Tour de Fleece Wrapup

I didn't post for the last days of the TdF.  Whoops. 

I did post to the Into the Whirled thread for finished items.  Didn't win.  *sniffle*  Though there were 51 entries.  So the odds weren't strong.

I posted to the Akerworks one.  That closes today.  But there are A LOT of members in that group.  I just posted & am 104!  And even with 15 prizes...  You never know but not betting on it.

I am so sad!  I missed the prize deadline for the Schacht group.  *sigh*  I didn't read closely.  They opened a prize thread at the end of the tour.  Ah well.

Mind you, I am not in it for the prizes.  But it gives me something to work towards. 

Here's all my progress together.

I am pretty happy with what I did. 

8 oz of Into The Whirled Polwarth Silk Blended Top in 221B Colorway

~434 yds of 2 ply

4 oz Into The Whirled Polwarth Falkland Wool Carded Batt in Cattywumpus Colorway

~180 yds of 2 ply

2 oz of The First Draft Polwarth Silk in the Thomas Waith Is in Love Colorway

still on the bobbin as I didn't finish the other 2 oz. yet

Wish I had gotten more yardage out of the 221B.  I was spinning singles to 28 WPI.  So I really thought I would get a fingering weight. But it plumped up a lot.

It is funny.  EVERYTHING I spun had Polwarth!  I think it has more crimp than I first thought.  So I think that was part of the poof of the 221B even with the silk. 

I knew the batt would poof a lot as I tried to keep it woolen spun.  I really didn't figure I would get a lot of yardage with a batt woolen spun.  So I was thrilled with the 180 yards.  I anticipate making a long cowl out of it similar to the one I made from a Loop Bullseye Bump.  

It was the Icordion Cowl.  

http://ravel.me/akasha/ic 

But looking at my projects, I think I was actually thinking of the Honey Cowl which I knit out of another ITW batt!  

http://ravel.me/akasha/hc

The First Draft Polwarth/Silk in the Thomas Waith Is in Love colorway seems to be spinning up super fine.  But I am not taking any bets on yardage after 221B!  It is the same fiber makeup.  And I really thought the 221B was going to get me 600-700 yards.... Ah well.

Happy with my spinning for the TdF.  As always, it is good to have something driving me to spin every day.

I did miss on day.  My bus took 3 hours to get home.  And I just couldn't deal with anything at all.  But other than that, I spun daily.  So I am a happy camper.

I will try to post pics I took of the The First Draft Polwarth/Silk that I took during the TdF.  But I want to get this posted.  Then hopefully out for lunch & ice cream!

TdF Days 12-15

I confess, I didn't spin a thing on Day 12...  Due to bus issues, it took me over three hours to get home.  And I was sore after being cramped for that long on the bus.  So I did nada.

Days 13-15, I finished plying the Into The Whirled Polwarth Falkland Wool Carded Batt in Cattywumpus colorway.  I really like the way it looks.  Since I was spinning it woolen to keep the air in it, I suspect it will plump even more after its bath.  I need to skein & soak it!

I have to admit, I am kinda disappointed in the yardage after the bath for the ITW Polwarth/Silk Blended Top in 221b colorway.  I really hoped to get at least 600 yards or possibly more out of 8 oz..  No such luck.  I only got about 435 yards!  Out of EIGHT OUNCES!  *sigh*

I really thought I would get more.  Not sure why.  I know it puffed up some.  But I checked while spinning the singles. Most of the time, it was about 28 WPI.  Really figured I would get a fingering weight with a 2 ply.  Alas, not the case.

Tour de Fleece 2018 Day 11 - Into The Whirled Polwarth Falkland Wool Carded Batt in Cattywumpus Colorway Plying Started

I know yesterday was a Challenge Day, but alas, it was a challenge enough to get any spinning done.  So I am happy with that.

I got home late yesterday due to rain.  So much fun...  But I did get some done.  I decided to start plying.  Looking good.

Tour de Fleece 2018 Day 10 - Into The Whirled Polwarth Falkland Wool Carded Batt in Cattywumpus Colorway 2nd Single Started & Completed!

Yesterday was a whole lot more productive than I thought it would be!  I completed the second singles of the Into the Whirled Polwarth Falkland wool carded batt in Cattywumpus colorway.  It went surprisingly quickly.  Think it looks good.  Hoping it plies well with the first singles.  *fingers crossed*

I decide to watch a Babylon 5 episode with lunch.  I went with "Grey 17 Is Missing."  I have been going through the Marcus episodes in chronological order.  Next was actually the two parter War Without End. I didn't have time for two episodes. And I feel like I was getting stalled on those episodes.  I recall they were the Shadow Wars and not my favs.  So I decided to move ahead.

It was a good episode.  It was fun to see Robert Englund not playing Freddie.  *smile*  And Garibaldi had some wonderful bits in the episode.  After Marcus & Ivanovna, he is next in my top B5 characters.

