Le Tour de Fleece begins today, and I’m starting to get ready. The official beginning is later with some compatriots, but for now I have got to figure out what my challenge will be. The rules say that you should set yourself a challenge (no matter what that is), that you start when the Tour starts (today) and finish when the Tour ends (July 27th) and you should spin from stash. (No problem here.)
I’m loving reading other people’s goals. Diane is a new spinner, going to make one skein of yarn, Rebecca is going to spin three bobbins full, Spunsilver is doing an Abby Batt and adding sequins (I have no idea how to do that.) Silke is going to spin 400g of camel, but has been training. (I think, my German is a joke) Teresa is going to work on getting 1200-1600 yds of 2 ply.
I’ve thought long and hard on it, been diving in the stash, kicking around various ideas, and I think I’ve come up with a good challenge for me.
1. Spin every day, even if it’s only a little, on a spindle project that has been kicking around way, way too long.
2. Working more or less oldest to newest, stash bust to the tune of 1.5 kilograms. (That’s 1500g, or 3lbs, 5oz)
I know that sounds like a crazy amount, but I actually just backed off of a 2000g commitment when I saw how big that pile was. It was insane, although I think maybe this pile might be a little bit too insane too…What’s that look like?
It looks like a lot of fibre, that’s what it looks like. (Please do not mention that the problem with busting the fibre stash being that it creates more yarn stash. It’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.)
Allons-y!
good luck to all, haven’t been hit with the spin bug yet…..
Good luck and happy spinning. I’m sure that you will find a good use for the spun fibre.
Ahh, yes. Spinning. I’m thisclose to taking a spinning class but since I don’t know how yet I’ll have to enjoy the Tour de Fleece from the grandstands. Good luck on handling your challenge, and if you don’t have any room for the yarn stash you create, I’m sure some faithful readers would be willing to help out…
Allons-y, Alonso!
You could send it to those of us who are ‘stash deprived’.
no?
oh okay…
hey, how about raffling it off for a good cause? We could bid on it!
wait…. the goal is more yarn isn’t it?!
ahhhh finally it sinks in!
I can’t wait to see what all that roving will become. Good luck!
I am so fascinated with the whole spinning thing! although i have always knit, i never knew until most recently that it seems to be required for people that knit to also spin! for the time being, it is too “out there” for me to consider… but i wonder if one day i will be led astray and join in. hmmmm
I have had some seacell/merino waiting for me. I need to find out what it’ll do with dye when I’m done spinning it–I have no idea how it’ll take it up, and I can’t wait to find out.
Good luck! But what I really want to say is, Congratulations on the newest book. Your essay book is my favorite and I’m so glad you’ve written another. You really shine there. I wasn’t online yesterday–off celebrating with the kidlets–which is why I’m cross-post commenting. 😉
You are one of the few people who I think will really meet such an amazing goal. 🙂 Good Luck.
SpinSpinSpin
Wish I was a spinner! But I’m going to be on “Gram” duty, waiting for the new baby, and wouldn’t be able to focus on the Tour even if I could spin. But I’ve just finished my won challengle… the baby blanket is done, now I only have to drive to Michigan (11 hour drive, solo…. no knitting!) But like the harlot, I firmly believe that finishing the baby’s blanket means the baby will now be born. Happy spinning!
I love how well the Tour corresponds with my annual spinning craze. Every year around this time I drop the needles and pick up some roving. And the wintry Knitting Olympics, similarly, hit right at the height of my knitting obsession. Perfect timing. And now I’m going to start my Tour!
allons yourself–may the fiber Goddess be with you!
Looks like the perfect stash to do some free-wheelin’ color combos in socks, a la Twisted Sisters. May the Fleece be with you!
Holy cow, do you have warm-up exercises?! That is quite a photo of a jumble of fleece. I would be focusing on the outcome, how fun it will be to see all of this spun up, and now you *have* to do it, no excuses! You have to put the housework etc. aside because you must focus on your event. That is perfectly reasonable. I especially want to see how the green/blue/red combo (in the upper right corner) comes out – that looks fascinating! Intriguing! Go for it!
