Wheel and Spindle

Yesterday I spun a lot of the brown alpaca. I'm hoping to finishing stuffing this bobbin full soon and then finish a different fiber I had previously started before doing more brown alpaca on the wheel.

I have also been spinning some on my spindle, especially if my back is already sore from the wheel (or dishes or anything else).  I can sit back on the couch and still get some spinning in and feel productive. 

Tour de Fleece 2015

Tour de Fleece 2015 runs from July 4th through July 26th (the same days as the Tour de France race).  They spin, and we spin - see how that works?

This year has been a little more special.  As I prepared to work on my spinning every day for almost a month, my family noticed.  My husband pulled out an old spindle he had given up on and passed on to me and decided to try again.  While helping him get started, my girls found their old spindles (they were in with my tools but each had an initial on them) and some random white roving.  We had a small trip to Webs the day before starting, and my son (who doesn't spin yet) bought some yarn to practice his knitting.

It is hot and humid, and they are still playing video games and spending hours reading books... but fiber is all around the house (actually, it is, the white roving they chose tends to get wispy and stick to things!) and it is pretty nice to see spindles in use before bedtime!  The big question is what will happen when that small bag of roving is gone...

Tour de Fleece

Tour de Fleece is an event that happens every year. Although I never officially participate I do try to spin during it. It occurs at the same time as the Tour de France and the goal is to spin and challenge yourself while watching the race. I don't watch the racing, but I did manage to spin all but one of the days I think. I tried to spin for at least 30 minutes and most days did more than that.


 I finished this grey superwash that I've been working on forever.  Most of it was done prior to this year's event, but I finally got it done!

The left most skein is blue and purple silk that I got as dyed hankies.  They did look like a pile of fibery handkerchiefs, which I took and spun on a little spindle.  Once again, this has been going on forever, and it is now done. 

The middle skein is something I bought back at my first MA sheep and wool (the same year as the grey yarn above).

The skein on the right is a black bunny fibers colorway that I got several years ago as a present from my husband.

Then, since I had finished up so much that I had been working on for a long time I started something kindof new.  I took three colors of different fiber I had gotten while part of the Southern Cross Fibre Club and I am mixing them all up.  I started it during the Tour de Fleece and then, once that was done I didn't touch my wheel for over a month.  I recently sat and spun some more on that and can't wait for it to be done.  That full bobbin is about 2/3 of the total fiber, so I am on the down hill part of this yarn!

Don't forget to check Monday's post and enter the contest!

Six Weeks of Spinning

Well, as the title would suggest, after months of not touching the wheel, I've been spinning for about 6 weeks straight now, trying to get in a little time almost every day (only missing one or two days before vacation week where i managed to spin about half the days)

So.... here's what about 4 1/2 weeks of spinning looks like:



...and the other 1 1/2 weeks are these three yarns:


A lot of these were either given to me for my birthday or were purchased at MA sheep and wool. All were just bags or braids of fiber at the beginning of the 6 weeks and all are now washed, dried and ready to craft with now. All are different blends and came out different weights of yarn, if you are curious about any you can ask or check out my stash on ravelry. I'm still spinning and trying to do a bit every day, as I can see the outcome of just a bit of effort daily and want to work through more of my fiber stash - it is so nice to knit with handspun! :)


I also, in the middle of that, went shopping and got a shirt to wear with a sweater I had finished... and managed to get a picture taken:



The sweater isn't quite as flattering as I was hoping for, but it does look good and I'll feel fine wearing it, after it cools down a bit more of course! I've had the yarn and pattern for it for a long time and I'm glad I finally got it made and done.

I also finished socks for my sweet husband.



He had bought this yarn and tried to use it in a different pattern for him, and although that pattern wasn't working with it he loved the colors, so he handed it over to me and I turned it into plain ribbed socks - very easy to work on while trying to multitask and fit him pretty well.

I'm now working on a not so plain sock... well, every other row is plain knitting, but every other row is a lace pattern that hasn't been memorized yet (and I'm almost 3/4 done with the first sock)


I do like how the pattern and yarn are working together though (yes, this picture is a couple of weeks old, the first sock is now through the heel and working up the leg)

So I'll keep working on the sock, I'm currently spinning some bright soysilk that I bought in Cummington, and I'm starting to look for some commercial yarn to pair with one of those spun yarns above... I'm thinking a vest of my now two-year old Tomato boy sometime this fall....

Finally a picture!

Finally, a picture of a finished sweater on me. I took this right before the heat wave started, so I don't think I'll be wearing it again until fall.




I should have a picture of me wearing the blue sweater soon also, just need to wait for it to dry again.

I'm almost done (about to bind off) with the first sock in the current pair for my husband - so I'll be casting on and starting the second sock maybe tonight. I also have kept up the spinning (or plying) every day so far since my last post... I'm on my second lot of fiber, and I'll soon be plying that and starting a third something or other!

