Le Tour de Fleece 2009

Le Tour de Fleece 2009 begins tomorrow! Last year I learned about this event too late to participate. This year I signed on for the spinning challenge that runs from July 4 through July 26, the same time frame as Le Tour de France bicycle race. Each participating spinner sets her own challenge. My challenge is to spin at least 30 minutes each day of the Tour. That may not sound like much of a challenge for someone who loves spinning, but at this time of the year, our garden clamors for attention. Most of my free time seems to be spent pulling weeds, tying up tomato vines, picking veggies, etc. And spinning, more than any of my other crafts, gets dropped off the To Do list first. So, with a minimum of 30 minutes (either wheel or spindle spinning) per day, I should eke out at least 13 hours of spinning in July.


The project I'm starting the challenge with is one that is nearly complete: seven ounces of combed dyed grey wool from Little Barn. I split the roving in half by weight and am spinning each half on a separate bobbin on my Schacht Matchless wheel. I am spinning it from the fold for a smooth, compact yarn, and will then ply the two singles together. With less than 2 ounces left to spin, it shouldn't take long to wrap that project up and speed on to another. I haven't yet decided what will come next, but as this is also my year of spinning from a considerable stash, there are plenty of options. The fun starts tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the challenge, as well as spending some quality time with my spinning tools. We'll see how it goes ...