The Tour de Fleece, that is. I’ve never joined the tour before, but this year I am feeling pretty good due to my current 6-week course of steroids (prednisone… if you’ve ever been on this drug, you know what I’m talking about… I feel great and have tons of energy) and my hip is feeling so much better I’m walking without my crutch and almost no limp.
If I was ever going to try to do some meaningful spinning, this is the time to do it!! The Tour de Fleece this year is from July 1st until July 24th. The idea is to watch the Tour de France while spinning along… kind of a fusion of spinning wheels, you know. I’ve joined Team Rookie since this is my first year on the Tour and it has been quite a while since I’ve done any serious spinning. This will be fun!
Here are my goals:
Goal One: spin the yak! I have two 4-ounce rovings from Greenwood Fiberworks that are 50/50 silk/yak. I started on the crocus colored roving about a year ago, and it has just been in limbo since then. The poor wheel has become dusty while it was sitting around with the little bit of spinning that I had accomplished last year parked on a spindle. I’ve decided to try to get both of these rovings spun up and then plied together… maybe. I can also go for 3 ply with some Navajo plying. I’m going to spin fine with an eye on a fingering weight final yarn.
Goal Two: spin the paco-vicuna! The silk/yak is the warm-up for the main event. I have had this paco-vicuna (from an animal named Gulliver) for over 10 years, and because of the cost and the fine fiber I have been afraid to commit to spinning it. Well, I’m over it. If this will ever be spun, now is the time. My goal is for a two-ply fingering yarn for a lacy cowl or shawlette. I’m also thinking that a hat and mitts would be really nice.
Goal Three: spin the alpaca! The fleece from an alpaca named Antonia, to be exact. I bought this rose grey alpaca fleece at the Estes Park Wool Market a few years ago. It’s a nice fleece. It didn’t win a ribbon, but when I found it in a vendor’s booth, I liked the color and texture so much I impulse bought it. It doesn’t have very much veggie matter in it, but the stable is a tiny bit on the short side so… no ribbon. Still, it should make a really nice yarn. I’m thinking that this should be a 2-ply sport to DK weight yarn. I’m not completely committed to working on this fleece, but if the spinning on the other two projects goes fairly quickly then I should have time to do some carding and spinning with this yummy alpaca.
I spun for 2 hours tonight, and my hip is still behaving itself. That’s a good sign. I also signed up with the team out of my local yarn store and I hope to go spin with them every Sunday morning while the tour is going on. This will be fun.
Yarn, Books & Roses 
I really like that you’re feeling so good, Marilyn !!
But I’m really not into spinning.
Never mind: what eventuates at your place will be worth following. 🙂
You just made my day!
I’m so pleased about you health improvement – even if it is sending you into a spin 🙂
Me too! Im in the last week of the drug at this dose, though, and then I get weaned off over the next two weeks. I’m doing everything that I can while I’m in the sweet zone. 🙂
Oooooh pretty fibres. Oooh that purple 😍😍😍
You can never go wrong with purple… or dusty pink. 🙂
The photo of your paco vicuna made me hungry for freshly baked bread, which I thought it was until I read the label. That aside, I wanted to say you’re an inspiration to many. Godspeed on your journey of hope.
Thank you. I think that if I get the yarn knitted up into something I should name it freshly baked bread, right? Won’t that have a ring. Like… the Freshly Baked Bread Cowl…
Glad you are feeling well enough to join the Tour. Your spinning looks really good. Mine is still a little wonky.
I used to spin a lot. I realized today that my wheel is about 25 years old. 🙂
Enjoy the Tour! It’s a summer highlight for me and you’ve picked some exceptionally yummy-sounding fibers to work on this month.
I’ve always wanted to jump on the Tour train, but I’ve always been buried by the old too many projects, so little time problem. This year I’m committing to the spinning. Poor neglected spinning wheel, it was about time!
So glad you are feeling so much better! Enjoy the Tour de Fleece! You have some lovely fiber there – can’t wait to see your yarn 🙂
That sounds fun! I’m glad you’re feeling up to spinning. I love the fibers you’ve chosen to spin. I’m doing the Tour de Fleece this year also, but on my own—aka without a team, and without watching the Tour de France. I have some art batts that have been lingering in my “work on soon” pile for a lot longer than still classifies as “soon” so that’s what I’ll be spinning.
Okay, I really don’t understand the whole team thing, now that I joined one, and the chat thread on Ravelry is beyond overwhelming. I’m just chilling and spinning as much as I can (since I am really Team Baby That Bad Boy Hip) while totally ignoring the bike race. :-)It is a good motivator to be spinning while other people are, isn’t it.
I know that some people get more out of the Ravelry chat groups, but I’ve never spent much time in them so I don’t personally have a need to join a team. I know some groups have competitions to see who can spin the most, or raffles to give away prizes. Nothing that I’m interested in for myself, though. I think your idea of spinning-while-babying-your-hip is a good one.
I think that it is more important for me to enjoy myself and to see steady progress. 🙂
Agreed, I know that I don’t do well with pressure to compete when it comes to crafting. My tension gets off in knitting, my spinning is uneven, etc. I’m happiest with my end result when I don’t worry about group stuff.
It is best to have fun!