Too Busy for Updates

 I've been lagging behind in photo updates of the ongoing spinning for the Tour de Fleece. As pledged, I have been spinning every day of the tour. This is what I've accomplished so far:

6 skeins of BFL in the "Crayon Box" colourway, from 4 oz. braids hand dyed by Jude of Ewesful Creations. The two on the left were spun and plyed as a fractual. The remaining four were chain plyed. I think I'll use all of them together in a Saori weaving.

These three skeins are also BFL wool from 4 oz. braids hand dyed by Jude and then spun and chain plyed by me.

I've now started in on a lovely wool/tencel blend. No pictures of that one yet.

Beginnings

2017 is off to a great start. I've made some important commitments to better health and one week in it is going well and I am feeling very positive about the improvements I'm making.

I've had a birthday since my last blog post. Among other things I received some wonderful yarny goodness as gifts. This huge ball of "Crazy Zauberball" was a most generous gift from my sister-in-law. It will likely find it's way into a special weaving. I haven't yet decided exactly what. It is too precious to waste so I will put some thought into where I'll go with that one.




The next three items are all skeins of "Socks That Rock" yarn hand dyed in a palindrome manner. These were a birthday gift from my husband.  I will use all three to weave scarves in a Faux Ikat fashion. I spent some time today preparing the first skein for the loom.



It requires some special handling to get the colours to pool and mimic IKAT dyeing. More on that in a future post.

And Now In Blue

I really get a lot of use from the water bottle covers I crocheted a year ago. When I recently bought a couple of new bottles, this time in blue, (Propel Fitness Water*), I decided they needed coordinating covers.


Blue = hand dyed merino Natural = coopworth


Like the others, these are crocheted in handspun, hand dyed wool. Go HERE for the free pattern. These two have been "fulled" in the washing machine for a snugger fit.

* Like this sports drink reviewer, I really like the bottle design of Propel Fitness Water, but find the "fitness water" nothing more than water with added hype (and artificial sweetner). Makes a great sports bottle to refill with tap water though.

She's a Beauty

Remember way back in October when I spindle spun and navajo plyed the hand dyed, hand combed wool for this hat?



I entered the crocheted hat in this contest held at www.spindlicity.com , and actually won in the "Best Use of Color" category. My prize was to be a lovely, handmade Bloodwood and Ebony spindle from Spindlewood Co. I promised to post photos of it when it arrived.

Well, it finally arrived yesterday and it was well worth the wait. It's absolutely beautiful and spins on and on for a long time. It often touches the floor before it runs out of spin. A far cry from the home made, unfinished spindles I have used so far. Wow, so this is what a well balanced, professionally made spindle is like.




The spindle arrived packaged safely in 4 ounces of soft, easy to spin fiber. Too bad all parcels don't come protected with such beautiful "filler". I'm no expert on identifying fiber so I'll have to write and ask them what it is.



Thanks Spindlewood Co. and Spindlicity from a very happy prize winner.