Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2024 - part 5

**Week 4**

With the last week and last three days of the Mens' Tour de Fleece, I am focusing on finishing my Tibetan Mastiff yarn, which will be a 2-ply.

I am aiming to complete Paco-Vicuna single by the end of the Tour and then ply it later.

Friday, July 19

TM: Ramen:  15 minutes 

I began plying the Tibetan Mastiff this morning.  I combined it with a cake I had completed prior to this Tour beginning.

The single spun during this Tour weighs 2 oz and the prior weights ~3/8 oz.

  

Saturday, July 20

TM: Ramen: 48 minutes

Alpaca-ish: Switzer-Land Paco-Vicuna:  23 minutes

I forgot to take a photo.

 

Sunday, July 21

TM: Ramen: 38 minutes

I completed plying the Tibetan Mastiff today.  Will wind off, measure, and wash later.

Alpaca-ish: Switzer-Land Paco-Vicuna:  20 minutes

I have completed the first ball, 1/2 ounce.

**Hommes Race, Wrap-up

Weekly Status:

Duration:  

• + TM:             6 hrs 24 mins + 1 hr 41 mins = 8 hrs 5 mins
• + Alpaca-ish:  8 hrs 52 mins + 43 mins = 9 hrs 35 mins
• = Total:           15 hrs 16 mins + 2 hrs 24 mins = 16 hrs 40 mins

Net Days Spun:  -2 +0 = -2

Finished Skeins:  1 + 1 = 2

Given the other things going on in our world right now, I am both happy and disappointed in my progress for this Tour.

I wanted to accomplish more and I still accomplished two finished skeins and a single half-complete for a third skein.

Spinning felt more like a chore than an enjoyable activity, yet it was still calming for my mind.

Both of these skeins are now entered into our County Fair.  I'm not sure that either are Blue Ribbon Skeins, but possibly 2nd or 3rd place.  TM on the left and Alpaca+Bamboo on the right.

I am looking forward to just spinning a little here and there... and am planning (hoping?) to be back with daily spinning progress for the Tour de Fleece, Femme after the Olympics.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2024 - part 4

**Week3**

As Week 3 begins in this Tour de Fleece, I feel like I've been in a groove... though it will be interrupted due to other activities this coming weekend.

Friday, July 12

No spinning was accomplished.

Saturday, July 13

No spinning was accomplished.

 

Sunday, July 14 - Challenge Day

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 49 minutes

No specific challenge was attempted today.  Though, I did finish plying this single.

Monday, July 15 - Rest Day

TM: Ramen: 19 minutes

I did get a little bit of spinning in today.

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 

Wound the finished yarn off the bobbin and gave it a bath.  There are 200 yards in 4 5/8 oz of completed yarn here.

  

Tuesday, July 16

TM: Ramen: 15 minutes

Alpaca-ish: Switzer-Land Paco-Vicuna: 21 minutes

There's only one ounce between these two small balls of roving.  This Paco-Vicuna was purchased from the farmer at an Art Show during last year's Estes Park Wool Market.

   

Wednesday, July 17

TM: Ramen: 56 minutes

Alpaca-ish: Switzer-Land Paco-Vicuna:  30 minutes

I re-wound the ball of roving so that I could spin from the other end, and it is going more smoothly.

Thursday, July 18

TM: Ramen: 34 minutes

I have ~3/8 oz of prepared TM remaining, but I am planning to start plying tomorrow, since it will take at least a couple of days to get the plying completed.

Weekly Status:

There are only 3 days left in this Tour, so I plan to begin plying the Tibetan Mastiff tomorrow.  I will aim to complete the Paco-Vicuna single by Sunday, then begin plying after this Tour concludes.

Duration:  

• + TM:             4 hrs 20 mins + 2 hrs 4 mins = 6 hrs 24 mins
• + Alpaca-ish:  7 hrs 12 minutes + 1 hr 40 mins = 8 hrs 52 mins
• = Total:           11 hrs 32 minutes + 3 hrs 44 min = 15 hrs 16 mins

Net Days Spun:  -1 -2 +1 = -2

Finished Skeins:  0 +1 = 1

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2024 - part 3

 **Week 2**

As Week 2 begins, I'm feeling overwhelmed with the world and all of the things needing attention.  Spinning is helpful, but it's been difficult getting it done.

Friday, July 5

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 59 minutes

I forgot to take a photo

Saturday, July 6

TM: Ramen: 19 minutes

After a few days with no TM spinning, I'm happy to have been able to complete some today.

