We were pleased to share our spinning, weaving, crochet, knitting and angoras with our local community on Opening Day of the Orting Farmer's Market. It was fun to reconnect with people we haven't seen in years and meet others, including a few who were visiting from out of state!

Glamor Shots

6/19/2014

In our previous post we mentioned Lil Miss' German/Satin/English Angora "Honey" that she retained for her fantastic fiber, and we thought we ought to show you this bunny! Taking advantage of some excellent lighting we set up a little photo shoot with her today. It was sunny and beautiful so we set up the fan, turned on some music and let her get comfortable with the camera....this is what we captured!

Practice makes perfect....she'll get there.

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Job 10:12

German/English Angora

6/18/2014

We're prepping to participate in our local Farmer's Market by demonstrating our spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet and dyeing...you'll find us doing the same at the upcoming Buckley Logger's Rodeo. Of course, we'll also be showing how amazing the angoras are in person... This is something the children have been asking to do again for several years - the Lord has opened the doors!

We're busy as bees and these photos really speak for themselves...a handsome buck with lots of gorgeous fiber, enjoying some play time with his younger pals in a new 'Romper Room' Lil Farmer built this month. It is a true joyful pleasure to watch them at play - they are relaxed and feel comfortable flopping down after a romp, having been raised in a secure environment with daily interaction. It's a time to thank the Lord Jesus Christ, for the blessing of His wonderful creation, our beautiful, loving animals and a peaceful place to raise them. Please enjoy the photos of 'Rocky'!

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
Job 12:7-8

Yes, some of these photos show him with Silver's babies from our last post. Take note, he looked nearly identical to those little ones when he was a few months younger...oh, how beautiful they become!
Note: He is not for sale, we just wanted you to see how gorgeous these crosses can be. His fiber is really 'easy care' and he is such a happy, loving part of the homestead!

Fiber Fun with a fuzzy face

6/15/2014

'Lil Miss' first litter of angoras from her rabbitry -Glorious Beginnings- and her doe, 'Silver'. Look at all the colors!

Our primary goal is to raise happy, healthy rabbits abundantly producing the finest angora fiber that can be worn next-to-skin without the prickle associated with commercial (most often German) angora. Born May 6th, these beautiful angoras, from Lil Miss' German/Satin Angora, offer you the best of our desired traits. From Silver's healthy litter of 9, these rabbits are a wonderful blend of English, Satin and German angora offering high density of fine fiber on medium bodies that will not require the intense grooming of an English, nor the loads of feed that a German consumes! They'll be ready for new homes July 1st and there are several colors to choose from; fawn, torte, chestnut agouti, chinchilla, ermine, pearl... Consider all the potential for naturally beautiful garments and accessories!
We have a doe from another litter of the same breed crossing and now that she is wearing her senior coat, her density and softness surpass that of her dad - an English Angora. Her color depth and length of fiber is also better ~ she is a fantastic example of what you want to spin and wear and we're glad to offer you the same!
Look for Honey's photo shoot above.

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:25

~~Spring~~Rabbit~~Romping~~

4/26/2014

A few days of sun and intermittent rain make an interesting opportunity for rabbit fun time. Just when we think they'll have some time to work their legs and nibble amongst the herbal variety, a down pour sneaks up and we're running to get everyone back under cover. The favorite hiding spot is the 'Tree House'. Flanked by native berry leaves they can nibble, they love to crawl in, around, and all over this unique living root structure. It's fun to watch them literally play 'Hide and Seek' then take off like a dart down a walking row between the beds.

While some are running and sunning, other are being groomed - brushed, blown out and combed. It's important to use the blower because it helps move out extra dander than can accumulate and keeps their skin breathing better. It's a much used tool in the show scene because you can really bring out the beauty, sheen and fullness in those angora coats! As we're grooming, we typically include a bit of massage to enhance circulation and it's most often welcomed and appreciated as they sit happily.

We spent a lot of time trying to cover the entire perimeter fencing with rabbit proof borders. We tested and retested it and had to close many holes they find so easily! Remember those scent trails I told you about? They are effective and it's fun to watch them go back to a spot, only to realize it no longer leads to 'the outside world', guarded by the "Big Red Dog'.

