I was tempted by $80 Pedigree English Angora Rabbits on Craigslist...but at our local feed store they have one, fully grown, for $40. I have a lonely, neutered, young, white rabbit named Bugsy, whose companion died a few months ago of old age (actually I think it was kidney failure). Since I have never spun, but think I would like to try--would it be a bad idea to buy the $40 one to practice with, in hopes that it will also keep Bugsy company? Or should I go whole hog and buy a couple of pedigree ones? Do they need to be indoors all year? Bugsy does okay out in a hutch in deep shade in the summer--but he is a nice short hair and has aclimated to our summers. It doesn't get very cold here mostly above freezing--but do Angoras need to be indoors?
$40 Angora Rabbit
I think you don't need a pedigreed rabbit for fiber purposes. If you wanted it for show purposes, you might want to think twice. They do not need to be indoors all year. Mine are out all summer. I don't think an angora would ever get cold there. I think in summer it would need to be in shade like Bugsy. I think that you might want to do the trim thing in the deep summer rather than the plucking thing, for the cooling reason.
Also, pure angora is not easy to spin with, initially. It is generally blended with other fibers. I know somebody you could get some wool from, with which to blend your angora. Oh, I bet if you sent her angora fiber, she would even blend it into batts for you on her drum carder. Of course, this may require reconsideration of the hat.
DH will be apoplectic...which is another reason to get the rabbit.
Bugsy was very young, and randy, when I found him and introduced him to Alice--who was much older and very ladylike. So he adored her and continued to, even after the neutering. And she put up with him--although she was pretty dominant in housekeeping matters.
I am not even sure of the sex or age of this feedstore Angora. Is it easier to introduce younger rabbits to each other? Or is it a personality thing? If it is a male I will have him neurtered...but our vet won't neuter does...it is too stressful for them.
Did you notice that I did not address the hat issue. Promises were made on Ravelry. My vote was bought and you can not just move to another forum and renegotiate it.
This message was edited Aug 6, 2009 5:19 PM
Cat your going to buy a rabbit so you can spin him/her. Won't he/she/it get dizzy. Haystack
Haystack, you always make me laugh. Poor dizzy rabbit...
My local animal shelter neuters and spays all rabbits. Female rabbits are particularly prone to reproductive cancers and spaying them generally extends their lifespan by several years. My last girl lived to be 14. Very unusual for a rabbit. I strongly recommend seeking out another vet who would consider it. The house Rabbit Society in Cali no doubt has a list.
The sex of the feed store angora would be fairly easy to determine from a nether-region investigation. I have not had troubles with introducing rabbits although initially they may get a bit scrappy. I recommend introductions on neutral territory. All 5 of mine will run around together.
I think you should videotape the apoplectic fit.
I noticed your lack of addressing the hat issue. You seriously can't blame me for continuing to try.
{{hat has yet to issue...}}
{{I wonder why she keeps talking about hats? Do you think she Suspects? We've been so circumspect!!}}
No one is mentioning hats here, Claire. Have you been getting into the mercury again? I worry about you.
We used to have rabbits, Catsy, and kept them outside year round. They were just your garden variety Sylvilagus, I imagine, but they seemed quite hardy. We had a rabbit hutch against an exterior wall, with a closed shelter in one end and wire for the other part. They are very determined wood-gnawers, though. They created a lovely lace-like effect all around the wood that was partially covered in wire to prevent that very habit. Bad rabbits....
{{{I think we have all been very circumspect in the matter of hats. Surely Moxon's strange hat phobia and paranoia are purely coincidental}}}.
Claire--I know it is traditional in felting for headgear to use mercury, but greenhouse_gal has nothing but your best interests at heart when she advises you to avoid using it. I am sure you can find a more environmentally benign chemical.
http://ca.encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/columns/default.aspx?Article=sciencemercury
Our main problem here, gg, is heat...rabbits are so sensitive to overheating. I have my hutch under a big fig tree. Both rabbits attacked the wood, but DH has a slight tendency to "overbuild" and so far they have not broken through the old growth redwood trunks he used to construct the hutch.
I don't know why Claire insists on talking about hats, do you? It must be a displacement effort of some sort. What do you suppose hats represent to her - perhaps slithy toves? Certainly not flamingos.
We raised rabbits both in Washington State and here; summers get very hot in darkest south Jersey. Along with the exterior wall went a luvverly overhang, so they had plenty of shade. I can still recall them lying on the wire, though, panting their tiny hearts out.
Old growth redwood, huh? All ours got was pine...
Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe....
