Tour de Fleece 2021 Day 1 through 4 - Finishing Plying Gale's Art Rainbow Swirl & Day 5 New Fiber

So hoping I will be a bit better about posting daily.  But I am not holding my breath!  *laugh*

I still had the Gale's Art Rainbow Swirl on the wheel from last year's TdF..  *blush*  It is my tendency with the Tdf.  Go for the whole run, then my wheel collects dust for a year until the next one.  Should probably get a cover. *laugh*

Here's a collage of the preamble spinning I did last Weds.. 

Thankfully, my ankle felt okay.  So it all good.  Finger crossed that will continue to be the case!

Day 1 

Day 1 started well.  Spent somewhere btw 30 to 60 minutes spinning.  Felt good.  Go me.  

In years past, I did some themed watching.  But this year, I am not focusing on anything. Didn't join any teams for a tv show or such.  I may share my viewing when it is something particularly fun.  Was trying to figure out what to watch & looked at HBOMax (I think...don't quote me...  *gron*)  Saw they have the Harry Potter movies again for a bit.  Figured it would be fun to watch Harrry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone.

Though made me miss Richard Harris.  Don't get me wrong, I like Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, but he doesn't hold a candle to Harris in the role.  Harris has that twinkle to his eye that makes you wonder what all he knows that no one else does.  And a merriment mixed with a sense of wonder that I love in Dumbledore.  Making me think I might need to watch Camelot sometime during all this.  I love Harris's performance in that too.  

Odd part is that I don't miss Alan Rickman while watching it because he is so very Snape...  So thoroughly embodying character that it is hard to see Alan Rickman.  Though still miss his being in this world.  Awesome actor.  Which has me wondering if I have Truly, Madly, Deeply in a format I can watch.  Think that may have been a VHS that got let go in the move... *sniffle*  Think that was my first movie I remember him from.  So amazing...

Maybe this will be the spring board to future watching during the TdF this year.  But honestly, this is a year of going with the flow.

Day 2

Yeah.  This spot is blank.  I blame Animal Crossing...  *laugh*  But I was all me.  *chuckle*

Day 3 - More Plying 

I don't recall spinning a lot.  But I think it was at least a half hour...maybe more.  Got from the blue to the green.  I do think the plying is pretty uneven.  Definitely more in some areas than others.  But still, like it...

Day 4 - Finished Plying

I was able to finish plying. I know I was spinning for at least 30-45 minutes.  Happy to have it done!  I will let it rest before I attempt to wind it off into a skein. I know it is overspun in areas.  Though there is also parts that are probably underplied.  I won't honestly know how much until it gets it bath.  I am leaning toward a warm soak & a bit of thwacking to let it bloom a bit.  Nothing extreme in temp or handling.

Day 5 - Fiber Selection

I was thinking I was going to do a Loop Bullseye Bump.   So easy to spin as it requires no prep at all.  Just start spinning.  Look at these lovelies...

But odd part is none of them were saying "SPIN ME!!!" 

Was over in the corner with them and spotted a deep dive stash item on top of the bins with the fiber.  It's The First Draft Blending Portion Colorway from the sadly gone Dresden Files club.  There are two parts to it.  One is a grey with pops of the other colors in a 60% Merino / 40% Bamboo blend.  I have spun that mix of hers before & love it.  There is a blending mix of 100% nylon faux cashmere "accents."  I don't honestly think I am going to blend them in...but honestly...not sure yet.  Could be fun.  Though not really sure if I would ever use it then!  *laugh*

The funny part was I had the fiber I got from The First Draft at the SSK I attended.  I got a double batch & was leaning towards spinning that.  But I spotted this & it spoke to me.  Kinda funny as the grey is very muted...but don't know...just felt right...  I am leaning towards seeing what other merino/bamboo blends I have from the Club & maybe spinning singles in another colorway.  Or I may dig out the SSK colorway if I can find it!  *laugh*

I did do some spinning during the Random Crafty Penguin meeting through work today.  So I am not stressing it if I do or don't do more. Though I may do some more spinning tonight.  But we'll see...