Good luck with your Tour de Fleece challenge! Most of all, I hope you enjoy your time with that lovely fiber.
Good luck. I think I would try for a large amount too. But that is becasue most of my stash takes up a storage until. I would have liked to do that but I’m in Peru with some cashmere silk and a drop spindle 🙂
Good Luck Steph, at least you don’t have the joy of a brand new puppy to keep you distracted like I do….I really can spin everyday…Gosh I hope that puppy goes to sleep soon…
I am just learning to spin and that pile of fiber
looks terrifying to me. Good luck!
Also exactly what does allons-y mean? As Karen E. (comment 3) did I also immediately thought of The Doctor. But still what does it mean?
Oh. Well. I momentarily considered “finishing that bobbin of merino” as a goal, until that pile of fiber of yours slapped me in the face. Perhaps I need to be more ambitious.
The best part for me is seeing what people set out to do. There are a lot of beginners this year, who just want to do a little every day.
Then, of course, there are the ambitious folks. Not naming any names here….
🙂
Creating too much yarn stash? Easy. Just spin something that Megan or Amanda will like and bribe them with that to take over the dishes duty that Samantha will no longer be doing. Problem solved!
Good luck to everyone! I think you can do it! Especially if you spin half as fast as you knit! By the way, what is that gorgeous red/orange fiber at the bottom of the picture?
I hope you get a yellow jersey! I too am setting a stash-busting ambitious goal this year. Can’t decide whether to include raw fleece and washing as part of it though.
thanks for the shout out!!! I spent the first day of the Tour plying, it seems that all the bobbins were full.
good luck! god speed! and here’s to no flat tires!!!
That pile looks like it will beautiful skeins shortly!!! Then let us see what wonderful things you can knit from it.
Best of luck to you…oh…and by the way, not only will spinning all that fiber add enormously to your stash, but the vacuum left when it leaves its roving state demands to be filled with……more fiber!
Not to sound less than encouraging, but that goal might be a might insane. Bonne chance!
As for me, a new-to-me Lendrum DT followed me home yesterday, so my Tour will be of the getting-to-know-you variety. The merino/angora/silk that I pulled out of the cupboard seemed a little ambitious on an unfamiliar wheel.
Good spindling to you, and I’ve got to say, that is one Beautiful Heap’O’Fibre!
Good luck! I can’t wait to see the results. I am sure you will have some lovely yarn by the end of the Tour.
When I breathlessly told my husband about Le Tour de Fleece and enthusastically began spouting forth about how I could use it as motivation to FINALLY get around to the two Hefty bags of fleece donated by a friend of ours (currently out in the storage shed and been there so long that they have begun receiving pre-approved credit card offers) so that I could then get around to making him a little scarf or something from his self-described “largely useless but still I love them” little flock, well.
My darling husband looked at me with TIRED YET WARY MIEN and said, “Honey, I don’t mean to throw water on your fire or anything, BUT…don’t you have an awful lot of yarn already? And won’t this mean you have MORE YARN?”
Me: {sputter!} {protest!} {denial!}
I finally fired back with, “Ya, but, YARN takes up a lot less ROOM than FLEECE!”
HA HA! Argue with THAT logic, pal!!
Good Luck! I’ll be looking for pics of you wearing the yellow jersey, as well as the spinning that results from this! Ok, a yellow sweater would be more appropriate…
Nice fiber stash. And just when are you planning to sleep?!
Good luck with the spinning. On Doctor Who, I’ve just watch the finale of series four. All I’ll say for those who haven’t seen it – OMG!!!!
Best of luck to you. Can’t wait to see the gorgeousness you create. And wow…maybe a teeny, tiny break between finishing a whole, complete book and a gi-normous new project? No? oh…okay.
