Tour de fleece day 21

Today was the tour de fleece challenge day. the challenge is optional (of course, it is all optional) and each spinner sets their own challenge.

I decided I would try dealing with some Wensleydale locks. I had some in one of my fleece samples and thought it would be a bit different.

Unfortunately they were not the lovely individual locks I had envisaged (note to self- check supplies before deciding challenge), they were in rather a tangled mass.

I used a dog comb to create smooth, combed fibre for spinning, but it also created a lot of waste. The pile on the left is waste, the right is for spinning, a lot more waste than spinning fibre.

I used a drop spindle to spin the pile of combed fibre, there was really not a lot so it did not take very long, I am not sure what I will use this for as it is such a small amount.

Since the Wensleydale was dealt with fairly quickly it did not seem sufficient for the toughest day of the tour so I decided to add some extra challenges. I wanted to do something for each of the teams I am in. The Wensleydale counts for Team Spindlers.

For the Team of Wonder (the alpaca lovin team) and Team UK I had a go at carding some British alpaca. This is some beautiful Hucaya that I bought at a country show from a local alpaca. I thought it was prepped and was going to make the challenge threading some beads, but on opening I found it was clean but not carded. 

I used hand carders, it was so much easier than carding sheep fleece.

And made something roughly approximating roving. It is beautifully soft, I am really looking forward to spinning this.

For Team Kromski and Team Hopelessly Overcommitted I plied the superwash merino singles from earlier in the week. I was going to do these tomorrow, but decided it would be a good challenge project.

I started after the evening takeaway was ordered and just managed to beat the delivery to the finish. I am really pleased with this yarn, although I still think it is underspun for socks, I think it may be a shawl. This is not a great picture as it was taken in the dark with a flash.

Finally just for fun I thought this would count for Team Spindlers and Team Hopelessly Overcommitted. Drop spindling on a balance board. I only did a little for the picture, but it is possible!

This board arrived a few days before the start of the tour, it is supplies for a scout camp next month. I hopped on to give it a go and fell right off, very nearly taking myself out of the tour completely as only my ample bum hitting the ground first stopped me from breaking my wrist!

A very busy challenge day, I have managed to finish my tour goals (as long as I do 15 minutes each day over the weekend) so am going to enjoy spindling some more of the bonus fibre I started last weekend and maybe prep some more of that beautiful alpaca.

Tour de fleece day 12

This morning I spun the second ply for beaded yarn challenge. I used a different fibre for this one, it is a superwash merino.

I didn't get the quanittiy quite right so there is still a little of the beaded single unspun 

I have been enjoying using my spindle during the tour, it is more convenient for picking up and doing a few minutes than my wheel. Unfortunaly plying this by spindle was a bit of a nightmare, there may have been a bit too much twist in the singles, they goet seriously tangled and snarled. I will be plying by wheel in the future no matter how the singles are made. 

A close up since you can't see the beads in the picture above.

I ended up with about 27m, the beads are fairly evenly spaced along the length apart from one point which is missing the bead, the single broke by the bead and it went flying off.

I have also prepped the fibre for my next TdF project. It is the main portion from the blue and black that I spun today. I have divided it into half then one of the halves into lots of very thin strips, it will be a two ply sock hopefully.

The colours did not come out quite as well as I hoped in the photo. It looks lovely all fluffed out on the airer I am using to hold my fibre. Hopefully I can get the colours too stay looking nice once it is spun, there is a bit of a risk of it all blending together to give a greyish colour.

In non tour news I appear to be addicted to pretzls. Fortunately I only have one bag so when they are gone the addiction is over. I am not even sure why because they make me really thirsty (like take a bite, have a drink, repeat thirsty), they are tasty though.

FO Friday- Squares and show entries

FO for this week was dip dyeing some DK yarn in a raspberry colourway and using it to make two 8 inch squares.

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The first is a simple mitred square:

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The second used the Pie crust pattern by Sarah Bradberry, Rav link here.

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I had some village show entries that I can't count as 52 in52 projects under my own rules because they did not really take long enough to make, so I am putting their pictures in here.

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First up origami crane earrings following the directions on this site.

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They are teeny and pretty fiddly to make, but worth it.
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There was also a greetings card category, I made two as I couldn't decide which one to go for.

