I want to show you how I groom my rabbits in order to gently remove their fiber/fur for use in spinning.
The first picture in today's post is designed to make you envious of my fashion sense! Have I succeeded?
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No, that's not my tail behind me; it's the kitten's. I keep mine hidden.
My husband has worked in a variety of jobs where he needed coveralls, so he has a collection of them. One set was a little smaller and the zipper was broken so he let me have them. Though I can sew well enough to fix the zipper I didn't want to go to the trouble. (And besides that quilters don't mend. They quilt.) So I just quickly tacked some bias tape ribbons to the sides of the opening and voila! practical and *cough, cough* beautiful. |
Now if anybody has ideas for how to cut down on the accumulated rabbit fur on them without clogging the laundry machines or plumbing, I'd be grateful.
With a special comb in hand, I start by removing debris. Rabbits love hay and they love burrowing into it. So, with the long hair they have, sometimes there's some "VM" (Vegetation Matter) in their fur. I try to clean that out well, but sometimes it falls to the spinner to get the last little bits. This comb has rotating tines so it slides smoothly through the fur, yet collects it, too. I had started out with a cat brush but it soon became obvious that it was not the tool for the job. Both the rabbits and I are happier now.
I set the rabbit on my lap in a room with tile floor because I got tired of cleaning the fluff out of the carpet when I was doing it in my living room. So now the mud room is the place.
I've seen that some people have a special table or something like that on which to do their brushing/shearing, but I don't have a set-up like that yet. I've even seen that some set their rabbit on a rug-covered lazy Susan. Maybe someday.
One of the discoveries I've made is that sometimes I get allergy symptoms - runny, itchy eyes, asthmatic breathing, and sneezing, after I've spent a lot of time with the rabbits, so I've learned to take some fashionable precautions. I've since gotten some dust masks that stay up better than the bandana did. I'm not sure if I'm allergic to the rabbits or to the hay.
I've found that a plastic food bag slipped into a coffee can or ice cream bucket is a good way to collect the fur, though I'm still working out how to tame the static electricity. I plan to try a squirt bottle of water and lavender oil next.
I don't keep the fur from around the bathrooming section since it's not so lovely and clean. I also have one rabbit who seems to like to roll around in his litter area, so he requires more cleaning than the others.
So far I've not had much trouble with any of the rabbits except regal Winston.
He was fairly young when we first got him and was wiggly and sometimes nipped my daughter when she was grooming him. The folks from whom we got him were willing to trade him for another older, calmer rabbit, but also offered suggestions for taming him. Apparently holding down their ears is the key to expressing dominance as well as comfort. Since we learned that trick he's been a sweetie and produces the best and longest wool we have.
Each brushing produces about 1/2 oz. of useable fiber and makes the rabbit look so much nicer, too. If I don't brush them regularly they get mats of felted fur and that makes no one happy.
Soon I hope to show you how Sarah spins the fiber on our 200 year old heirloom spinning wheel.
If you have an interest in some of Winston's and others' fiber, or yarn, or things we've made from the yarn, please visit our store
Angorgeous Stitches. We will be adding more items slowly but surely.