I like the ashland bay fiber in the front of the picture. My goal is to just spin daily – regular spinning. I am perfecting my long draw that Abby taught me. I’ll be watching for you in the yellow jersey!
Remember, even in the real Tour de France they have a few designated “rest” days.
Oh wow! This post makes me want to learn to spin. Simultaneously, that pile of fiber makes me want NOT want to learn to spin, because there is no space in my apartment for that.
But it’s so PRETTY! Can’t wait to see what you turn it all into! (There will be pictures, yes? Yes.)
How I wish I could dip into your stash!! Boy that stuff looks delicious. Especially the roving on the very far right of the picture. My tour de fleece will consist of flick carding lock by lock some of a delicious Rambolet fleece that Judith MacKenzie McQuin gave to me and spinning the finest diameter I have ever spun. Also, I want to add beads to the skein. I’ve washed the locks the way you do- wrapped in a pillowcase on the stove only I found a better thing to wrap the locks in—Cheese cloth. The water gets around the locks that much faster and better. Try it- plus you don’t have to do as many sessions on the stove!! Thanks for your help on this, Stephanie.
Anita
How about some camel fiber to spin? We are touring Spain and todays stop is Moracco. The book looks wonderful, congratulations!
That seems like a lot of fiber, I can’t wait to see the yarn that it all becomes. Good luck with your goal! And good luck to everyone who is participating in Le Tour de Fleece!
I just started spinning today! I made a drop spindle (too impatient — the one I ordered hasn’t come yet), well – okay, I made 2, one high whorl and one low (I’m loving the low whorl best) and my goal is a skein of 2-ply. “Skein” is a loose term, though; it’s… however much yarn I can get spun and plied by the deadline… ^_^
And I have to say that I absolutely love the dorky little bottom whorl spindle I made this afternoon. It’s adorable; looks like a kid’s tinker toy and it spins everything from lace to bulky (…in the same skein when I’m spinning…).
I’m getting a wheel in October, but I’m impatient. ^_^
Bon chance to all the Tour de Fleece participants.
I have a couple of drop spindles and a flax wheel in need of repair. I cannot spin my way out of a wet paper bag. My goal (but probably not by the 27th) is to spin the three or four bats (batts??? the pottery cross addiction is interfering)before I have another birthday. In December. My LYS owner is a master spinner and keeps telling me just to come on down to the shop whenever he’s there and not teaching class and he will show me. It’s not that hard.
The man has not seen me with a drop spindle (drop being the VERY KEY WORD)
So, do you do time trials and mountains, too?
Allons-y indeed! I’m spinning every day. Today I did my first bout of Andean plying from my top whorl. It was awesome.
Please let me apologize if this comment is seen as inappropriate.
There is a very inspirational and sad post here:
http://mvfiberfarm.blogspot.com/2008/07/story-with-raffle-at-end.html
The blogger is a great person with an awesome CSA fiber farm on Martha’s Vineyard. One of her family members, from her account a selfless person who has done a lot of good in their life, suffered a devastating injury. The blogger is raffling off her stash to help raise money for medical equipment her uncle is going to need once out of the hospital.
Knitters are very generous people and I believe that all the costs of the medical equipment would quickly be covered if this story reaches a wide audience. Would you consider linking to the story?
Thank you, and again I apologize if this is spammy or out of bounds.
What’s it look like? A big head start on your Christmas knitting.
Beautiful fiber/fibre stash, Steph! I have avoided getting mine all out in one place, in fear that I may have to confront the reality that it is months and months worth of spinning. For my first TdeF, the goal is to spin a little every day – simple. Just need to get back into the groove…
I don’t know about amount, but that fiber looks gorgeous to me. Best of luck!
I can’t wait to see what that fibre turns into! Please, if at all possible, show before and after photos of the fiber/yarn. I love seeing how the colors mix and change with the spinning process . . . how the colors in the fiber mix and alter as their orientation shifts and spins.