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I took a family vote, they opted for entering this one, which turned out to be a good choice
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I do quite like this one for its artsiness though. The crochet flowers are from the pattern for A maiden's glory headdress, on Rav here.
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And finally the sock yarn blanket square, hand dyed yarn.
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FOs- Preemie beanies and a square

Welcome to FO Friday, recording my items for the 52 projects in 52 weeks challenge and showing them off to the World. Technically the week runs Tuesday to Monday as the 1st of June was on Tuesday, but Friday seems like a good day for posting.
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This week I completed six preemie hats. They are made using the super stretchy preemie hat pattern (on Ravelry or on the loving hands website). They are so very easy to make and take about an hour, which is why there are six of them.
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I used some leftover superwash merino from my pinwheel cardi project, I have since been told super soft acrylic is better, will send these anyway as they are done but will track down some suitable acrylic if I make any more.
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I especially like the dark red with a bright red stripe, looks like a little skater beanie. might make an adult version for myself as there is quite a bit of the merino left to use up.
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The second part of my personal challenge is a sock yarn blanket square a week. Here is the one for this week, it uses the yarn I was sent in my first ever Ravelry swap, it is also conveniently my University colours.
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I also managed to make myself sew in all the ends that were waiting to be done from other squares- it takes almost as long as knitting them!

Challenge 52 in 52

I have decided to take up another Ravelry challenge, this time the 52 projects in 52 weeks one. It starts today and, obviously, the aim is to finish 52 projects in 52 weeks. They do not have to be knitting projects, it seems other crafty things are allowed so will be getting a varied crafting diet.

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Reports from last year had people saying they got a lot done, so I am hoping it will help me work faster and get more FOs.

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Currently my monthly aim is:

2 mini socks (one project)

A pair of socks for my sock a month self imposed challenge (one or two projects depending how complicated/size etc)

One session of dyeing a month

Plus something else varying size (I don't exactly have much of a plan here!)

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There are also some points challenges (just for bragging rights), I am making this plan up on the spot so it is likely to change

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Finish an OLD UFO--a project started prior to 2008 (50 points), have found a baby blanket that I crocheted and needs ends sewing in
Finish a new UFO--a project started prior to 2010 (25 points), Can't enter this as I don't have one (I can't remember when I started my sock yarn blanket)
Try a new-to-you technique (intarsia, fair isle, entrelac, steeking, beading, tunisian crochet, quilting, etc) (25 points), going to have a go at quilting and continental knitting and will probably find some other techniques during the year
Get inspiration from a fellow group member--link to their project in your notes & FO post. (10 points), not looked yet, will go hunting at some point
Six Pairs of Socks or gloves/mittens/knucks during the course of the year (60 points), covered by my sock a month challenge, in fact this might get done twice over
Six Shawls in a year (120 points), I have two left for my 5 shawls in 2010 challenge so I might make more next year and manage this one
Five projects entirely from stash accumulated prior to June, 2010 (50 points), not a problem :)
A hat a month (120 points), not a huge fan of hats, maybe I will find a preemie pattern (is tiny hats cheating?)
A handmade toy a month (120 points), have promised to make my niece knitted and crocheted play food so that might well count for this
A charity/gift project a month--if possible tell us who they are going to! (120 points), see preemie hats challenge (I think that might be cheating) or maybe more knitted boobs.
A pattern from your favorites (using your stash for bonus points) (25 points), definately not a problem!
Clothe yourself from head to toe: Hat, scarf, sweater/shawl, socks (can include undergarments & skirts, if you wish, as well). Each item should have its own project page & you must post a photo of yourself wearing the ensemble. (75 points), might be able to do this, although it depends if projects can count for multiple challenges
A new-to-you project type: do a project you have never tried before, such as a sweater, socks, or a shawl. If you have done a cardigan, a pullover does not count as something new. (25 points), I am going to count the quilt that I hope to make for this one

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I think the whatevers a month don't actually have to be done one a month, think it is more like 12 in a year, well, that is what I am going for. That is good for 765 points if I can do it all and repeating challenges is allowed.

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OK, so now this is down in writing on teh interwebz (as they say) I have to stick with it or, um, I dunno, the craft demons will come and get me? So I am going to go and do something crafty and get started.