Yes, those trails are still quickly found even after much rain. We've had some heavy winds and rain that ripped the plastic off our hoop house three times now and the extra rain has certainly made it harder for things to grow even in our raised beds. Seeds planted a month ago aren't doing nearly as well as last year...but we'll just be replanting through the next couple of months.

And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:11

Today we were able to circulate a number of rabbits through the 'Fun Run' today. Nutmeg and Sampson were hilarious to watch. You'd think Nutmeg, who is much larger, was trying to dominate Sampson and chase him away, over and over...only to find that once they wore themselves out, they'd flop down together under the shade of a comfrey plant.
We even brought out some little ones that had just begun nibbling their mom's greens while in their house. Lil Farmer had a lot of fun snuggling with them once they tuckered out. It's a great treat to enjoy so many hopping fiber puffs in the continually growing garden. We're so grateful for springs warmth and growth!

For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Isaiah 61:11

You'll also notice, where we don't have wood chip mulch, we put down used straw or hay from the animals. This has been an additional blessing because any left over whole grains have sprouted and as they run around, they nibble all those nutrient dense sprouts and grasses.

Use what you can, where you are!

THANK YOU!

4/11/2014

We are having a blast at the Shepherd's Extravaganza in the Washington Spring Fair!
We have met many kindred families and folks encouraged by all the amazing skills on display at each of the colorful booths. The fiber supply and used & new fiber industry items are plentiful and quite the 'eye-candy'.

Every year these gents and gals work hard to put together a fantastic fiber event and they have done more every year. Our last vending presence was FOUR years ago - what growth has continued since then!

You should see the tables and displays of quality used items too. Another vendor found & snagged a set of wool combs for just $20! The same price got another gal a 3 bobbin lazy kate! (In the busy-ness of set up and excitement of chatting with old friends and new - I missed both deals...but what a score for these ladies.) There were several full size and table looms and a couple of spinning wheels, a drum carder, hand carders and even more accessories for weaving and spinning. Just across from these items are several tables of demonstrators using all of these tools and more. We were happy to see and learn from a gal demonstrating Tunisian Crochet. This has been a 'new' (for us) method of crochet we've been recently enjoying.

We doubled the size of our booth this year and it has made room for our Eldest son's chainsaw carvings - a new addition! Our younger children have offered their custom crocheted and knitted accessories plus their all natural, essential oil scented soaps and our daughter's hand poured, naturally scented candles! Our son has his photography on display with his hand made cards that offer a 'Taste of Trickle Creek' as 'Vintage Texts'!

We're so thankful for our wonderful patrons and visitors and if you are taking a look at our website for the first time - know we appreciate you and were pleased to meet you!

If you are looking for anything that has to do with hand spun yarn, fibers or the accoutrements to create it or perhaps you just love to learn by demonstration...you can't miss this event!

It takes a special person to keep it all humming, vendors happy and the 'J' barn appealing to visitors - this year we have Linda of Sunset Fibers to thank. She has also volunteered to share her great pleasure in the quality of our angora fiber. She was the first person to share with us, years ago, that she could - only with our fibers- finally spin up and enjoy angora again. For too many years the fiber had irritated her so much, she couldn't use it! The special care taken in our rabbits' diet and lifestyle make a difference in the quality and even lessen the allergic reactions - Linda's happy to tell you! Feel free to ask when you check out her beautiful fiber options.

Here's a picture of our humble booth from our very first public event Four years ago....Look for the new booth pics...soon!

Our Shepherd's Extravaganza Booth in 2010

King of the Herb Jungle!

3/19/2014

German Angora, nearly 9 months old.

We harvested over 4 ounces of primarily 7" long, scrumptiously soft fiber that more than filled a gallon sized freezer bag. That's not all of his fiber (it was his 'saddle') but it gives you an idea of how wonderful the fiber from one rabbit can be! With one rabbit you can actually make a sweater from the year's harvest. You can do more than that if you add another rabbit so you have a pair to bond and romp with each other, as they are happier with family.
There is a reason some have called angoras
'Apartment Sheep'. Many have litterbox trained them to keep as the perfect, quiet, indoor fiber pet.