Sitting here, with my stash around the corner in bins, and my “last supper” purchase before the yarn diet sitting on the table next to me, I keep telling myself: “I don’t have the time or resources to learn to spin right now. I just don’t.” But it sure is lighting a fire under me to get my stash pared down (got a lot of knitting to do), cleaned out, and to get rid of a lot of other crafty stuff that I’ve outgrown to make room for spinning.
Spin away joyfully, and I’ll just have to participate vicariously this year. :o)
Plied?
I have only just tried the drop spindle and I still get thick thin yarn but I will keep trying while this Tour de Fleece is going. If you think the muggles don’t really get “”It”” with the knitting–WELL–spining is even worse. People say to me WHY would you do that when there is beutiful yarn sitting at a local LYS to just buy . Muggles !! Good luck and we’ll be watching and cheering you on for the yarn stash to increase.
Wow – I’m somebody! I’m somebody! Nothing like a little publicity to keep me motivated. Me and the spindle will be out on the porch today and I promise to think of nothing but spinning while running my half marathon tomorrow.
Vive Le Tour!
Virginia, Allons-y means Let’s go!
I solemnly swear I will never spin, but it sure is fun watching other people do it. Good luck, all you TofF-ers.
Can’t wait until the new book comes out, Harlot. I got the Never Not Knitting calendar last week. Squee!
thanks for spreading the word about the Tour! I wish you the best of luck!
Ok I’m planning on 1# of Buckwheat Bridge Angora roving, green and rust mohair/Cormo blend, 4 to 8 oz of cotton on my charka-have to get the hang of that. If there’s more time, I’ll begin washing and combing a fleece from my own black sheep, whose name is Kali Baa-aa.
Now to find the Tour channel, though tomorrow it will probably be Breakfast at Wimbleton for me. I’m cross-sporting.
Good god woman, you’re insane! But in a good way. I’ll be rooting for you. Can’t wait to see how it all spins up!
Good Luck To All! Is that grey roving in the middle of your picture? Is it for a particular sweater?
Best of luck! I haven’t spun that much all year… Might have to join this challenge just to get my rear back in gear!
so do you use a wheel to spin or just one of the hand thingies? (As you can tell I don’t spin).
My goal – to take a “learn to spin” class at a lovely fiber arts studio I just found today.
Spinning classes are few and far between where I live, but this one is only an hour away and affordable, AND the class falls in the time schedule. Up until today, I wasn’t going to participate!!
By the way, just read yesterday’s post. I LOVED Secret Life of a Knitter – it is my favorite book of all you have written, and I am thrilled to pieces that you’re doing another one.
best of luck! May the best spinner(s) meet their goals! Okay, all the spinners… I have yet to succumb to the spinning bug (oh, I have been bitten, oh, yes) but I’ll be cheering you on in lieu of spinning myself. Perhaps next time I’ll be one of the few, the proud, the spinning!! Go gansey, Go!!!
Holy moley! That’s a lot of spinning, there. Best of luck to you.
What’s the yummy turquoise-y stuff in the middle?
I must have intuitively known about the Tour because I carded some fleece today, and now I can spin it! Yeah, this’ll be fun!
I just yesterday finished spinning 3.5 pounds of Border Leicester cross roving, one fleece’s worth. I started spinning it in January. I spin often, I spin quite fast (not well, but fast), and no, I wasn’t spinning laceweight.
Today I got home from a short Tour de Fleece de Southern New Hampshire (pardon my French) with a fiber friend, only to find three more fleeces’ worth of roving delivered from the mill (I had a slight accident at Rhinebeck last year).
My Tour de Fleece challenge? To spin from stash (easy), to spin only Spunky Eclectic fiber (also easy), and to learn to spin on a spindle (the hard part). I’ve also just decided on Part 4: to ignore three giant bags of roving littering the bedroom (the hardest part).
Love the fibre stash. It looks like possibility in waiting.
