Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2026 - part 6

Whelp, these last two weeks did not go as I planned.... I only managed to spin 2 of the 9 days for the Women's Tour.

TdF – Femmes

Day 1: Saturday, August 1 – 15 minutes

Day 2: Sunday, August 2 – Day 8: Saturday, August 8

No Spinning at all these days.

Day 9: Sunday, August 9 – 15 minutes

I have just a little of the roving remaining that I prepared ahead of the men's race.

Total Status

• Spin Duration:  91 + 0 + 75 + 45 = 211 minutes (~3.5 hours) + 30 minutes = 4 hours total
• Spin Days:  6 of 6 + 0 of 6 + 5 of 6 + 3 of 3 = 14 of 21 days for TdFH + 2 of 9 for TdFF = 16 of 30 days total
• Bobbin/Skein Status: nothing finished yet

Overall, I'm not entirely thrilled with my progress.

• I spun 16 of 30 days, so just over 50%.
• Each day I spun was 15 minutes, thanks to the timer I set for each.  So that goal was met.
• I missed one week of spinning, which was expected due to prior commitments.
• I missed a second, unplanned week of spinning.  This frustrates me, but life is lifing and spinning is at the bottom of the daily list.

So in practicing what I preach news, I am giving myself grace here.  I was considering not participating this year due to the fullness of life right now.  So the fact that I got any spinning accomplished is an accomplishment.

I do wish I had weighed what I prepared prior to spinning.  So How Much will have to be answered later.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2026 - part 4

For the fourth and final week of the Men's Tour, my progress is below:

Day 19: Friday, July 24 – 15 minutes

Day 20: Saturday, July 25 – 15 minutes

Day 21: Sunday, July 26 – 15 minutes

At this time, I have one of my original prepared rovings remaining... I plan to make more for the Women's race.

Week 4 Status -TdFH

• Spin Duration:  91 + 0 + 75 + 45 = 211 minutes (~3.5 hours)
• Spin Days:  6 of 6 + 0 of 6 + 5 of 6 + 3 of 3 = 14 of 21 days
• Bobbin/Skein Status: nothing finished yet

This is the end of the Men's race.  The women's race begins tomorrow.

I plan to continue working on the single and then to ply over the last few days of the Women's race.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2026 - part 3

My progress slowed considerably since I was in a Silent and then Writing Retreat for all of Week Two.  Week Three progress is below:

Day 7: Friday, July 10 – Day 12: Thursday, July 16th

Was mostly off line due to retreats.  So no spinning was accomplished by me for week two.

Day 13: Friday, July 17 – 15 minutes

Its fun to be back at my wheel.

Day 14: Saturday, July 18 – 15 minutes

Day 15: Sunday, July 19 – Challenge Day

No spinning today

 

Monday, July 20 – Rest Day

I did spin today, 15 minutes.

Day 16: Tuesday, July 21 – 15 minutes

Day 17: Wednesday, July 22 –

No spinning today.

 

Day 18: Thursday, July 23 – 15 minutes

Week 3 Status -TdFH

• Spin Duration:  91 + 0 + 75 = 166 minutes thus far
• Spin Days:  6 of 6 + 0 of 6 + 5 of 6 = 11 of 18 days thus far
• Bobbin/Skein Status: nothing finished yet

I am happy with my progress thus far, given how little time I've been able to allocate.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!  

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2026 - part 2

Ok!  Spinning has begun and my Coaching/Facilitation Skills are getting a workout... Not really, the team is small and everyone is always lovely.  So it has been a joy so far.  :-)

(part one)

I did get my (ahem) stash together...

The good news is that it was clean.  The bad news is that it was not yet in roving form.... so I spent some of Friday and Saturday morning carding.  I got two batches of roving prepared.

This isn't enough to keep me busy for both Tours, but it is enough to keep me busy for a few days.

