Bilby Yarns

We are taking a festive season break, closing at 5pm, Wed 22 December 2016. Office opens tue.10.1.2017 & our workshop opens l0.30am 17.1.2017

This festive season, visitors to our Harrison Street shop have been enjoying Christmas discounts on all Ashford equipment & tools. This 10% discount is also extended to all phone or mail orders received up until close of business on 22^nd December. Please remember that from 21^st December any equipment that is not in store and requires me to order from the factory will not be delivered until after 17^th January.

On Saturday 17 December, the Bilby Spinners will meet at Point Walter, Honour Street, Bicton from mid morning until late afternoon. We will be in the shade underneath the large moreton bay fig trees at the north end of the foreshore, it’s a BYO chair, drinks, lunch, hat, equipment & fibre & bathers if you wish. Even though the weather bureau predicts a 31deg day, the cool sea breeze comes in early

We were delighted to have so many friends visit our Black Sheep Shop stall in the Jim Horwood Wool Pavillion at this year’s Perth Royal Show. The members of the Melanian Sheep Breeders Society of Aust.  certainly appreciate your support. Thank you and a big thanks to all the volunteers who came to promote WA wool, spin, knit and weave.     Shearing has finished and we have had our annual wool collection at Gingin , with some lovely fresh fleece coming into the Wool Depot at our Harrison Street premises

Our 2017 calender is filling up fast with events planned every month…… Sat. January 21 HWSD Guild spin at Matilda Bay, 3- 5 March .Bothwell International Highland Spin in,   Thu.16 March Porongorups Spin In,  17-19 March Stirling Range Fibre Weekend,   fri 21- Mon 24 April  Bilby Retreat at New Norcia,     Sat 22 April  Balingup Small Farm Field Day. My first stall at Perth Craft Fair at  Convention Centre Wed 24 to Sun 28 May [need volunteers here],    Sun 4 June Fibre Festival at Toodyay, Sat 10 June HWSDG 60^th Anniversary Spin In at Craft House, Menora. Please have your entries into Creative Craft Comp.at Perth Royal Show by 1^st July.  Sun 2 -8 July Fibres West 2017 is at Muresk,  Sat. 19 August Toodyay Spin In  & Sat 23- 30 September Perth Royal Show. November is busy with wool collections and possibly a trip to Albany.

WORKSHOPS…If you would like to learn how to spin, crochet or knit? Our friendly tutors in store Tuesdays & Thursdays, can help you get started on your spinning, crochet or knitting journey. [$25/hour] Keep checking our Workshop page for special workshops, we hope to organize something in February and July/August.

With our last holiday some 30 years ago, the Baltics beckons the old ewe and the old ram. We are off on a cruise on the Viking Star, and of course there will be time for visits to sheep farms and Textile Arts villages. We will be away from 21st June until 16th July. In our absence, the shop and our valued customers, will be looked after by White Lace Merino and the Knatty Knitter, although the hours from wednesday to friday will be restricted.

From June 21st to July 16th; our Harrison Street shop [ph: 9331 8818] will be open .. Tuesdays 1030am to 5pm; Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 1030am to 2.30pm Saturday 1030am to 1230pm. From July 19th, normal shop hours resume. The next Bilby Spinners gathering will be on July 16th.

Stay safe, warm & healthy this chilly winter. Happy crafting!

Hello All,

Well there are 2 quite delayed posts due to some unforseen technical difficulties,

But all is restored, felted back together and we should have all the Bilby tech back together

The Blacksheep

Firstly may I say a big thank you to everyone who went to the Fibre Festival in Toodyay on the long weekend in June, Your support is greatly appreciated by the organising committee. Also to all the willing helpers on the Melanian Sheep Breeders stall, my grateful thanks. Sadly I could not be there. Unfortunately I was in the doorway when a strong wind caught my shops heavy back door, not only knocking me off my feet, but the door slammed shut on my hand. Yes 2 broken fingers and tendon damage, but I am a quick healer with physio treatment and lots of tlc & support from friends.

What a lovely Spin In day at Augusta on June 11th. Ellie drove my ute and we took the Melanian depot and Bilby Yarns to the spin in. Devon packed & unpacked the vehicle and Charmaine happily wrote up the sales. I did lots of chatting, it was lovely to catch up with old friends.