Won’t the yarn that results from the fibre take less room than the fibre? I would think that would count substantially to making of room and organization. Big score!
From what I have seen in yarn shops and the like, fiber is far less dense than skeins of yarn. Density is (mass)/(Volume). Assuming that you don’t lose mass while spinning, I don’t spin so I don’t really know), assuming as well that yarn is denser than fiber, you are decreasing in volume. If you decrease volume, you are actually _saving_ space. Convince Joe that you should have a bigger fiber budget. You have science behind you now.
*YAY* for goal setting.
I love looking at fiber. I actually have way too much of it (including a 3.5 lb fleece) sitting in my etsy cart. And I should probably mention that I don’t have any of the tools that I’d need to process a fleece, and that the spinning wheel is currently on its way. But it was pretty (Isn’t that always the excuse?)
Good luck with the goals for the TdF. Mine are to learn how to use my wheel as soon as it gets here, and to do some spindling in the meantime. If I manage to make usable yarn, that is just one huge giant bonus. Well, the spindle yarn should be usuable, but I know whatever I manage to spin on that is going to get eagerly cast aside as soon as my wheel gets here.
How is it that your days are longer than mine? As we say here, “You go girl”.
Wow – will all of that fibre become one finished product, or are you aiming to use up the fibres by making each one it’s own yarn? I’m asking as I have a bunch of stuff that could become all one yarn if I just figure out how to do it, and I’m trying to steal other great ideas from other people! 😉 Don’t worry about the increasing yarn stash thing; handspun is such a different animal (in my book, at any rate!)
I am with you, Steph et al, at least in spirit. I have a spindle with which I am a *total* klutz. I have a wheel on which I need a great deal of practice. My objective: be ready for Tour De Fleece 2009!
Didn’t anyone tell you? Yarn that you’ve spun yourself doesn’t count as stash!
I’m setting my goal as this: Either spin or bicycle every day! And use up my stash from Pre-Black Sheep Gathering 2008 so I can dive into my new fiber with a clear conscience!
This is a challenge because I have some creamsicle colored merino-silk blend that is boring the heck out of me, and I’m barely into the 16 ounces…
I was thinking of participating…but I gave myself a whopping case of tennis elbow due in part to knitting too much in one go (I think it was brewing and I pushed it too far…). Soooo, no knitting, spinning, no gardening…
Sigh…
Best of luck to you.
for every km of the race i am spinning the kms into minutes – theres another long haul today, but i can do it 😉
oh ive joined Stars tour de fleece looks like your with the other one 😉
http://keeponknittinginthefreeworld.blogspot.com/2008/06/tour-de-fleece-2008.html
while it creates more yarn, it also gets the fiber that much closer to being an actual finished thing.
i need to get cracking on the 50 lbs or so of raw fleece i have sitting in my house.
Ooh, I want to see what the one on the upper right will look like!! I am not a spinner (hell I can’t even tell which yarns will self-stripe or not).
Go you! Your fibre looks lovely. I’ll be spinning almost 3 pounds of roving for my challenge, but it’s all the same and not as colorful. Good luck!
Oh, I almost forgot-Yarn stash takes up less room than fiber:)
But yarn stash takes up way less room than roving does so you already win there. Plus, if you have friends that knit but don’t spin, or they spin but like knitting more, you can give them the yarn for Christmas! Sooooo, you can have less room being used in roving stash and have a start on your Christmas stash! Pretty nifty! Of course, I have yet to set my Tour de Fleece goal. I have company and haven’t been able to go stash diving. I think I’m going to set my goal as doing some spinning every day once my company leaves and spinning at least a pound.(Before you laugh I like to spin pretty fine yarn, it takes longer LOL!) Maybe more if I can get life to cooperate with me and not throw tons of crap to do in my way. Good luck Harlot!
Goal? How about Gansey?