Well if they get to gyring and gimboling in the wabe...she might get defensive I suppose...still.
cross-posted, cross-posted, cross-posteeed
( to the tune of "titwillow")
Beware the Jabberwock my son,
The hat that bites, the gloves that catch...
If she feels defensive she can use her vorpal sword, I guess....
http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/jabberwocky.html
{{{really she DOES seem to have hats on the brain...}}}
Lovely bit of improv, Claire...lolol
Mayhap it came whiffling through the purley wood...and burbled as it came.
Is it weakness of intellect, birdy, I pried, or a rather tough worm in your little inside?
Is vorpal sword another word for crochet hook? Anyone? I'm not QUITE that literate...
So lovely to have such an erudite group of nutcases to hang out with online. What would I do without you guys? Sniff...
I believe that a vorpal sword consists of a full set of double pointed needles.
Why, thank you Moxon...we like your mental instability too.
This message was edited Aug 6, 2009 11:22 PM
Sniff what?! Wool?! lolol...
been composing in my head...trying to tie the clickety clack of knitting needles in.........
Grow, I prefer to sniff lambs.
Catsy, guess what I bought today! A "sock set" of Bates needles - 5 each of 1.5, 1.75, 2.0 and 2.25 mm needles.....and a pair of bamboo Takumi No 15's. And a US Q-19 crochet hook.
One two! One two! And through and through
Her vorpal blades did click and clack
She speared it dead, right through its head
And purled she....
dang...
So nobody wants in on my dreams tonight. Jabbertalky...
I can't purl, remember? Well, I did, once, but I was so startled I had to revert to crochet for a bit.
Calooh callay she did crochet...
Good work, grow...just a little bit further and you will be there!
Moxon, I have the Bates set too! I may have two of them actually, since I keep buying things I already have.
You will love knitting on double points--it is little more trouble than single point....but I do have to ask:.
Have you purled again?
And what is with the retrograde US Q-9...sure we have moved on from snarling?
And purled she once but staggered back...hmmm...not quite yet...
Moxon, we crossed! But I can't pretend that I am not disappointed.....
Grow, I don't know if we are doing the Jabberwocky or the Mikado--please advise.
This message was edited Aug 6, 2009 11:37 PM
I will do it again on the weekend when I have calmed down sufficiently.
I bought the retro hook for this rather cool book I bought called Crochet Squared that has some really quite funky fashionable items in it (nothing like hats, mind you) and a lot of them take a really hefty hook and involve a lot of open-work type crochet. I may even do a few holiday gifts out of it. Hmmm.
Ooooh, what about the HMS Pinafore?
well...I don't know the Mikado at all...so obviously I've go off course by a fair margin...
Which reminds me, Catsy, have you looked at my "library" on Ravelry? It shows all the book covers on little shelves. I think you would be impressed with a couple of them.
Love open work crochet. Actually...great gran did a bunch of placemats. really lovely pattern, but I haven't got the patience. Twelve squares to the mat. Aunty Keepsitall has them...about three dozen or so...sigh.
OMG: I read these posts and laughed til I cried. Talk about warped.
Sure you do, grow...you started it!
TITWILLOW--FROM THE "MIKADO"
On a tree by a river a little tom-tit
Sang "Willow, titwillow, titwillow"
And I said to him, "Dicky-bird, why do you sit
Singing 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow'"
"Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?" I cried
"Or a rather tough worm in your little inside"
With a shake of his poor little head, he replied
"Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow!"
He slapped at his chest, as he sat on that bough
Singing "Willow, titwillow, titwillow"
And a cold perspiration bespangled his brow
Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow
He sobbed and he sighed, and a gurgle he gave
Then he plunged himself into the billowy wave
And an echo arose from the suicide's grave
"Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow"
Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name
Isn't Willow, titwillow, titwillow
That 'twas blighted affection that made him exclaim
"Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow"
And if you remain callous and obdurate, I
Shall perish as he did, and you will know why
Though I probably shall not exclaim as I die
"Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow"
Wull...(twuddlingtoesmightysheepishly...) I dinno whut I started....
But I think I'm more in a Jabberwocky frame of mind. generally...
But that song's perishing sad...
It is. Sad. But I am obdurate. About purling.
Obviously not so much as you claim or you would not have purled that perfect row. It will happen again, in Nature's own good time...Save the obdurate for something more satisfying...like needing an extra ostrich or something more vitally important...
Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name
Isn't Willow, titwillow, titwillow
That 'twas obdurate Moxon that made me exclaim
"Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow"
She obviously isn't very penitent about it, is she?
Almost prideful....I cannot, will not, shall not, purl again!
And I heard her exclaim 'ere she rolled out of sight
Happy Wassail to All! And to all a good night!!