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.