Any qiviut in that stash? I got to play that in a scrabble game the other day. Dude challenged. I won.
wow. just wow.
that’s a lot of fiber. i can’t wait to see all the yarn!
I don’t have a blog yet, (maybe I’ll do that tonight when I officially begin procrastinating, er Tour de Fleecing after work)but I am Touring. My goals are much more modest and almost sane. I have a drop spindle that I just learned to use and 6 bundles of roving in various colours… I will have them in yarn state by the 27th. Adding to my challenge is a small but fierce feline who thinks fleece is NEATO COOL and MUST DIE! repeatedly. She doesn’t really care about yarn, except that it’s nice to sleep in but FLEECE MUST DIE.
Good luck!
Can anyone recommend a good internet source for dyed roving? I want to get some for my sister for her birthday and was not very successful or confident about what I did find. Is it ok to ask that here or am I trespassing on someone else’s time and space? The link that was in this post did not go to a retail source that I could find. Thank you.
We’ll see how you’re doing at the halfway point! I thought just .5 kilos was insane!
Lovely stash! You will have much fun spinning it up I’m sure. Can’t wait to see the reds/oranges done!
Good luck! May the strongest spinners finish well!
Sara
I will sit back and enjoy the mountains, straight aways and the rush going down those hills. Have fun. cecilia
I saw some yarn spun by Guttersnipe on etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5793071) that was plied with a strand of orlon. I am planning on breaking out my charcoal grey fleece and plying with a burgundy thread. Only I can’t actually do it while watching the Tour – too intense and too much happening!
Well, rats. I was going to call Himself over to show him that I’m not the only one with a fiber obsession, until I realized that… um… the pile in the picture is about what I’ve got stashed in boxes under the crib. I still have to rationalize the many more boxes in the closet. Closets. I hope it’s not too late to join the Tour…
I signed up thinking “spin every day, I can do that,” and kinda overlooked the goal part. 1500 grams??? Are you outta your cotton-pickin’ mind? (Extra points for id’ing the movie.)
Oh, wait. That’s *you* doing the 1500 grams. How about if I finish spinning the 4 oz of Spunky merino into laceweight, and… dare I say it? oh, why not live dangerously? then do the other 4 oz as well? That’s about 6 oz… um… about 168 grams. Sounds pretty pathetic. Tell you what, you ride up in the front there, and I’ll ride here and not get in anyone’s way.
1500 grams huh? It is possible. Just spin extra thick singles. Or a thick single and then core ply it. Good Luck!
Oh my, do you plan to send your family away over the course of the Tour? Oh, my! that is ALOT of fibre! Maybe, just Maybe, if I were on a 2 week vacation from everything,(job, family, etc) maybe I could attempt that,but probably not. I can’t imagine – I will be pulling for you, though – you probably can do that, if you spin as fast as you knit – I would end up with some sort of spinning injury, with that amount to do in 22 days. Good luck!
Hey, riding bikes as many days as they do, and up a bunch of crazy hills?! That’s pretty insane too. So it seems a fitting goal. Bon chance!
Good Luck!
If you do it in a 2-ply laceweight, 1500 grams is only 15 miles of yarn. Or 950,400 inches of yarn, and at, say, 15 twists per inch (maybe not that many, but let’s not forget plying) and a 20:1 whorl over 22 days … you’ll be treadling 32,400 times per day, which if translated into steps, would be about 15 miles a day of walking.
I sure hope you’re not planning on doing laceweight.
I am not a spinner, but I love the idea of Le Tour de Fleece … very cool. I wish you and all the other spinners who participate much fun, endurance, and success in meeting your personal goals.
Warmest wishes,
firefly
Well, that’s true that it creates more yarn. The good thing is, knitters love yarn as gifts, so you’re getting on top of the holidays! Handling that much different roving in such a short time looks like a blast!
Love the blog. I also knit a lot of socks and need to know if anyone knows of a use for the leftover yarn when you knit a pair. I have a hugh stash of small amounts of sock yarn. HELP!! and thanks
Whatever the stuff is in the bottom of the photo, the one that looks to have reds and oranges in it, I WANT! OMG It’s beautiful!!!