I have been feeling some strain in parts of my body.  Not sure if I am just sleeping funny or that I am not used to spinning for too long.  So playing it by ear is the wisest thing to do! 

Seems like the site changed the way it will handle code...or I am doing something wrong.  So I put the pics into the post.  But to see them bigger, they are on Flickr.  

Here's the link to the TdF 2021 album:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmW7iPYQ

I may post more of the individual pics like I have in the past...  See what time permits!

Tour de Fleece Day 1 - Back to Spinning

It is funny how I go almost completely silent for a whole year except when I got a new-to-me loom! 

Then it is Tour de Fleece time!

Signed up for the Schacht & Akerwork teams again.  Didn't see anything for Into the Whirled and was sad.  But last minute, they posted an unofficial team.  So happy they did.

I decided to also participate in Team Warped.  It is with the Warped Weavers groups.  Since most of my fiber goes onto my loom, figured it was a good team.

I generally pick a team for watching while I spin.  Last year was Babylon 5.  I have also done Firefly, Doctor Who & others.  This year I wanted to do musicals as a theme.  Much to my surprise, I really didn't find a musicals group on Ravelry.  *blink*  There are ones for certain musicals.  And even two for Hamilton. Closest was Movie and TV Show Soundtracks.  But with 18 members & no recent posts, I didn't figure they have a team.

So I am just doing my own thing!  Will try some new musicals as well as ones I love.  If anyone actually reads this anymore, suggestions are welcome!

Day 1 - Jukebox Musicals!

For the start of the Tour de Fleece I wanted FUN!

I actually wanted Little Shop of Horrors.  But much to my HORROR, I don't own it!  *blink*  I had it on VHS.  And in the purge before moving, I let go 99% of my VHS.  I kept a couple things not available on DVD.  But everything else was let go.

I was browsing Netflix, Amazon Prime & HBO in hopes that someone had Little Shop.  No luck.  Ordered it on BluRay for the same price as purchasing it streaming.  With special features & both the theatrical & director cuts. 

In looking, I added a bunch to my watch lists.  One I stumbled across is a jukebox musical called Walking On Sunshine.  Loads of silly 80s music.  And it fit the bill.  Light, bouncy & lively.

I left the drive band on the back post when I switched the bobbins at the end of LAST YEAR'S TDF!!  So it stretched out.  So grateful my Ladybug has the drive band tension adjuster!  Otherwise I don't think I would have been able to start spinning as I had stretched the band out with it sitting like that for a year!

Much to my embarrassment, I still have half of The First Draft Polwarth/Silk in the Thomas Waith Is in Love colorway from LAST YEAR'S TFD on the wheel!  I had finished the first set of singles.  Though in some fairness, I spent EIGHT DAYS spinning the first half!  Wow...

It's on my Akerworks bobbins.  So I need to get them cleared off.  So I started the Tour spinning the second half of the fiber.  Though either I am spinning it to thick or I am spinning faster.  Between Day 1 & some of Day 2, it is about 3/4th done.

I am trying to be smart & take breaks in spinning.  Given I haven't in eons, it makes sense.  It seems to be working well as I am not sore for Day 2.

I also watched Mamma Mia.  Have watched it before.  It is fun.  Not in my top 10 musicals.  But I was looking for jukebox & light.  Fit the bill. 

In addition, I started on Hunky Dory.  Hunky Dory is set in the late 70s.  It is about a teacher in a school in Wales putting contemporary music in Shakespeare's "The Tempest."  A bit slower paced which is not a problem.  But I also decided to take a break last night to play some Borderlands 2 with DH.

I am happy with my progress!  I finished about 2/3rds of the remaining fiber.   I think that is excellent progress.  My only concern is that I may not be spinning it as thin as the half I did last year.  But we will see when I ply it!  Mind you, plying will be interesting given half has been sitting on the bobbin for nearly a year.  So the spring to it will be very different.

