Final TDF prep 2026

 Here we are, poised to start spinning on Saturday morning. Most of my bobbins are empty, just one on the Victoria that I need to finish and ply but I will be ready.

My fibre choices are  a little different this year, I have the usual selection of Ryeland, Jacob, texel, Shetland etc all combed and ready to go.

I also have some more commercial fibres ( I know, so not like me ! ) including this selection from world of wool as I couldn't resist the colours. 50gm of each to be spun as a 4ply weight for some fair isle knitting.

I also have a selection from Petes Fibre Studio on facebook just because I love how his dyeing has progressed over the years. These may end up as a holiday spin later in the year if I don't get round to them during TDF

Usually we end up with a couple of festivals in July but this year they are later in the year so I will be looking at local locations to spin. I will be getting my senior bus pass halfway through so I may be heading out a little further around Nottingham.

As usual posts will be either daily or 2/3 days depending on how busy I am, wish me luck :-)

Tour de Fleece 2026 prep and chat

 I know that it is only June but its less than a month until the start of the 2026 TDF and I really don't have  a lot of fleece prepped at all !

I have some washed ready for combing, I have lots that needs a wash including this large bag that I found on my doorstep last week. Nearly 5 kilos of what I suspect ( from previous fleece from the same source) is going to be texel. I am waiting for a dry day to make a start on washing and maybe even dyeing it ready to spin. Seriously, its rained pretty much everyday since it turned up

My plans for TDF are the same as ever, work on spinning down the stash, make use of my wheels and maybe finish a couple of half spun projects before it starts.

I could just use the texel as my challenge but I may get bored spinning the same breed for three weeks. I do plan to take my wheel to as many local destinations as possible, we won't be going away as Ian will probably be doing his bike thing down south and the van will be back at the dealers for annual service, mot etc but I will be getting my bus pass halfway through so I might see where else I can get with it.

later

between showers today I popped 300gm or so of raw fleece into a net bag and started to wash it.

Surprisingly its really not that dirty and not looking to bad considering the fact that someone who knows absolutely nothing about fleece volunteered to grab me a bag full just after the sheep were sheared.

Once washed and rinsed I'm left with this which will go in the dye pot for a change.

It looks like I am going to busy over the next couple of weeks or so prepping ready for the big spin. Also I'm hoping to get out and about most days with a wheel of some kind or maybe even just a spindle.

Now out of the dye pot weighing in at 250gm 

Tour de Fleece days 1-3

 Hi

Due to a family engagement I had to change my plans around but still managed 100 gm plus of Lleyn x Texel on first day.

I followed this up with 3 bobbins on Day Two.

spun a further bobbin on the third morning and plyed up the resulting 200 gm.

So far I've managed 100 gm per day but at some point I will have to stop and process some more but it would be nice to spin the whole of this fleece by the end of the challenge.

The plan tomorrow is to take the wheel out with me, I had planned this for Sunday but it was so windy that I would have spent all afternoon chasing the fleece and ended up taking some bobbin lace instead.

Today I did take a spindle but after finishing knitting my hat ,some friends unexpectedly turned up in the same cafe which put an end to any spinning.

Further update in a few days.

Speak soon x

Interrupting the Scottish posts with a quick charity haul update and a TDF 2023 mention.

 Which do I do first? I think the TDF 2023

If you follow this link you will see that most years I take part in the Tour de Fleece when spinners around the world watch the Tour de France cycle race and spin along on race days, rest on rest days and challenge themselves on challenge days. Originally hosted on Ravelry the concept has spread onto Facebook.

For myself its always been a chance  (excuse) to spin everyday and become more consistent in my spinning , especially when I was still working and didn't get chance to spin everyday as I do now.

This year I will be once again spinning everyday ( when possible) but I also hope to take my wheel and spindles out and about more, I will document my progress as usual.

Starts 1st July and ends on the 23rd, so I'm about to wash and prep fleece like mad once I'm feeling better ( that's another story).

Here is most of the charity shop haul from Scotland. I seem to have lost one item but will add it in at a later date.