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 25 minutes

At this point I'm nearly half-complete with this alpaca-ish single.

  

Sunday, July 7 - Challenge Day

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 2 hrs 20 minutes

During this Tour, I have been working to spin faster.  This preparation (mill-produced pencil roving of alpaca + bamboo) is allowing me to spin much faster than the roving I made at home of the Tibetan Mastiff.

  

As such, I've been spinning the Alpaca+Bamboo much faster than the last time I measured such a blend... this roving is spinning at a rate of ~1 oz per hour instead of ~1 hour per 1/8 oz.  :-)  Today and I finished the bump.

I still have bits of over-spun yarn, which is annoying.  Plying will help it some, but not likely to completely resolve the over-spun areas.

Monday, July 8 - Rest Day

TM: Ramen: 33minutes

While today is supposed to be a Rest Day, I am down two days of spinning.  So I spent some time working on my Tibetan Mastiff.

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 

I also wound the Alpaca+Bamboo Single into a cake.  I will weigh and start plying tomorrow.

  

Tuesday, July 9

TM: Ramen: 20 minutes

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 27 minutes

I began plying the Alpaca+Bamboo.  The cake weighs 4 5/8 oz.

  

Wednesday, July 10

TM: Ramen: 50 minutes

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 26 minutes

I think I have a couple of days left of plying this single.

  

Thursday, July 11

TM: Ramen: 49 minutes

I finished the prepared TM roving and started on the one batt I have prepared.  Will have to prepare more in the next couple of days.

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo):  18 minutes

I think I have a couple of days remaining on plying this skein.

  

Weekly Status:

Duration:  

• + TM:             1 hr 29 min (last week) + 2 hrs 51 mins (this week) = 4 hrs 20 mins (total)
• + Alpaca-ish:  2 hrs + 17 mins (last week) + 4 hrs 55 min (this week) = 7 hrs 12 minutes (total)
• = Total:           3 hrs + 46 mins (last week) + 7 hrs 46 mins (this week) = 11 hrs 32 minutes (total)

Net Days Spun: -2 +1 = -1

Finished Skeins:  0 +0 = 0

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Tour de Fleece, 2024 - part 2

 **Week 1

Before the event even started, I was compelled to spin.

Alpaca: Suri - Diamond Valley, Dark Brown and White Sliver

I had gotten my initial fibers organized and wrote last week's post.  Then as I was preparing to do something else, I was consumed by a compulsion to spin.  I have not had this feeling in quite a long time... and ultimately gave in to it.

After about 5 minutes, the compulsion was beginning to subside... but I spun for another 30 minutes, until I felt completely satisfied.

I love spinning, and really appreciate days like this.  It's especially nice to forego the feeling of just accomplishing a task, and instead focus on the joy of it.

I've spun nearly daily since and have completed the Dark Brown + White Suri Alpaca Roving.

The middle cake was completed some time ago and was spun with both the Dark Brown and White together at the same time.  The other two were completed in the last week and were an attempt to spin the colors separately.  You can see the split was not perfect, which leads to some interesting color play in each single.  I think these will each become a 2-ply but that will have to wait until later.

AND now my bobbins are empty again and the fibers are staged for the Tour de Fleece beginning tomorrow.  :-)

Saturday, June 29

TM: Ramen: 36 minutes

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Alpaca+Bamboo): 53 minutes

I don't know the percentage of the blend, but was happy to see that the format is Pencil Roving.  This should go quickly.

It appears I forgot to take a photo of the alpaca progress... so here's the TM after Day 1.

Sunday, June 30

TM: Ramen: 40 minutes

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 58 minutes

 

Monday, July 1

No Spinning was accomplished today.

Tuesday, July 2

TM: Ramen: 13 minutes

A broken (and repaired) drive band.  So just a short trip with TM today.

  

Wednesday, July 3

No Spinning was accomplished today.

Thursday, July 4 - Independence Day Holiday

Alpaca-ish: Double K Diamond Llamas - Katydid (Huacaya Alpaca+Bamboo): 26 minutes

After a visit to the Greeley Stampede, where I learned to throw a rope (bucket list item checked off), I spent a little time with my alpaca and cared for our animals during the fireworks.

Weekly Status:

Duration:  

• + TM:             1 hr 29 min
• + Alpaca-ish:  2 hrs 17 min
• = Total:           3 hrs 46 min

Net Days Spun: -2 days

Finished Skeins:  0

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

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!