Here is the progress pic:

Created via Instagram's photo collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzoNGN_h8O-3gthLZBF6PxqMf_MCUZqlOjJtc40/

The details are on my Ravelry page:
https://ravel.me/akasha/twdfl

And for anyone wondering about the colors, this is definitely from my daughter!  Soooo not a pink gal.  *laugh*

Hoping to get back to posting pics on Flickr.  Of course, since it was bought, the service has gotten worse while the cost has doubled...  *sigh*  May be time to start shopping for a new photo service.  Sucks as I have had almost a decade with Flickr.  But it isn't working a lot recently...

Winding My First Warp for Weaving

Woohoo!  I wound my first warp!  It is chained & waiting to go on the loom.  I am happy but tired!!

Yesterday got away from me.  And we went out to dinner.  So I didn't get a chance to get warping.  Though I did watch some more of the Craftsy class to prepare to get started.  All good!

I think I did okay with getting the yarn on the warping board.  Of course, about 1--20 threads/ends in, I remembered the instructor saying it doesn't need to be too tight.  *laugh*  I did loosen it up a bit.  Firm & even.  Not super tight but also not loose.  I think I did okay.

The hardest part for me was remembering over or under when I did the cross.  *smile*  I think I am sticking with over then under so I recall the sequence. 

Of course, this probably all sounds like Greek if you don't weave.  *laugh*

Here it is!

The yarn is a skein of yarn from the Dresden Club by The First Draft.  It is called Flying Purple Monkeys.  Though I think it looks more blue than purple.  I joined the club late that go round.  So it is possible she dyed the yarn for me later than the rest of the club.  I have seen pics of the others & think it looked more purple for others.  Not complaining.  But trying to explain the color.

Here it is on the beautiful warping board I got from an Etsy seller, TheKnitStore - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theknitstore.  Amazingly well crafted.  And super reasonable. 

Please ignore the messy shelves!

I wish I thought I would be able to get it on the loom anytime soon.  But I don't know when that might happen.  *sigh*  Probably not until next weekend.  Unless I can start the process earlier.

I did spend a good chuck of time today working on the loom.  The seller sent some heddles. There were only about 100 total on it. So I wanted to get the extra heddles on it.

The heddle bars had rust.  I checked Schacht's site.  They suggest using steel wool or a rust remover.  I had some jewelry grade diamond sandpaper.  So I used that on the bars.  It took a while.  The woman who had it before me had it for a long while. I should have taken before & after pics!  Very shiny.  *grin*

I got all the heddles in the right direction & the additional ones onto the heddle bars.  Counting out heddles & getting them was a bit of a challenge.  Kept recounting.  But I think there are now 65 on shafts 3 and 4 & 64 on the front two. Makes for 258 heddles total.  Might want to pick up some more heddles if I am working on finer pieces.

I am actually kinda sore.  I think between sorting the heddles & getting them in order, I was hunched over a lot.  Then I did the warping & I don't think I did it as ergonomically as I should have.  There was a YouTube video where the woman talked about moving the whole arm & shoulder to not strain the body.  But clearly I didn't as I am a bit tender.  *laugh*

I am so grateful for the Craftsy Floor Loom class.  The instructor is really through & goes through things in a really approachable way.  Without it, I wouldn't have realized that the heddles need to be on in the same direction.  And for threading purposes, it helps to have the right of the eye in the back if you are a righty.  I think they were the opposite way on the loom.  I am wondering if the previous owner was a lefty.  Though the instructor also suggested threading the heddles in reverse order if you are a righty as it is easier to thread them back to front if you are a righty.  And the shafts are set up that way. 

Definitely been a long day!  The Little Guy woke me at 5:30.  Got him back to sleep for a bit.  But he was up by 6:30.  *sigh*  At least Elder Munchkin woke at 7:30-8.  LG had woken up EM at 5:30.  And I was so terrified she wouldn't get back to sleep!

They both crashed pretty early thank heavens.  But I am feeling like I am right there with them.  Maybe an early night isn't a terrible idea...

I feel like I did so much today.  I know I *learned* a lot.  Not so much on *did* a lot.  *laugh*  But I am feeling accomplished.  I got to know more about my new-to-me loom.  I understand how the shafts & heddle bars work.  As well as the heddles.  I think she is ready to go. 