Since I already know that I will not be able to spin every day, my goal is simple this year... I plan to spin for at least 15 minutes when I do sit down to spin.

So here's my daily record...

***

TdF - Hommes

Day 1: Saturday, July 4 – 15 minutes

Day 2: Sunday, July 5 – 15 minutes

I had a special treat today, in that I got to help my spinning student check out and buy her first wheel.  She found a screaming deal on Facebook locally, and her new wheel is just lovely.

Day 3: Monday, July 6 – 16 minutes

Day 4: Tuesday, July 7 – 15 minutes

Day 5: Wednesday, July 8 – 15 minutes

I finished my first chunk of roving today.

At this slow rate, I may not need to prepare more roving.  lol

Day 6: Thursday, July 9 – 15 minutes

I covered the bobbin today.  That always makes me happy.  :-)

 

Week 1 Status -TdFH

I'm feeling good about my progress this week.  That will change next week;

• Spin Duration:  91 minutes and 6 of 6 days.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2026 - part 1

It's that time of year again... Tour de Fleece.

A lot has happened in my world over the last year... really the last few years, but especially the last year.

I am in a new living situation.  On my own.  Just me and my dogs.

My alpaca are staying at a friend's ranch nearby.

I am the sole owner at The Canine Learning Center now, which is keeping me exceptionally busy.

Everything else is with my ex-husband and his "best friend."

I haven't been spinning or knitting.  I missed the registration deadline for the Estes Park Wool Market.  AND, I was thinking about not participating in this year's Tour de Fleece.  BUT every time I thought about telling the group that I would not be participating, I would get sad.

So earlier this week, I finally went to Ravelry to see how the team was shaping up, and there wasn't anything posted other than a question about whether we were having a team this year.

So I volunteered.  I am leading the team this year!  Hooray!

I have been teaching a friend how to spin, and she is starting on Chiengora... so I have also been teaching her how to prepare the fiber.. and she's doing a great job!

Which means, I'm not entirely without fiber in my life.  :-)

Anyway... now I need to get my stash together (ahem) and figure out what I will be spinning and what my goals are for the next month or so.

The Tour begins tomorrow, Saturday, July 4th.

Join us, won't you?

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Long Draw Spinning Practice - 2025, part 7

For the last set of rolags from my recent fiber preparation classes is this grey.  

It is a blend of alpaca and wool.

I did have the option to spin a little from one of my fellow students at the Estes Park Wool Market earlier this year, as she had a demonstration booth set up.... so I'm excited to spin this one.

I don't feel I'm proficient with the Long Draw Technique yet, but I am feeling less uncomfortable with it... I found this blend to be more sticky than the others and thus I think I overspun these singles.

However, in looking at the energy in this yarn after plying, I realized I plied in the same direction as the singles.  Oy, I have not had a yarn look like this in a very, long time... what a novice mistake!  sigh.

It does look better after washing, but all of that energy will return as soon as this yarn gets wet again.

What a bummer for such a lovely blend.  sigh.  I am thinking about plying back with a complementary thread, but for now that's just a note for later.

1 oz (30g), 46 yards of 2-ply.

I have several more fibers from classes that are prepared in batts and rovings that I think I will commit to improving this skill, but they will have to wait.  Because for now, this Project is concluded.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday.

Long Draw Spinning Practice - 2025, part 6

For Part 6 - I chose a 4-color gradient with Tussah Silk sandwiched between the layers.  I did not take notes on the wool nor do I remember how these were given to us.  I assume it was piles of the individual colors.

My rolag sorting last time worked better, so I repeated that this time... to the best of my ability.  ;-)

I did break the single again, and was able to fix it.

I'm also doing better about pulling the fibers from the full diameter of the rolag, rather than just the center.  This is easier with the smaller diameter rolags.  Will have to keep that in mind for when I make more.

1 1/8 oz (31g), 68 yards of 2-ply.

I like this colorway better than most of the others so far... but they do look nice with each other.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!