First books, although I am trying to get rid of books I bought a few fictional ones for holiday reading and one or two knitting related ones.

I'm really looking forward to the one about the rag trade, its about the lives of the people, dressmakers, milliners ,tailors, shoemakers, framework knitting, corset makers and a lacemaker. 

I was also lucky to find a DMC colour chart, even if its an old one it will help me match colours on an upcoming project.

As for cross stitch, I found a few kits and charts that may stay with me or be passed on to other stitchers.

At one of my favourite shops in Portree on Skye, a couple of mugs jumped in my basket. These date from 1993/4 and were produced by Paragon Products, Young enterprise Scotland company from Portree High School. Young Enterprise Scheme is an initiative for school children to learn the basics of running a business from opening the bank account to producing and selling the product. I've supported similar businesses locally in the past.

I suspect that these may have originally been a set of four so the hunt is on.

Our last next to last stop at Kendal produced a surprising  and somewhat sad find, priced at £1.00 this picture is hand made bobbin lace ( I think I have the pattern for it in my files) and would have taken hours to complete. It will now become part of my lace display when demonstrating and live on the book shelve when I'm not.

I will be back soon with tales of Scottish sunsets x

Tour de Fleece 2021

 Hi

Just a quick update to say that I am taking part in Tour de fleece 2021 ( start date 26 June ), I have joined in pretty much every year for the last 10 or so challenges.

This year I'm keeping it simple again, spin everyday, spin down the stash and restock the yarn stash.

The next couple of weeks will see me up to my neck in bits of fleece whilst I try and prep a kilo or so ready to spin. 

BTW, on 26 May I posted about how cold it was here, today the expected temp is 26c so its been a quick hunt for summer clothes :-)

spinning fatigue?

Hi, 

I've had a quick count up of this years spinning so far, over 40 skeins  (most is in the photo but I've knitted some and any with a break in them go in different bags for my own use) and at least 12 different breeds or crosses.

I'm having a short break from the wheel and finishing some knitting that have been hanging around.

I also wound the yarn off the spindle and plyed it from a centre pull ball. I do need to put more twist in it but 10gm gave me 56 yards which isn't bad.

I'm going to be sorting the van kit ( which will take me ages ) and probably make a start on sorting out the workroom cupboards as I'm really not sure what is in them.

Guess what ? I've finally finished the lace bookmark. I had to have two attempts at the bottom of it as I simply couldn't remember how to do it. Turns out that I had worked a row too far down and once backtracked I could work it out.

I've been sorting out my book shelves and , of course, this has made look at the books and want to revisit inkle weaving as well as more lace. Definitely not enough hours in the day. thinking about this, I used to blitz the housework on a Saturday morning but now have a daily routine so instead of 3hrs it takes me twice as long!! But the house is actually getting and staying cleaner.

On the job list for next week are:- shortening and hemming work trousers for hubby, making masks as the caravan club have said that they have to be worn on campsites in shared facilities ( loos, shower are etc) and trying to figure out a good storage method for my DPNs, I have something in mind but need to work round the different lengths. I have some full length ones but I'll keep them separate as rarely used at the moment.

That's about it for this weeks round up, we have the gardeners in turning the wilderness in the front of the house into a maintenance free area, the noise has been quite loud so I'm shut away at the back of the house. The weekend forecast isn't too good , I think I will be spending it knitting and sewing.

Take care xx

Tour de Fleece, and its Over.

Hi,

I stopped spinning on the wheel on Friday and continued on the spindle. So now I'm calling it a day.

1.452 Kilo of yarn, 2561 yards of 2 ply that will replenish my stocks nicely !

TDF spinning 2020 PW = pre washed

Date finished	Breed	PW Weight		Wash weight	Wash length
28.6.20	balwen/texel	105		103	168
28.6.20	Balwen texel	115		113	188
29.6.20	Jacob	109		105	280
30.6.20	Cheviot	110		109	119
02.07.20	Zwartbles	105		104	240
05.07.20	Zwartbles	120		119	239
05.07.20	Zwartbles	116		115	218
06.07.20	BFL/Swaledale	56		55	84
09.07.20	unknown	105		103	160
12.07.20	unknown	107		105	160
12.07.20	Kent Romney	125		120	150
15.07.20	Portland	110		109	280
15.07.20	Manx	53		52	120
16.07.20	Jacob	140		140	155

Total 15 Skeins 1.452 kilo                  2561 yards       1.45mile.