Though it turns out the seller got the size wrong.  It is a 15" table loom not 20".  The size is about the width of fabric that can be woven.   I was a bit upset.  I have ordered some kits that I will have to rework.  But it is still a good deal.  So I am happy I made the leap.

And the folks at The Woolery have been beyond awesome!!  A woman named Taevia went through all sorts of info to help me get the pieces I needed.  She went above & beyond.  Measuring things at the store to make sure I got the right size for things I needed.  And she & other people at the Woolery were ROCKSTARS about correcting the issues of the items I had ordered that weren't going to work since it is a 15" & not 20".  They contacted Schacht about the reed & stand I ordered.  They are getting the correct lease sticks & refunding me the difference in the price.  They really are terrific!  I am so glad I ordered from them.

I am hoping that perhaps I can start working on getting the warp on the loom tomorrow after work.  But Elder Munchkin has dance class.  So I will be home with Little Guy.  So it is unlikely.  But I can dream, right?

Finishing Stuff

I am really trying to finish stuff.  It is unlike me to have so much on my needles and so little finished.  So I am trying to get things off my WIP list.

Of course, if it were anyone one but me, I would just add freaking buttons to the four WIPs that are missing buttons.  Though kudos to me for adding more beads to the fringe on a scarf.  It has been sitting in limbo for a while with no excuse other that *it is freaking time consuming to add beads to fringe!*  Add the beads and then double knot the edge so said beads don't fall off. 

The scarf/neckwarmer was knit in 2010!  I kid you not.  But it has been sitting in my WIP pile waiting for the beads.  I did some when I got the beads back in spring of this year.  But then it got moved out of my WIPs next to the couch to a bin in the craft room.

If I weren't so desperate for Xmas pressies this year, I fear it would have languished there even longer.  So now out of 18 groups of 4 strands, 13 are done.  But given I did five sets of fringe over the course of three hour long shows, I fear it will take about three more hours of work to complete.  Maybe longer.  The beads I got were on strands.  So I was easily able to thread them from one strand on to the yarn with a specialized beading needle.  In the course of the beading, the ends got undone and the beads spilled.  So I now have loose beads, which take longer to string.  Whee.

Hope the recipient really likes the beads.  'Cause I am sorely tempted to just cut the freaking fringe off!  But given I am over half way through, I can't do it.  So I press on with it.

I finished my Lady Bianca socks I started in March!  They aren't hard.  But I love using the Chic-a double yarn keeper when knitting two socks on two circs.  It keeps the yarn from becoming a tangled mess.  I decided to participate in a Downton Abbey KAL so then I was done with the beading on the legs of the Biancas, I snipped the yarn & took them out of the Chic-a so I could use it for the DA KAL socks.  Then the Scylla socks went into the bag next.  So the poor Lady Bianca socks languished. 

But I am happy to report they are done.

Lady Bianca Socks

Set of pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akkasha/sets/72157631829774413/with/8113516631/

Cast On:
March 13 2012

Completed:
October 20 2012

Pattern:
Midnight Sky by Renee Leverington
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/midnight-sky
Got during my run in the Decadently Dark Sock Club

Made for:
Me & my size 9 tootsies

Needles:
US 2 - 2.75 mm & US 0 - 2.0 mm

Yarn:
Storied Yarns Superwash Sock
~ 0.75 skeins = 346.5 yards (316.8m)
Colorway Lady Bianca (dyed specifically for me by the wonderful Jess for a
Purchased at Storied Yarns - http://www.etsy.com/shop/storiedyarns
Though I was happy to see she posted the colorway in worsted - http://www.etsy.com/listing/111953158/superwash-merino-worsted-yarn-100g-lady

I confess I seriously debated trying to change the pattern to toe-up as that is my preferred method. But I decided to stick with cuff-down as written because of the lovely pattern that goes down into the top of the foot.

I ended up doing six repeats on the leg instead of 2. I like longer socks. Also, more beaded beauty. I was worried I might run out of yarn, but there was a ton left when I finished.

I love the pattern. I got it back when I was in the Decadently Dark club. I seem to have lost it, but Renee was sweet enough to resend it to me! She is so wonderful.

