I finished my Tour de Fleece spinning at 5am this morning!

I'm shattered and I've totally overdone it because I hurt now, but I really enjoyed doing it!

Here is everything I spun!



Top left: 70% Alpaca/30% Merino, 500g, 37WPI, 2468.432 meters or 2699.166 yards.
Top right: I added about 30g of Shetland to my Trindle
Bottom left: I purchased and learned how to use a Russian support Spindle, I spun about 15g of merino.
Bottom Right: Cheviot, 200g, 54WPI, 1992.757 meters or 2179.30556 yards!

As you can see, I've recently purchased a support spindle due to the back problems I told you about before.

It's lovely and today, my Spindolyn arrived too! I really want to practise on them both, but I haven't knit a stitch in 3 weeks and I'm desperate to get on with my shawl!

Back problems strike again

As you already know, if you read my blog, I have a bad back. I am basically in pain 24 hours a day, it never doesn't hurt and if I overdo things (stand too long, walk too far, carry things, etc) the pain increases.

Due to this, I often walk with a stick - but not all the time; only when the pain is worse than my norm before I go out (I should really use it more, but as anyone who has to use a stick will say 'I hate that f**king stick!)!

A couple of days ago, I discovered that Isis will walk quite happily if I hook her leash to my belt. 'Great!' I thought 'This means I can knit or spindle while walking (if I'm not using my stick, that is)!'

So, I tried it today! I walked from my house to Mel's house.

Co-incidentally, one of the Tour de Fleece challenges is to spin a mile - that can be a mile long piece of yarn, or you can spin while walking a mile.

It is one mile from my house to Mel's house!

So I did it. It took me ages to get there! I couldn't walk too fast or I'd kick the spindle and holding my hands in front of me really caused my back to ache!

I do enjoy spindling, but I can't spindle while sitting down (makes my arms ache holding them up like that!) and I obviously can't stand too long and do it and now I know I can't walk and spindle.

I can't sit 'properly' on a chair for very long. I think the whole being upright with my spine straight must put pressure on somewhere because it hurts in exactly the same way as standing does. Anyone who knows me well, knows I fidget a lot!

When at home, I sit with my feet tucked up beside me. I know this means I am sitting twisted, but it really is the most comfortable position for me!

After watching this video by Lisa, I realised that I would be able to use a supported spindle in any position! So I sent her an e-mail and ordered one!

I'm quite excited to learn something new and I'm hoping my new spindle will arrive in the post tomorrow. I don't know what wood she's used, I told her I liked walnut and Mexican Bocote but couldn't decide which I liked more so I told her to surprise me!

The weird thing is that I can sit at my wheel for hours though - maybe the treadling shifts things enough that I don't get quite so sore?

ETA: I've just ordered a Spindolyn too!

Exhaustion at the End of Week 2!

I am absolutely shattered! I haven't knit a stitch since this tour started and I'm really missing it.

But, I have finished my first Tour de Fleece challenge!

I have spun approximately 500g of 70% alpaca/30% merino into 2 ply laceweight!

I haven't measured the 3rd skein yet (it's just having a soak), but once it's dry I'll come back here and let you know the final yardage!

While I am sick of spinning the same colour for two solid weeks, I am also incredibly proud of this gorgeous, soft, fluffy yarn that I created!

Now, I just want something bright and garish to spin for a change LOL


OK, I'm back! I've measured the third skein and it's a biggun! Skein 1 was 781.812 metres/855 yards, skein 2 was 772.16 metres/844.44 yards and skein 3 was a mahoosive 914.146 metres/999.722 yards - that makes my total length: 2468.432 meters or 2699.166 yards!!!

Look what I got!

My first TdF Skein

This year I am participating in the Tour de Fleece. I decided to spin up the 500g of alpaca/merino tops I purchased at iKnit last year.

The fibre is gorgeous - well it would be at 70% alpaca and 30% merino, wouldn't it and naturally, it wanted to be laceweight.

I started spinning on Saturday, but only managed to do five or six hours over the entire weekend as I went out clubbing with Kaz and got very drunk on Saturday night LOL.

Anyway, I kept spinning and spinning and by last night; I had finished two bobbins worth. So today I got to plying.

My god, it went on forever! It took me all day to ply (minus eating, taking a break, playing with my new iPhone 4 {birthday gift from Kyle!} and taking Mum to B&Q).

Finally at 1am, I finished. So I wound it off onto the skeiner and I got 855 yards/781.812 metres, and 37WPI over 168 grams!



I am so proud of it and it's gorgeous. I reckon when I've finished the whole lot, I'm going to have over 2500 yards!

The winner is.....

liveotherwise!

You can choose absolutely anything you like from the shop, or if you don't see something, let me know and I'll do you a custom dye job!

Congratulations!

So, let's see how many people really read my blog LOL

Today - 3rd July - is my bloggaversary. This year it's been two years since I first started blogging.

So much has happened since then!

My knitting has really taken off, I've learned to spin, I've learned to dye, I'm trying to get my business off the ground.

Today I came to the realisation that fleece prep is just beyond me! It makes my back hurt far too much! Now I'm going to have to decide whether to slowly prep what I've got here, or sell it on!

So, to celebrate my bloggaversary and to cheer myself up; I'm doing a giveaway!

Go and have a look at my shop - see anything you really like? Do you have any suggestions? Any requests? Any comment to make at all as long as it's something better than 'pick me pick me!' (which is all I can ever think to comment on giveaways LOL). Post your comment here and after 24 hours, I will chuck all the names into a hat (unless I can find and figure out a random number generator) and pull one at random.

The winner will get to choose one item from my shop absolutely free! No obligations, I will not follow you around the internet moaning that you took advantage but then didn't buy anything more, it will be absolutely 100%, no obligation free!

Go for it!