The Perth Royal Show creative craft schedules are very late being published this year but as soon as they are online, please do consider entering. 2016 is the Year of Wool.

Warm Wooly Wishes

It seems February has rushed by, where has that month gone ?  It’s already mid March and I’ve started running to keep up :]
We have two very kind helpers, White Lace and Knatty Knitter, who  have offered to look after the Bilby Shop [on restricted hours] from Wednesday 16th March until Wednesday 23rd March, whilst I am in the South West of WA.
I will be travelling, with Ellie Eaton, to Williams, Kojonup, Arthur River, Mt Barker, Porongorups, Stirling Ranges Craft weekend, Albany, Denmark, Busselton and then finally back to Perth.  If you live in these areas and need an order of woolly goods, do not hesitate to ring and ask, I am happy to deliver along my journey.
The shop at Harrison Street will  open normal hours on Tuesday 15th, then from the 16th-18th and 22nd-23rd the hours will be restrictd to 4 hours, (1030am to 2.30pm).   On saturday the 19th March, the shop will be open from 1030 to 1230 and the old ram will be in the shop to help you.
If you get a chance to go down to the Porongprups for the Spin In on Thursday the 17th, do think about going onto the Stirling Ranges Retreat for the Craft weekend Fri 18 to Sunday 20th, they have lots of fun activities planned, including natural dyeing.
Best woolly wishes from Old Ewe.

It is time to start new projects or make new resolutions to complete old ones. :]   There are some new merino top colours and new product lines from Ashford to compliment our extensive range of products in store. You are very welcome to just come in and browse.    2016 will see some new faces in store …more on this later.
After the festive season, we normally open the second week of January but this year  we are still busy washing fleece for  the old ram to pick ready for the school orders.   To compliment our ebay listings, we are updating our website :[ with shopping cart, so that your online visits to our website will be more enjoyable. [Unfortunately I am a little slow whilst my injured right arm/shoulder heals]  We have raw fleece to organise into new product as well as some reshuffling of shop fittings.  The shop will reopen after Australia day on Wednesday, 27th January 2016 at 10.30am, however, if you need anything urgently, we will be in store all day on Saturday 9th January ..feel free to drop in.   Warning, anyone found loitering on 9th January, will be given a volunteer task/job to do :]

I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely spring weather.

At Bilby, we are busy preparing for the Melanian Sheep Breeders ‘BLACK SHEEP SHOP’ in the Jim Horwood Wool Pavillion [near gate 8] at this year’s Perth Royal Show. [26 Sept to 3 October ]. We hope you will visit the sheep pavillion to see the fleece, sheep or watch the shearing and also see the Creative Craft at Milton Isbitser Pavillion. During Show week, the shop will be open with either old ewe or ol’ram to look after your woolly needs.

Friday 11th to Sunday 13th Sept, the Handweavers Spinners & Dyer’s Guild have organised an exhibition of the National Scarf Exchange at the Peppermint Grove Library. [details at http://spinweavewa.org/ ] Fibres West 2015 is at Muresk Sun 4th to 8th October…..Bilby Yarns will be in Traders Hall with a stall full of woolly goods. If you are participating & need a fibre/tool order brought to Muresk for you, please ring 93318818. On Tue 6, wed 7th & thu 8th, the ol’ram will be in the Willagee shop to look after customers.

WORKSHOPS… CROCHET and KNITTING . If you would like to learn how to crochet? Our friendly tutors Bev & Julitha, can help you get started on your crochet/knitting journey. Have a look at our Workshop page and then book your place asap with a $20 deposit. Phone 9331 8818 or email.

