Tour de Fleece Days 7-16 - Spinning Singles of Into the Whirled Polwarth/Tussah Silk in Captain Tightpants Colorway

Here is the link on Ravelry to the spinning:
https://ravel.me/akasha/ct

Life has been busy.  So I haven't really had a chance to catch up on blogging or even posting to Ravelry about the Tour de Fleece!

Since Into the Whirled was having a team again I wanted to participate.  Love their fibers.  Much to my shock, I am was down to only FOUR of their fibers left! *gasp*.

I almost spun the Rhinebeck colorway. But just couldn't stop myself with Captain Tightpants! Love the colors.  I thought about saving it for a year when I participated in the Firefly TdF group.  But didn't want to wait.

I decided to split it down the middle & spin the singles on two bobbins.  Figure I can see what a two ply looks like as well as Navajo/chain plying.  The colors are so bright that I want to keep them clean & have them pop.  I really want the yardage of the 2-ply.  But may decide that Navajo/chain plying is a better way to go to keep the colors strong & saturated.

Going to see what happens when I ply & decide then.

Kinda funny that I am spinning Polwarth/Silk blends back-to-back.  Love anything & everything with silk.  And the Polwarth in particular spins wonderfully with it. 

Very happy with both the Into the Whirled & The First Draft fibers.  And given their vintage in my stash, it is amazing they spin so beautifully! I think I predrafted The First Draft last year when I started it.  But can't recall.  And with the ItW, didn't predraftt at all.

Day 7 - Started Spinning Singles

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzriip2BZtIcI2C3Kbxu9oSgkBb8Hxo_kU-XQQ0/

Loving the colors.  Bright & wonderful.

Viewing for the day:
I had to watch the Shindig episode of Firefly where the reference comes from. Still a fav!

Day 8 - 1st Singles Continue

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz9SWgGBIiAGtEYHZvZOwCMrOc9g9DRSo8oC6k0/

Viewing for the day:
Mary Poppins Returns
Hadn't seen it before.  Best part was Sick Van Dyke dancing! Though Colin Firth chewing scenery was fun too.

Day 9 - 1st Singles Continue

Did a fair bit of spinning.

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz9Te8Whru2LTKwd_CwawM5rk3bqAgImGtM_bY0/

Viewing for the day:
Got some Scottish ale in the Hopsy Sub. Figured Brigadoon was needed!

Day 10 - Finished 1st Half of Singles

Happy the 1st half is spun! Not too shabby!

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz9b5OeBkZM_JPPEI0xuBGTeeFqsMTxa47P2W00/

Viewing for the day:
Watched part of Cry-Baby. Also got a dance number in the most unlikely place...while watching The Umbrella Academy.

Day 11 / Rest Day - Starting 2nd Half of Singles

Technically, it's a rest day for the Tour de Fleece. But did a tiny bit of spinning. Starting what may be the 2nd singles.

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ADYwlBelciGAJp-uaZd7glKrVpBf5isrD4_U0/

Day 12 - Little Bit of 2nd Singles

Not a lot of spinning.  But commuting days I am happy to get to get anything done!

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0DrBlWhKa1FKDc0HEUsLg-XgUOSlziLgDajWs0/

Day 13 - A Little More of 2nd Singles

Another commuting day so not a ton of progress but some!

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0H-AnhBYLZTvr1rr17x62bd-l4CCIM8Sy3PC40/

Day 14 - More of 2nd Singles

Busy work day but no commute. There was an awesome band at the clubhouse on our lake. Spent the evening there. But still got some spinning done. Hooray!

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0H_XRJhmE4fzNBFWHYinW9OYnUzKeRJR5JJLw0/


Day 15 - Yet More of 2nd Singles

Spent a good deal of time spinning.  But also did some other things.  Got a fair bit done.

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0KipB4htrTqDSxmElIScVrXk3CRAkB75wm9a80/

Viewing for the day:
Watched Man of la Mancha. Had been a while. Wish I had gotten to the brilliant blue while watching Peter O'Toole... And didn't recall Brian Blessed was in it!

Day 16 - 2nd Singles Done!

Spent a good chunk of the day spinning.  Watched two musicals and got the singles done!  Woohoo!

Progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0NIP_1BZFAiAwa7iTEEemDU_JMu8wmBVMyrBY0/

Viewing for the day:
Xanadu & Hair.  Xanadu is one of those musicals I watch regularly.  Still love it.  Gene Kelly is always awesome.  And I love Olivia Newton-John.  Definitely of its time.  But in a fun, campy way.  Hair is also very much of its time.  But very different in feel.  Didn't actually finish watching it as it is long

Lesson for Today

Lesson for today.  Do not cast on a project after you have only had five hours sleep the night before.

I got an amazing skein of DK yarn in the Reavers colorway from Fresh from the Cauldron  The terrific Lizzy4873 on Ravelry stalked for me.  I have been lusting after this colorway since the minute I saw it.  But because it is a gradient and apparently a &@)#* to dye, Jenn doesn't dye it often or that much.  The last update only had five skeins and dear Lizzy was great enough to swap with someone who got two in her cart when she only wanted one.  Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten it at all! 

I didn't take a photo, but this one is pretty much identical to the one I got.    The original pic is darker.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/squibstitcher/6887443077/in/photostream/  But I do like the newer one too. 

I spent a good deal of time pouring over patterns.  The strong contenders were Zilver, Escapist & the Colonnade Shawl.

But the Peek-a-Boo Shawl won out.  Part of that is about the sorta distressed, warped feeling of the pattern.  It matches well with the colorway name.

If there was more yardage, Zilver probably would have won out.  But with only 230 yards I really felt like something with more openness would be a good choice.  The Peek-a-Boo Shawl has an 8 row repeat that I can just continue til I run out of yarn.

So I was excited to get it cast on last night.  See above.  Five hours sleep the night before...

So I am merrily knitting along.  I come to row 6.  It says I will have 25 sts after I knit the row.  But I check and double check.  No, really.  I need 25 sts to knit the row & with four stitches increase, the row will actually be 29 sts in the end.  I am so clever.  I know best.  I get to the row 10 which has more pattern work.  I am over by 4 sts.  Really.  I know best.  So I fudge it and figure I will sort it out in the next row.

So this morning I am walking to the train from Eldest Munchkin's school camp.  I pull out the pattern and start looking at it.  Going through I reread row 6.  And I promptly want to whap myself upside the head.

I know I am kinda number dyslexic sometimes.  But somehow I transposed *K1, DW twice, TW twice, DW twice, K1* to *K1, DW, TW, DW, K1* x 2.  *blink* How?!  See sleep.  *shakes head*

The good news is that I was very early in the pattern so I only had to rip back a few rows.  But man... I don't feel very clever!  *laugh*

Ah well.  I am glad I sat down and read over the pattern before I got further along.  That is a plus.

I got more sleep last night.  And this shows the beauty of sleep.  It helps the body & brain function better.  Mind you, because I started knitting this I stayed up later than I should have of course!  *laugh*

I need to write more. Have to post pics of my Afternoon Tea shawl & at least a little Tour de Fleece wrap up.  But my work machine is acting up.  So whenever they can take it, I need to shut down super quick.

Jayne Hat Up for Auction

Adam Baldwin is putting the original Jayne hat up for auction:
http://www.californiabrowncoats.org/?p=90

The procedes are going to benefit The Marine Corps–Law Enforcement Foundation. Kinda nifty.

Found on the Lime & Violet blog.

Knit Serenity!

Someone actually knit up Serenity!

(Also posted to my LJ)