Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2024 - part 1

As we were approaching the end of May, and I began preparing for the classes I would be taking at the Estes Park Wool Market in early June and also starting thinking about my Tour de Fleece goals... this is later than normal.

Normally, I have a specific goal I am working toward and therefore have a plan for what needs to be spun and any skills that need practice.  This year, I don't.

This means that I am reverting to two long-term goals that have not had attention in some time.

1. Spin Alpaca and Alpaca-adjacent fibers that have been purchased... as opposed to grown by us.  I have a few of these outstanding.
2. Spin Tibetan Mastiff (Ramen) for a wrap.  This was started last year and needs ~2200 yards (660g, 23oz) to be completed.

The TM will be a 2-ply.  The alpaca may as well, however everything already spun for the unsaid-project is a single, so I may leave it as such for now.  I am hoping to spend 1-hour on each, each day.  Reality will be likely be closer to 15 minutes each, each day.

If I am able to approach my daily time goal:

• I will need to prepare more Tibetan Mastiff (Ramen) before the Tour has concluded.
• I have plenty of wool, cotton, and other rare fibers ready to go, if I complete the alpaca and alpaca-adjacent purchased rovings.

The Tour de France begins on Saturday, June 29 (tomorrow), and runs thru Sunday, July 21.  Then the Tour de France, Femme runs between Monday, August 12 and Sunday, August 18.

The guidelines, as always, are to spin every day the Tour rides...  Rest on the Rest Days...  and Challenge yourself on the hardest days of the Tour.

Both wheels are empty and the Tour begins tomorrow!

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Studio Update

So in the fall of 2022 we embarked upon a significant remodel of our house.

Then, thanks to the exceptionally wet spring, the Studio Floor needed to be replaced, which was accomplished the fall of 2023... and while that work was going on, we decided to improve the lighting.

Then, we decided to buy our Dog Training School which we brought through a lot of upgrades.

So the re-moving-in has been going very slow for the last 6 months... just a little hear and there.

However, on Memorial Day, at the end of May, Hubba and I had time off together and spent much of the day bringing in and assembling the big stuff.

Having the big pieces in place gave me access to the fiber stash and tool bins, which are now mostly organized.

So while I'm not finished moving in, I have started working my day job again from this space.

And it feels so good.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Rainbow Trout Squares the Circle, part 2

After getting the cast-on complete last time, I wanted to get these socks set up for Dog Show Knitting... which included moving from the 9-inch circulars on to dpns.

I have not done a complete sock on dpns before... and it's been a very long time since I've done a large portion of any project on dpns.  But my longer circulars are still packed away due to the studio repair, so I decided to give it a try.  :-)

The first was a local show.  The Trail Ridge Kennel Club Dog Show was held at a nearby park with plenty of shade.  So we stalled in the car.

The second includes a road trip to Michigan for the UKC Premier Dog Show.

So since I only have one set of dpns and I wanted to make sure both socks were ready to go, I used both 9-inch circulars on the second sock.

So I have one sock on 4-dpns and the other on 2 9-inch circulars.  It will be interesting to see if these socks turn out differently.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Emotional Support Chicken™, part 3

I wasn't good about taking photos during the process... but since last time

• I have joined the feathers on my Emotional Support Chicken, 
• reclaimed the defective feather
• knit the body, neck, head, and bottom,
• woven in the ends,
• stuffed, and
• seamed all of the pieces

This chicken is pretty cute.  :-)

She is on her way to her new home, but there's a good chance I'll make one for myself.  :-)

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Emotional Support Chicken™, part 2

I have completed both Tail pieces on my Emotional Support Chicken™.

I had to make three, because I missed a small part of  the initial step for the middle and last Tail Feathers...

Pretty crazy how a small mistake makes for a completely different outcome.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Emotional Support Chicken™

Well... on April 30th, while I was between the Trout Jaywalker Socks and the Trout Circles the Square Socks, I happened upon the Emotional Support Chicken. 

I was kind of thinking I wanted to make a chicken... but the idea hadn't really formulated yet and POOF, there it was... I bought the pattern almost immediately.

Then all of a sudden, I realized a whole lot of people were making their own Emotional Support Chickens.  There are also  kits available for both knitting and crochet.

Who knew so many people could use their own Emotional Support Chicken??

Isn't it funny how you don't see something, then once you start paying attention, that something is everywhere?

Anyway, I know someone who could use an Emotional Support Chicken... and in checking my stash, I have all of the supplies needed to make one resembling our Rooster.

So I pulled the pieces together and cast-on late on May Day.

The US-7 needles feel giant after so much US-0 work.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Rainbow Trout Squares the Circle

I mentioned last time that I had found a pattern suitable for my Rainbow Trout Yarn...

This pattern is also a Top-Down construction which I was lamenting prior to ripping out the Jaywalker Socks, but I decided that the only way to get better is to keep trying...

In this edition, I want to be extra-careful to start the socks at the same place in the Colorway and the easiest way to do that is to NOT use the Long-Tail Cast on, which is my favorite.

So I went searching for a Stretchy Cast-on and found Jeny's Stretchy Slip-Knot Cast-on.

Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off is already my go-to for binding off sock tops and this Cast-on is the complement.

I tried multiple times and it just wasn't working for me.  I think primarily because my yarn was wonky after having been just being ripped out of the last pair of socks...  So I finally ended up using Tillybuddy's Very Stretchy Cast on.

This cast-on was quick and easy to pick up.  I'm looking forward to seeing how I like it on socks.

Next up is a few inches of K2, P2 for the cuff.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!