Dedication

Here's proof that I am dedicated to my TdF efforts. Spindling on a boat can be challenging. The waves and wakes that day were not as bad as they are other days, so I was able to stand and use my drop spindle. That is my silk that I am spinning, bought for me as a birthday gift last year.  I love spinning it, but I am working hard to keep it an even (as even as I can spin) lace weight, plus I have other projects, so it's taking a while.

That's the Chesapeake Bay and the starboard aft section of the boat in the picture.











This is the fiber and the spindle I am using for the silk. Pretty, isn't it?

This is the first skein of spun silk yarn. it's funny how it looks green sometimes and blue other times, but I really like it.

This is Romney fiber, obtained raw and scoured by me. This is my first 3 ply worsted weight skein, spindle spun and plied on my wheel.

Romney fiber on the spindle - today's spinning.

This is a photo of some of the scoured locks, which I flicked open and I am spinning directly from those locks. I am not separating the colors but spinning them all together for a wonderful heathered yarn.

A close up of the finished skein.

This is some of the dark grey, almost black Icelandic fiber that I am spinning. I hope that this will be a contrasting edging to a shawl that I will knit with the lighter grey yarn I am spinning.

Lighter color Icelandic laceweight yarn.  It's probably closer to fingering, and I think it will bloom, but I am happy with it.

Knitting projects - I am knitting in addition to spinning. This is a terrible picture of my Cladonia Shawl. The colors just wouldn't work. I'll try again on a sunny day, earlier in the day. The main color is a deep tonal blue and the contrasting color stripes have that same blue plus grey, black and almost a little purple. Most of the shawl is stockinette, with a nice lace edging to be knitted at the end. I like this pattern and it's well written. I am doing it as a part of a KAL on Ravelry for Through the Loops patterns.

This is my lace shawl from Victorian Lace Today. It doesn't look different, but it's bigger. Take my word for it.

This is the yarn I am using - Cinnamon's Dyepot. It's beautiful, isn't it?

One more picture of my spindle spun 3 ply worsted weight Romney skein. It's only about 45 yards, but it takes a lot of fiber to make a 3 ply, and I spun it on the drop spindle, so i am actually pleased with the yardage. It's soaking right now after it's bath.

Some time later this week I'll share pictures from the dyeing day at my house on Sunday. Lots of fun, very hot and lots of creativity here.

Tour de Fleece and recovery

I am not 100% yet but I am much improved. I no longer feel like I have to sit and rest after everything I do. ; )

The TdF has started and I am doing well with my spindle spinning. Having the first few days fall on a holiday weekend helped. I have 2 plus spindles full of Romney singles and hope to be plying soon.I don't know what kind of yardage I'll get but I think I'll like the yarn. I am shooting for a 3 ply worsted weight. When the Romney is spun, since I didn't really set specific fiber goals, I'll most likely pick up the Icelandic again. I plied my singles on the first day of the TdF and I really like the yarn. I am anxious to make more. The darker color Icelandic is more felted and less airy but I've worked out a way to work with it and I believe I'll be happy with the contrasting colors for the shawl.

I will be getting my wheel back on Sunday so I have given thought to what to wheel spin for the TdF despite not setting any official goals. I would like to finish up some projects, so I'll go back to the pencil roving I was working on when the wheel left for it's visit. If I manage to finish that spinning and ply it before the end of the tour, I have some new Falkland fiber in pretty sea colors that I'd like to spin .....

I started knitting Cladonia over the weekend. There is a Ravelry group KAL for any Through the Loops shawl and I like a lot of her patterns. We will ignore, for the time being, that I have "a few" other shawls, big and small, on the needles. This is it - when I finish Cladonia I am going back to my WIPs. I am very ready for some FOs to talk about.

Speaking of FOs, my cardigan is nearing that stage. Both fronts have been started and I have about 5-6 inches knit. Soon I will start shaping. Hopefully I won't have too many frogging sessions due to not getting the shaping in pattern correct. Once the fronts are complete, it's time to assemble the sweater!

We ate a home grown strawberry the other day and I had a bowl full of blueberries from my garden for the first time!!!
The veggies are not as lush as I would like but I have seen some green tomatoes and I will be able to pick cucumbers in the next couple of days.

ETA I thought I would have photos to post but didn't have time to find the camera, upload the photos and upload them to the blog. Sorry. I really am working on fibery things.