...but first, laundry is waiting for me to fold, and mending will get done too hopefully - then off to bind off the sock and spin some more.

Spinning Again

The blue lace sweater is now sewn together and finished. It looks okay on me, but I either need to find a shirt to go with it, or give up on it and pass it on....

I have finally started spinning again. I was planning to start the fiber I had put next to the wheel sometime this week, but then I realized the tour de fleece starts next saturday. So, friday night I pulled it out for just a few minutes and made sure everything was running smoothly. I haven't spun since we put in new seating, but everything works well together and I have spun for at least a short while every day since then. I never have joined an official team for tour de fleece, but i do tend to spin for it every year so far.

I also started the next pair of socks for my husband. He had some yarn he loved and had started some socks with a new pattern, but it wasn't working, so he handed over the yarn and I'm now making a plain pair of socks with it. It is fun stripey yarn and I'm enjoying working with it. I am almost (within 5 rows?) ready to start the heel, and then i get to start the second sock probably.

Present Pictures and Tour de Fleece

Since my presents for my nephew arrived I can now show the pictures of those. I made a blanket for him...



You can really see the cool texture in the close-up.


...and a little bear also!



The silk that I had recently finished spinning was knit into a kerchief for Lily.


I adapted a shawl pattern and knit until it was big enough. She of course, then cut her hair so it is less needed, but she can still use it.


I used the rest of the silk to make a choker for Curly.


She loves wearing it and has me put it on her most days.



now, for the Tour De Fleece wrap up. Out of my six goals I managed to accomplish 4 of them. I did spin every day - in fact, yesterday was the first day I didn't spin probably all month. (and I washed yarn instead - all of these pics are pre-washed)

I also finished some fiber...


The Yarn Pirate April Club Fiber was finished. I think it's between a lace and fingering. I'll have to measure it after it dries.


I also finished the Fantom Fiber Purple. This is for a sweater for Curly. She helped choose it at the MA sheep and wool. She wants it made into a Wonderful Wallaby sweater.


I really like how it came out. Now I need to do a swatch and see how much I'll need to play with the sizing. I was aiming for a worsted weight yarn, some places look a bit thicker as it's drying.



Another goal was to start the silk hankies I have.


They have been started. It was fun to just start this and put it away in the middle of the other spinning.



The Sweet Pea (Yarn Pirate) was spindle spun and then plied on the wheel. The purple was done completely on the wheel. Both were chain plied. The silk is on my bosworth featherweight.

The two goals I didn't get to were to spin either gray or brown for an adult sweater, and to spin another fiber (4 oz or less) of something I had gotten at Rhinebeck several years ago. Oh well.


Now that the purple yarn is done for Curly's sweater I need to finish a commercial yarn test of the pattern (so I'll know what if anything I need to change as I knit the handspun one). This is for one of my nephews... there's no time crunch, I figured I'll send it out in the fall with a baby present, but Curly is wanting it done tomorrow so I will start her sweater as the purple yarn dries.




I'm still working on the lace and cable cardigan for my sewing swap friend, but I am on the first sleeve, and actually halfway done with that I think... so if all goes well I should be seaming it up within the next week or two. After that (during the wallaby sweaters) I plan to start two things for me. One is a shawl, and the other is a vest.



This is the yarn for the vest, which is going to be fun as I haven't done colorwork in a while, and I have never steeked, and this pattern calls for both! :)

I also have a loom borrowed from my neighbor and I just got all the tools for it today... I think I'll be learning to warp a loom sometime very soon also...

Tour de Fleece - goals

Ok, so although I never really sign up for things, I sometimes do like to participate. The Tour De Fleece for instance, is a spinning challenge to set some goals for yourself and spin every day of the tour de france (July 5 - July 26). Last year I managed to spin four different yarns. Three of those four yarns have now been knit up, which is a very happy ratio. The orange became a bag, the sage and daffodil yarn became mittens and a cowl (the mittens are loved by Lily, the cowl - not so much), and the red yarn became Noel's scarf.

This year I would like to:

1. Finish the April yarn pirate roving (5/16 done, working on number 6 during the first couple days of TdF). I've been spinning it on a spindle and plan to navajo ply it on the wheel to get a sock weight yarn.

2. Spin the purple wool that was just bought at the Ma sheep and wool for Curly's sweater

3. Spin either some brown (alpaca) or gray (superwash) for a sweater for an adult

4. Spin one additional braid of pretty wool in my stash

5. Start some more silk (hankies?) on my featherweight spindle

6. Spin some (at least 10 min) every day

I'm not sure I'll finish all of these goals, but at least they are out in front of me now, so I can keep an eye on them. So far I have done the spinning every day by working on the April roving on my spindle. the only problem is I have a lot of knitting I want to get done in this same time-span. ...and some sewing, and some gardening, and exercise, and family time... yeah. We'll see how well I can juggle these goals with the rest of my life!

What are your hobby goals for July? Come on... other than normal daily things that HAVE to get done, what are you trying to do this month?