I debated long and hard about what pattern I wanted to use for the lovely Storied Yarns Superwash Sock Lady Bianca that was dyed especially for me. Something about it cried out for beads. So with that in mind, I started looking at beaded socks. There were a bunch in mind, some more vampire geared given Lady Bianca, but I kept coming back to this pattern.

I am hoping they will be a lovely pairing of pattern & yarn.

I added an extra pattern repeat to the top. The pattern is for a medium foot. I have a size 9 foot and large ankles, so I figure it is better to have a larger sock.

For the pattern on the top of the foot, I added a repeat that made sense so the pattern continues further down on my foot. But I think it works well.

All in all, I love these socks. Only bad part is I did my cast on too tight. So they are a bit tight at the top of the leg. Not thrilled with that. But otherwise they are beautiful socks.

I also hadn't posted pics of the aforementioned Scylla socks!  That is because I hadn't taken any until I took the Bianca pics.  So here is that.

Siouxsie the Scylla

Set of pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akkasha/sets/72157631836758327/


Cast On:June 27 2012

Completed:September 30 2012

Pattern:Scylla by Fiona Lucas
http://glassoffashion.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/scyllasocks.pdf
Made for:
Me & my size 9 tootsies

Needles:US 0 - 2.0 mm
US 2 - 2.75 mm

Yarn:Tri'Coterie Sock BFL SW (self-striping) in Siouxsie Colorway
1 skeins = 437.0 yards (399.6m)
Purchased from a destash

I love this yarn.  It is beautiful.  I also love Siouxsie Sioux.  I spotted the yarn in a destash and needed it!  I am so glad I got it.

Maylin at Tri'Coterie is one of my fav dyers.  Her colorways are beautiful.  The colors here aren't quite as obvious as just black & red.  The reds run from scarlet to a deeper red, not burgundy, but there are three different reds in the stripes.

I confess that I am actually a bit disappointed that I didn't just knit a vanilla sock to really show off the colors.  But the Scylla pattern is great and really does accentuate the yarn in interesting ways.  I think it is fitting for Siouxsie.

I increased the number of stitches in the foot to 72. I didn't get gauge. The yarn seems more like a light fingering, so I need to do it on 0s to get a good solid foot. With the toe up and the four stitch repeat, it was an easy tweak.

I wanted a looser leg with more give than the foot. So I went up to a 2 1/2 needle. I broke one of my size 1s needles so I didn't have the pair for two socks on two circs which is my preferred method. I think the looser gauge is nice on the leg.

Overall I like them and hope they will wear well.

Other WIPs

In the stack of WIPs was the Cover Your Eyes for Peek-a-Boo shawl/ette.  I picked up some Knit Picks yarn to finish it because I ran out before I could cast off.  And guess what?!  I think I did it again.  I think I didn't stop in time to do the bind off.  *laugh*  I am nothing if not consistent with this thing! 

I did buy two different DK yarns from Knit Picks to see which worked better.  So now I am debating if I want to do the edge in the black Gloss I picked up (SW & silk blend).  Or if I want to take some of the leftover Lady Bianca yarn & double it for the edge.  That might look really cool.  I am thinking it could be interesting to add some of the beads to the edge as well.  Much like blood droplets...  Given it is the Reaver colorway.... 

Decisions decisions...  *grin*

In the same Knit Picks order is yarn to finish the Spring into Style shawl.   The yarn is a decent match.  I just have to get the last rows done.  Because it is another gradient yarn, I think the different yarn will look fine.  So that is good. 

I think I have nine more rows to complete with that one if I am remembering correctly (and if I didn't do more after my notes on Ravelry.)  It really should be a beautiful piece when it is done.  I just need to *get* it done.  But at least I have the yarn. 

The yarn is by the same dyer as my Siouxsie yarn.  I asked if she could dye some more for me.  But the yarn I got is only available in 150 gram skeins.  She buys that yarn pre-cut.  She even was kind enough to offer to do 100 grams in another colorway.  But honestly, I wasn't as taken with her Sock BFL Silky as I am with her Sock Silk.  The Sock Silk has a bit more twist so I personally like it more.  It is just my preference.