Countdown to Tour de Fleece

Get your wheels and spindles ready! The Tour de Fleece starts tomorrow, Saturday, June 26. During this annual event—which runs concurrently with the Tour de France—spinners of all levels challenge themselves to spin every day (except on the two rest days).

The beauty of it is that you’re not competing with anyone but yourself. You set your own goals and try to meet them. A new spinner, or someone with only a little time to spare, might aim to devote just a few minutes a day to spinning. A more advanced spinner, or someone with a lot of spare time, might aim to spin up a sweater quantity of yarn. It’s all fine—the only rules are to challenge yourself, spin, and have fun (Ravelry link).

You can spin solo or join teams, if you like. They’re a fun way to keep yourself motivated and learn from other spinners’ projects. Plus, you get to ogle lots of beautiful fibers and colorways.

This year, I’m spindle spinning on two teams. For the Three Waters Farm team (on Ravelry), I’ll be working on a WIP of some lovely BFL in the Rainy Day Man colorway. My goal is a minimum of ten minutes a day, hopefully more.

I’ll also continue spinning my WIP of heathered BFL in the Amethyst colorway for the Greenwood Fiberworks team (they’re on Facebook—the group is private but you can request an invite). I’ve already finished one 2-ply fingering weight skein of this colorway; during the TDF I hope to finish a second skein, or at least get close. My goal for this project is also a minimum of ten minutes a day. So I’ll be spinning at least 20 minutes a day, more on the challenge days.

Are you participating in the Tour de Fleece (TDF)? If you are, drop me a note in the comments. If you’re posting on Instagram, I’d love to follow you. For me, one of the best things about the TDF is learning from observation—seeing how other spinners prepare fiber for spinning, or wind their cops, or ply a skein.

I used to be an off-again, off-again spinner. Last summer, being on the Three Waters Farm team helped me become a devoted daily spinner. I’ve missed very few days since then, and now I look forward to those quiet moments each day when I set everything else aside and simply watch the spindle twirl round and round.

Below is the project I’ve been knitting with the Three Waters Farm Targhee I spun during last year’s TDF. The colorway is Rocks and Sand, which I spun randomly, without aiming for any particular outcome. I’m really pleased with how it’s worked on the yoke of this sweater (Branches and Buds Pullover by Carrie Bostick Hoge, with modifications, which you can read about here).

If you’re spinning, have a fun and productive Tour de Fleece!

LINKS

2021 Tour de Fleece (Ravelry link)
Team Three Waters Farm (Ravelry link)
Greenwood Fiberworks Team (Facebook link)

Spinning Along

Time for turtles — the fiber kind. Today I thought I’d share progress on my long-term project of spinning yarns for a Journey of Mind Cowl (Ravelry link to the design by Diana Niedobova).

The Amethyst Heathered BFL from Greenwood Fiberworks has turned out to be a real joy to spin. It flows onto the spindle quickly and easily. At this point, I’ve finished two spindles of it and plied them onto a Golding drop spindle. The result is just what I hoped for — a 2-ply light fingering weight yarn that should be perfect for knitting the cowl.

Now I’m spinning an equal amount of undyed mixed BFL onto the two Turkish spindles. At this point, I’m nearly done. Soon I’ll be ready to begin plying it. And then the knitting can begin! I’ll continue to spin more yarn after I get started knitting the cowl.

I love how portable these Turkish spindles are. it’s easy to keep one in my bag, so that anywhere, anytime, I can spin a little if there’s an opportunity.

We’ve had days of rain here, and more coming tomorrow. So when I saw the forecast of sunshine for today, I decided to hit the Mill River trails just a few minutes from home. There’s a special spot there next to the water where I like to stop and spin (see the “heart place” highlight in my Instagram Stories). And just a few minutes further on, there’s Puffer’s Pond, one of the prettiest spots in Amherst. An hour’s walk in the woods always puts me in a peaceful frame of mind — something that’s more important than ever now that I’m partially furloughed again.

When will the stress and uncertainty of the past year end? While I love having a morning free to spin and walk in the woods, I hope that soon I’ll once again have the stability of a full-time, permanent job. I have a lot of irons in the fire and am hoping for positive news soon. Fingers crossed!

Puffer’s Pond, Amherst, Massachusetts

Look Up at the Sky

Today was Look Up at the Sky Day. And the weather here in Massachusetts was perfect for it — blue skies and gorgeous clouds.

I had a lot of errands to do, so I was able to look up pretty often. My heart was so happy to see the trees just starting to leaf out against the blue sky. The grand season of greenness and growth is here at last.

Of course, I wasn’t able to look up at the sky all day. Doing a couple of loads of laundry meant looking down at the stairs on my way to the basement laundry room. And spinning meant mostly looking down at my hands, the fiber, and the spindle.

My foray into spinning with a Turkish spindle is going well. I’m really loving this heathered BFL dyed by Greenwood Fiberworks. The color changes are stunning.

When I looked up at tonight’s sky at dusk, I felt like the sky’s colors were mixed right into my spinning.

From morning to evening, it was an excellent day for looking up at the sky. Did you have a chance to?

Intentional Spinning

Over the past few years, I find myself journeying more and more into the land of spinning with drop spindles. Turns out it’s a happy place where I always feel at home.