July has brought sad news for our West Australian Melanian Sheep Breeders Society, with the passing of our beloved wool guru, Ray Eaton. After visits from his family on Saturday 18th and a hug from his devoted wife, Ellie,  Ray quietly slipped away. Our condolences and deepest sympathy go to his immediate family and all his friends. Ray endeared himself to everyone he met. He freely and willingly shared his knowledge of wool, sheep husbandy,   genetic breeding [especially of naturally coloured wool] and farming skills.
It was a great privilege to have known Ray, we will miss him and hopefully he will watch over us as we endeavour to carry on his good work to make him proud. Rest in Peace Ray.
We will always remember …  ‘Old farmers never die, they just go to seed’

In memory and honour of Ray, Bilby Yarns will close for one day only, between 22 to 25th this week- ***date to be advised.  If you are planning to visit between this time, please check this page or phone the shop on 9331 8818.

Notes..     Workshops for Learn to knit on Thursday mornings and Learn to Crochet Wednesday afternoons will begin July 29th, if you are interested  please advise by email or phone  the shop.

Don’t forget your entries for Perth Royal Show Creative Craft Section close on July 24th but your items dont need to be delivered until Sepember. We would like to make a large and wonderful display again this year, so please support Perth Royal Show with your knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving, wet & needle felt articles. Details available from Perth Royal Show website or from Bilby Yarns Shop.

***Bilby Yarns shop will be closed Thursday 24th July. [Normal hours Friday & Saturday]

What a fun day Toodyay Festival was on May 31st-lovely weather, nice music in the hall, friendly people. If you visited the Festival, I hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did Thank you very much to friends who joined us ‘impromptu’ to demonstrate spinning, you are much appreciated and always welcome.
On Saturday, 6th June, we are having a special day to fundraise for cancer research -‘the biggest morning tea – all day!. Our neighbour shop , FS Hair, is joining us in the fund – raising   If you visit during the morning, we will offer you a ‘take-a-way’ cuppa and mini cupcake … for a gold coin donation, and we thank you for your support.                           Then at 1.30pm, the Bilby Spinners will fill every available space in the shop and get busy spinning etc… that is after I have offered them tea or coffee  with cupcake and extracted a gold coin from them!                                                                                                                               [You can find out  when the Bilby Spinners are in store by visiting their facebook page ]Sunday 7tth we are off to Cunderdin to a gathering of wool producers & Melanian Sheep Breeders and then on our way back, we will be collecting more raw fleece for the shop shelves….you can never have too much fleece!

Saturday 13th June is the Spin In day for the West Aust Handweavers Spinners and Dyers  Guild at their hall – Craft House, Clyde St, Menora. A small fee will give you morning  tea and light lunch, and, all are welcome.  We will have 2 trading tables there – for fleece and other woolly goodies.  Whilst I am chatting away in Menora, the ol’ram will be looking after the Harrison Street shop to assist you, should you call in to collect supplies.

Whats new?   We have some new blended colours in merino tops and merino/silk;  fine 20/2 mulberry silk yarn to compliment our tussah yarns; handmade stitch markers;  sheep milk soap and superine 17.5 micron merino wool yarn in 60/2 count. [white only]
Chilly winter mornings are upon us, so stay warm, healthy and keep smiling.     theoldewe

Winter has arrived in West Australia, after such sunny, warm autumn weather, it has caught most of us by surprise. However, it is an ideal time to get woolly and crafty by the warm fireside in the evenings.

Newly arrived stock filling our shelves include fine merino solid colours, merino/silk, merino/alpaca, lots of luscious raw naturally coloured Melanian fleece, white fine merino, 30 micron dyed strong corriedale and the lovely naturally coloured 24/25 micron West Australian Dreamee wool tops in coco, silver, moorit beige and white. Have you tried our 19 micron West Aussie fine natural black and white tops yet? They are very soft and yummy.

Also we have spinning, weaving supplies, accessories, parts.

On Saturday May 23^rd, the old ewe will be in Toodyay at the Spin-In being held at the Town Hall….I will have 2 stall tables…one for melanian fleece and the other with Bilby goodies –  tops, equipment etc.      [Sadly our Willagee shop will not be be open  Sat 23rd whilst I am away…both my helpers,  the black sheep and lamb, have influenza]

On Sunday May 31, the old ewe will be taking the Black Sheep Shop & wool depot to the Melanian Sheep Breeders’ stall at the Toodyay Festival [in the town hall again].

If you need a specific item brought to the spin-in or festival for you, don’t forget to let me know at least 48 hours before.