Marcus has to fight to delay a Minbari from the warrior cast who disagrees with Delenn becoming the head of the Rangers since she is the religious cast.  And as always, Marcus wins out though takes a severe beating to make that happen.  A very good episode.

I spun some more in the evening while my hubby & I watched Wynonna Earp.  I am so thrilled that I got the second singles spun in a day.  Hooray for that.

Since it is only 4 oz., I will stick with the smaller bobbins.  After attempting to ply on the bulky flyer, I am thinking more and more that I don't care for it much. 

All in all, I am thrilled.

Today is a challenge day.  But the real challenge will be spinning at all.  I commute 2 hours each way to the city.  And working 8 hours.  So it is a lot of time away from home.  So honestly, my goal is to spin 15 minutes.  That will be a challenge.  Especially because that means starting on some plying or starting on new fiber.  And I have no idea what is going on the wheel next!

I may do a separate post with the pics of the ItW Polwarth/Silk that I plied.   I skeined it yesterday & gave it a bath.  But I may wait until I have finished pics & all the details (like total yardage, WPI, etc.)

Tour de Fleece Days 7 to 9 - Into The Whirled Polwarth Falkland Wool Carded Batt in Cattywumpus Colorway Creating First Single

On happy news, my brandy new Akerworks bobbin arrived on Saturday.  Isn't she lovely?!

 

I had company on Saturday & Sunday.  So I didn't get anywhere near the amount of spinning done as last weekend.  But I enjoyed having company. 

I split the Into The Whirled Polwarth Falkland Wool Carded Batt in half to make a 2 ply.  I am mostly spinning it woolen as it is a batt.  Trying to keep the loft in it.  Though I don't know how successful I am.  I guess I will see when it plied & gets it bath.

Tour de Fleece Day 6 - Into The Whirled Polwarth Silk Blended Top in 221b Colorway - Plying DONE!!!

I finished plying the Into The Whirled Polwarth/Silk Blended Top in 221b Colorway.  Super thrilled it is done.  I always feel like plying takes longer. I know it doesn't, but it feels that way.

There was a lot of trying to match up the plies.  It didn't go as smoothly as I hoped.  But I think the finished project is good.  I will let it rest before I skein & soak it.

It is thicker than I thought it would be.  But since I was hoping to make a shawl, the yardage is adjustable.

Tour de Fleece Day 5 - Into The Whirled Polwarth Silk Blended Top in 221b Colorway - Yet More Plying

Honestly, not much to report!  More plying. 

I have been struggling with getting the colors to line up.  I keep breaking a singles and pulling more from a bobbin to match it up.  Though some are a bit marled in the singles. 

I only took pics in the middle.  Forgot to take them at the end.

Feeling like this won't end!  I really thought I was at the end, but there is more still on the bobbins!  Ah well.

Tour de Fleece Day 4 - Into The Whirled Polwarth Silk Blended Top in 221b Colorway - More Plying

I worked in the city yesterday.  So it means 2 hours each way of commuting & 8 hours away from home.  I didn't get nearly as much done for the TdF.  But I think I did about a half hour to 45 minutes.

I was working on the bulky flyer.  But it was getting so heavy that I was fighting with the wheel to get it to move.  The plies snapped as I tried to get some tension into the yarn.  I took that as a sign to move back to the regular bobbins. 

The tricky part with the regular bobbins is overplying.  I am hoping I haven't been.  I have been checking.  It has twist that is more than earlier.  So I have some concerns.  But with the bulky flyer I wasn't getting enough twist in many cases.  I kept having to pull it out & add more twist. 

I will just have to wait to see how it turns out after its bath.

The bulky bobbin:

 

Much easier plying on the regular flyer & bobbin:

Day 3 of the Tour de Fleece - Plying

I debated if I wanted to start singles and let the Into The Whirled Polwarth Silk Blended Top in 221b Colorway singles rest longer. But I decided to start plying.

It is looking decent.  Though each time I put the bulky flyer on I get frustrated.  It is kinda heavy & doesn't always work well.  I have been debating selling it and just deal with making smaller skeins.  The other part of me wants to try an Akerworks jumbo bobbin to see it if helps.  They are lighter than the Schacht bobbins.  But I also am not sure if that will help.  And if it doesn't, I have sunk more money into it...

I have to push on the peddles harder as the bobbin gets heavier.  To the point that when I got up to move, my knees hurt like a son of a bear. I think I just need to limit how much time I spend plying with the bulky flyer.  And I won't use it for anything 4 oz and under.

I didn't get a chance to watch B5 today.  Elder Munchkin wanted to finish Despicable Me.  And Hubby & I watched an episode of Wynonna Earp.  I

I am thinking I may skip the two parter and move onto something different.

This will be the first year of the TdF with my longer commute.  The commute is about two hours each way.  So Tuesdays through Thursdays, I will be happy to get in more than 15 minutes!

Not sure if I am at the half way mark with plying.  Looking like it is a bit shy of that.