The spindle currently has 7gm on it and I will continue with this a s a summer project.

Its been fun but I now need my time to concentrate on other things and the house needs sorting, I still have the lace to finish!! So I'm packing my wheel away for a few days, the spindle will still be around, and will return with the mixed weekly blog next weekend.

Stay safe everyone xx

Tour de Fleece day 20 & 21

Hi,

I'm not sure whether I'll get chance to spin any more over the weekend so I'll do a proper round up of the TDF on Sunday.

I the meantime, here's the spinning from the last two days,

All washed and clean, 109 gm Portland and 52gm  Manx.

and 140gm of Jacob which is still waiting for a wash,

My TDF stash currently looks like this

and with the Jacob stands at around 1.45 kilo, plenty of yarn to play with :-)

After Sundays post, this blog will revert to weekly round ups of general crafting and life stuff, basically trying to record my retirement or as it feels at the moment, extended lockdown !

Take care, have a great weekend xx

Tour de Fleece day 18 & 19

Hi,

Another update, first bobbin of Portland spun up 60gm and the second is on the wheel and should be finished later tonight as I've only about 10gm to go.

I threw some dye at a mule fleece and I'm blending it with the undyed remainder, its looking a bit like the old fruit salad sweets :-)

The ugly hat is finally finished

and I sort of like it !

The spindle now weighs 24gm but its difficult to see any difference so I'll report back on that one next time.

One other thing happened over the last couple of days. Tuesday afternoon I went shopping, well just one shop but it was the first time I had been in one since the start of lockdown. I suspect that I won't be going near any others for some time, weird and uncomfortable experience.

That's about it for now,   take care xx

Tour de Fleece day 17

Hi

A rest day, yep , I had a list that included finishing some bobbin lace. Did this happen? of course not !! but I did do some knitting and a little spinning.

First, an update on the spindle spinning, I did weigh this spindle when I got it and it weighed in at 17gm. It now weighs in at 20gm so there is 3 gm of Shetland/Romney wrapped around it and its taken me ages. I'm going to weigh it again once empty just incase I got it wrong !

Mind you, I am looking for a lace weight yarn from this so I can have a practice at some lace knitting.

On the needles is a simple hat in hand dyed, hand spun Balwen/texel, I usually knit fair isle in 4 ply so this makes a change :-)

and on the wheel there is some Portland as I happened to have some already prepped.

audio listening today has been MASH by Richard Hooker, this is the book that the TV series was based on.

That's about it for now, tonight I will probably put my feet up and knit some more on the ugly hat . The colours should have been stronger but both attempts to dye this fleece have been unsuccessful. I know the dyes are ok as they dyed the wool that I tied the skein with without any problem, just not the spun yarn.

Take care xx

Tour de Fleece day 15 and 16

Hi,

I had a busy weekend doing other, boring , housework type stuff but I managed to spin and then ply the remainder of the unknown fleece. The two skeins are actually the same length with one weighing 105gm, the other 103gm. I love the subtle variety of brown and greys but the yarn is a little hairy but may knit up ok. We will see what happens.

Do you remember the filthy Kent Romney from an earlier post? If not, here's a reminder

and here is the first finished skein, the fibre was still sticky and not so easy to draft but its washed up nice now its spun.

looks like I managed to split the fibre pretty evenly between the bobbins this time !!

and this is the finished result

This is the result, 125 gm fresh off the washing line.

Other than this I've been spinning on my spindle but its so fine that you can't really see a great deal of difference yet, patched a pair of jeans for hubby, made a bag for our walking poles to live in and also made a bag for my sharp knives (bread knife etc ) that I keep in the van.

Its been a good weekend, I hope you have all have an enjoyable one as well xx