I’m lobbying hard for a spinning wheel for Christmas because I’m sick to death of spindling.
Bonne chance and may the wind be at your back!
That’s going to make some seriously beautiful yarn. I can see it as a fall jacket – in a simple stitch pattern so as not to compete with the gorgeous coloration you’re sure to spin! Bonne chance!
Who says you’re obsessive? I think I’ve met your match. While I was KIP at the Ottawa BluesFest I was approached by a fellow knitter and she had glow in the dark needles! Now that was novel but understandable. Her next admisiion was bizarre – she left her spinning at the hotel, she usually brings it with her!
WOW. Impressive stash. Makes me feel mucho better-o!;-)
There is a fine line between a real challenge and drudgery. I’m going to see if I can spin up some alpaca that has been stashed into a skein of lace wt. We’ll see.
As a new spinner (drop spindles only), that amount of fiber would take me about the next 10 Tour de Fleeces. I will try to finish the three spinning projects I have already started.
Good Luck and keep on treadling…..
What a wonderful idea! I take it you won’t be doing lace weight. Are you doing some bulky singles out of that? You’ve got some beautiful stash to work with. Have fun! As for me, I’m slogging along, knitting the Oregon shawl so I’m passing on this event.
Nothing at ALL wrong with more yarn stash!! GO for it! 🙂
From the Sock-shaped state, Marjorie
Hmm, that spinning project wouldn’t happen to have something to do with a certain gansey, would it?
Anyway, good luck to you — spinning is one thing I don’t intend to try! (Famous last words, I’m sure I’ll be sucked into the spinning vortex at some point.)
So I have not started spinning yet — does anyone have any recommended resources / books to review. Or know of any classes (Outaouis area)?
Yarn stash takes up less space per gram than fiber stash, so actually you will reduce the volume of your stash if not the quantity ^_^
Spinning – and the resulting piles of yarn – is what got me into weaving and then knitting. Didn’t use up my yarn and I actually bought MORE yarn because I could appreciate the work that went into spinning it! BUT now I know lots more knitters – and I think they’re all getting handspun for all holidays/events that require gifts. Holidays – the ultimate de-stash.
Does this mean that Tuesday(s) is(are) for spinning? (I have so missed those Tuesdays!)
I just plied my first ever handspun yarn and after I had the finished product in my hands, I understood what all the fuss was about. I’ve always loved spinning, and enjoyed petting handspun yarn, but this was my first handspun. I had thought I’d put it in a hank and look at it adoringly, but no – I could barely wait til it was dry before I dug into knitting it. (I still have no idea what it will be, I just wanted to see it knit up!)
Thank-goodness Laurie had an extra Lendrum around; she helped me dx my plying problem and then let me use her extra while I was there. Now that I’ve “fixed” my wheel, all of my free time has been spent spinning. Anything and everything, just for the fun of making fiber turn into almost’yarn.
I get it.
And I think I’m in love.
I always spin 3-400 yard skeins of either lace weight or fingering weight yarn per 50g, so why don’t you try that rather than always complaining about having useless balls of yarn with little yardage? You could knit socks, a lace shawl, a scarf,or something along those lines. You get a lot more out of a couple of expensive ounces of luxury fiber that way, don’t you think.
Good luck with the Tour de Fleece! So, whatever happened to the Bleeding Hearts shawl? I loved the yarn and pattern so I had to ask. Jane
I was just in Watkins Glen and learned about Green Mountain Spinnery – have you ever spoken about them in your blog?
