We have adopted three angora rabbits from Rabbit Haven in Gig Harbor!

Yes, they are fluffy.

Yes, I am going to spin their fur. Actually, I already have.

Yes, you can come and see them.

They were part of a batch of 80 animals that were dumped outside Kitsap Animal Control in liquor boxes and left all weekend. These three survivors were taken in by Rabbit Haven. A friend who has adopted rescued rabbits before told me that they had three strikes against them: 1. they are angora, 2. they are matted angora, 3. there are three of them and Rabbit Haven wants them kept together. Well, Scott and I took that as a challenge and called to take a look at them. I think Sue was stunned when we said we’d take them. She even warned us that they are the messiest  rabbits ever! Their names are Autumn, Spring and Summer and we decided to call them Rosie Autumn, Ivy Spring, and Angus Summer. He is named after our Angus Kitty, click the link for a pic.

I got some library books about angoras and rabbits in general and some angora fiber to take on our cruise, since I had never spun any before. It turns out that they are Satin Angoras, a breed much prized by spinsters, and prime angora fiber exceeds the per-ounce-price of silver.  I was not at all surprised to find that angora is my new favorite fiber to spin. It is silky, warm in the hand and requires no preparation. That means that every 12 weeks or so when they are shedding, you can sit with a rabbit in your lap and pluck and spin their fur directly. I love it when they are all standing up listening and they look like baby wallabies. Scott says they are picking up messages from space with their rabbit-ear antennae.

Cartoon: From a Rabbit’s Point of View.

Stay tuned for part II