Emily's Handspun Angora Aestlight

Some of you may be familiar with Victoria--Queen Victoria, that is--one of the cutest buns of all time. Victoria is my mischievous and fluffy English Angora Rabbit, my first and only fiber animal. She sheds all her fiber twice a year, and seems to shed three new bunnies every time! She loves my dog Branwyn and follows her around, eats things growing in the yard, and her favorite treats are stale bread, arugula, and dandylions.

Ever since Amber cast off her Aestlight, I have been wanting to make one of my own. And after playing and refining the spinning of my lovely bunny Victoria's locks, I decided that this would be the perfect project for my handspun yarn. I started by spinning Victoria's English Angora wool with the wheel, but the yarn wasn't quite right. I then tried my sweet little Turkish drop spindle, spinning and then plying little skeins one after the other. The fiber began to sing in my fingers, and the yarn was exactly what I was looking for.

After starting the shawl, a local "bunny herder" brought in her beautiful angora fiber, which we now carry in the shop. I picked out a gorgeous light peach shade and used it to spin yarn for a contrasting border, finishing the edging with more handspun Victoria.

I love it so much, and want to wear it every day!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is an adorable look into the life of Queen Victoria as she enjoys some park funtimes (also starring Eddie). Enjoy!