Stepahnie, I am a new spinner who has been inspirted by your wonder, romantic tales of knitting sweaters for loved ones from fleece. You inspired me to knit from sheep to sweater. Damn you!!! The romantic notion has flown right out of my head. I bought a fleece unbeknownst to me that it was HUGE, and would take me a lifetime to process it. I am now armed and dangerous with viscious looking viking combs and prickly carders. My partner, cat and dog hide from me when they see the fleece bag come out of hiding. I think they are scared I will comb them. I do have to admit I am much more relaxed after taking frustrations out on the wool and my combed top is some of the softest yarn I have felt.
My goal for your challenge is to spin up some of the purchased roving (about 500 gm) that Ihave been hording/hiding and to knit up some mittens and socks.
Thank you for inspiring me to knit from a sheep. (Although, I still curse you as I comb away)
P.s. Are you interested in some fine merino-romani cross fleece? Uncombed of course.
It’s fun to see you just participate in a “sport” rather than have to run the doggoned event.
Three weeks to spin that pile? You can do it.
i like the one on the very bottom, that’s all red and orange and white. and purple. 🙂
Sequins. Caveat. My SIL’s wedding dress was a gorgeous confection of pink sequins. When I hugged her the shimmering disks lacerated my skin! Definitely a porcupine outfit. Not all sequins are miniature saw blades, some have an unstable surface finish, and they come in different sizes and materials — I recommend shopping around and selecting carefully.
Okay, so the easiest way to make sequin-embellished yarn is to spin a strand of silk froghair with relatively high twist, thread the sequins on it and distribute them as you ply with the other strand(s) of either the same or a coordinating/contrasting fiber. The problems with that method are 1) sequins *can* act like little razor blades and cut both the inner strand and the binding strand, and 2) the binding strand can flatten the sequin against the inner strand, so you still have the color flash but a different texture from the initial perpendicular plane and line thang. That’s why it makes sense to use a strong fiber (silk) made stronger by high twist. One can loop the second strand as the twist enters and thus decrease the distortion of the position of the sequin, but it takes some effort.
Another method is to spin said froghair, ply it, *then* thread the sequins before knitting. Not really spun into the yarn, but still embellished.
Another method, which is tricky and requires patience and otherworldy dexterity, is to spin the silk singles, thread the sequins, then *cut* the singles so you have 3″-ish lengths, each with a sequin or two nestled on it. As you spin, have these set on a dentist’s tray or the equiv. nearby and grab one and insert it as you go. This has a higher probability of working well with something splendid like an Abby F. batt. Fine wool with a lot of grab. The effect is more like intermittent fish scales. I’d spin a thicker strand with the sequins enmeshed, then probably cage it with two fine strands of the same.
Easier with beads!
Tour de fleece here I come….My poor partner is just shaking his head with a really puzzled look on his face. Yarn Harlot, he fears that you are a the instegator of some fleece brained ideas of mine. (You are actually my inspiration.) We drove through a blizzard to see you in St.Paul. Partner was awestruck and trembling to see so many women armed with needles. When I came home from my first fibers festival in Lake elmo, lugging in a smelly, heavy bag of fresh shorn fleece, he plugged his nose and muttered something about online knitting blogs and yarn harlots and brain washed women. As I comb and card my fleece, the dog, cat and my partner hide, they think the viking combs are lethal medeval weapons. As I sit surrounded by mounds of billowy white combed fleece and spin, he asks if there is room for more yarn in the house….(there may not be in this one, but we could always buy another much larger house. Spinners, knitters, bloggers and fiber people unite, we are awesome.
Sorry to hear about your air conditioning problems. Having no a/c sucks.
Ohh.. I covet that roving in the very front.. red, white, bits of blue and yellow. What is it? Where can I get some? I know exactly how I’d spin it too.. I’ve been looking for something like that for a while now!
Good luck with Tour de Fleece. I wanted to participate this year.. but I’ve got my own challenge going on here in getting my apartment packed up and ready to move within almost the exact same dates as TdF. Somehow I don’t think I can do both. I sorta doubt I can do just one, but I have no choice!
“Allons-y!”
OMG, I just had a total David Tennant/Doctor Who moment.