Sometimes I set out on a new spinning project without a plan—I have a new roving and I just get started, deciding after it’s finished and plied what the yarn might become.

Other times, I’m more intentional and start out with a plan. The stand-alone singles I spun with Three Waters Farm Rambouillet for my Bluetta Scarf pattern are an example of intentional spinning.

Bluetta Scarf, by Bonnie Sennott

My newest spinning project is also intentional. As soon as I saw Diana Niedobova’s Journey of Mind in the KDD My Place project, I wanted to cast on this beautiful stranded-color cowl.

Journey of Mind Cowl, by Diana Niedobova

I’ve decided to spin the two fingering weight yarns needed for the cowl. One color will be undyed mixed BFL from my stash. The other color with be mixed BFL in the Amethyst colorway dyed by Greenwood Fiberworks.

I used the undyed mixed BFL a few years ago for my Spindler Mitts pattern. I think its silvery grey-brown color will be a beautiful contrast to the purples and blues of the Amethyst yarn.

Spindler Mitts, by Bonnie Sennott

For this project, I’m using a couple of Snyder Turkish spindles; one weighs 25 grams, the other 22. I divided the roving into two halves and will spin one half from the teal end of the color sequence, and the other end from the violet end.

I don’t trust this plan to my memory, so I attached labels to each half. I’m also keeping track in my little spinning notebook where I log what I’ve spun, spindle and fiber weights, thoughts about the fiber, etc.

The project’s off to a great start. I’m really enjoying spinning with Turkish spindles—they might possibly be my favorite style. The “over two, under one” winding-on method for the cop is both pretty and fun to do.

They’re also quite portable. On my walk yesterday on nearby trails, I brought my spindle along and enjoyed spinning for a bit at a favorite peaceful brook.

With spring in the air, it feels like the right time to start a fresh new spinning project. And next winter, when the spinning and knitting are done, the cowl will remind me of the My Place project, of spinning outdoors in warm weather, and of the joy of learning a new spinning method.

If you spin, do you treat each project as an adventure, deciding what you’ll make with the yarn after you’ve finished spinning? Or do you start out with a specific use or pattern in mind?

Pattern Release: Bluetta

I’m pleased to share my last new pattern for 2020: Bluetta, a cozy, feminine scarf/shawlette to knit for yourself or as a gift. The pattern is now available in my Ravelry and Payhip pattern stores, where you can enjoy 20% off with the coupon code BLUETTA.

Named after a variety of blueberries, Bluetta combines easy garter stitch and a scalloped lace edging. Worked from one end to the other, it has a gently tapered crescent shape. And, it’s reversible! No worrying about getting the “right” side up when you wear it.

The pattern provides step-by-step instructions in written form and in a chart. A schematic helps you to visualize the progression of the knitting, the increase and decrease sections, and the piece’s overall shape.

There are two sizes — a scarf and a shawlette — as well as tips for shortening or lengthening the piece.

Any single or plied fingering weight yarn can be used. You’ll need 475 yds/435 m for the scarf and 550 yds/505 m for the shawlette. For the sample, I used handspun Three Waters Farm Rambouillet in the Blue Flourish colorway.

The introductory discount continues through Thursday, December 10, at Ravelry and Payhip. Use the coupon code BLUETTA to save 20%.

Thank you for your support during this year like no other. I couldn’t have gotten through it without you. I’m truly grateful for each and every pattern purchase.

Happy knitting—and happy holidays to you and yours.

About Town Mitts, Handspun Edition

A couple of days ago the temperatures here in western Massachusetts climbed to the 60s and even 70s — a brief taste of summer in dreary February! It was lovely to go out for a walk without a coat or even a sweater, though seeing a lake covered in ice while walking in shirt sleeves was a little strange. But now, as I type this, snow is coming down again. Everything's back to normal, sigh. Winter is most assuredly not over, and won't be for quite a while.

So I don't regret casting on another pair of About Town Mitts. I love the originals, knit in Road to China Light, a blend of alpaca, cashmere, silk, and camel. But I had a gut feeling these mitts would also look good in handspun. The Foxhill Farm Cormo/alpaca that I spun on drop spindles last summer for Tour de Fleece was just about the right weight. And I had about 200 yards — more than enough.

Since the yarn is a smidgen heavier than the Road to China Light, I cast on the number of stitches for the small size, in order to get a medium size. And it's worked out well — the fit is perfect! I wanted a somewhat longer cuff for this pair, so I worked three extra repeats of the stitch pattern. It's easy to modify the length — but do remember you'll need more yarn for longer mitts.

Mitt No. 1 is already done — this is a really quick knit. I love the nubbly look and cushy feel of this handspun yarn. As a relatively new spindle spinner, I'm excited to see the fiber I bought at Rhinebeck 2016 — with happy hopes — transformed into something warm and wearable. It's a satisfying feeling and makes me want to keep spinning and continue improving my skills.

The About Town Mitts remain on sale 25% off (just $4.50) in my Ravelry pattern store through Sunday, February 25. No coupon code is needed — you'll automatically get the discount at checkout. They're on sale (same price) in my Etsy shop too, also through February 25.