Great Ways to Have a Great Day!

I've been holding on to things for a long time because I like them - thought this might make a good place to archive the lists so that I might be able to share and declutter.

View from my office

"Work like you don't need the money.

Love like you've never been hurt.

Dance like nobody's watching.

Sing like nobody's listening.

Be surprised, like you were born yesterday.

Tell the truth, and you don't have to remember anything.

Live like it's heaven on earth."

Source: Unknown - I read it in a newsletter and their source was Hope Heart Institute

Tour de Fleece finished project stats

How much fiber was used (weight of fiber in ounces)? 8 oz

How many yards were spun? 82 yards of 2 ply

How you spun it -- wheel/spindle/charka/ etc.? Louet Wheel and Golding drop spindle

Are you a Rookie?  Spinning 7 years - first tdf

What type of yarn -- sock, bulky, lace,? 46 yards of bulky 6 wpi 2 ply and 36 yards of 30 wpi 2 ply with remaining spindle spun singles.  The goal was to ply a thin colorful spindle spun yarn around a bulky natural brown fiber.  

Is this an entry for the most out of 1oz? nope

Is it a new Technique you tried? nope

What Phattie is the fiber from? Spincerely for the dyed - it was plied against natural from my own animals.

What is the Fiber content?  100% llama

Happiness factor?  Love it!

Three of the skeins in this picture are described above.  The light brown/tan is cotton to be described in another entry.

How much fiber was used (weight of fiber in ounces)? 4.5 oz

How many yards were spun? 275 yards of singles

How you spun it -- wheel/spindle/charka/ etc.? Louet Wheel

Are you a Rookie?  Spinning 7 years - first tdf

What type of yarn -- sock, bulky, lace,? 16 wpi

Is this an entry for the most out of 1oz? nope

Is it a new Technique you tried? nope

What Phattie is the fiber from? Spincerely 

What is the Fiber content?  Merino/Bamboo/Nylon roving

Happiness factor?  Love it!  have about 15 more oz!  Can't wait to spin it.  Will do some 2 ply for warp and remaining yarn will be just like this skein for weft.

Spincerely said I could help her name it - it just makes me think of grapes -  but she already has a grape goddess.  

<

How much fiber was used (weight of fiber in ounces)? 9 oz

How many yards were spun? 280 yards of 2 ply

How you spun it -- wheel/spindle/charka/ etc.? Louet Wheel

Are you a Rookie?  Spinning 7 years - first tdf

What type of yarn -- sock, bulky, lace,? 12 wpi

Is this an entry for the most out of 1oz? nope

Is it a new Technique you tried? nope

What Phattie is the fiber from? Spincerely dyed fiber

What is the Fiber content?  Llama

Happiness factor?  Pretty pleased but I felt awful during a lot of the spinning.  I think it was reflected in the yarn - but I tend to like yarn that doesn't look perfect.  It will be a good candidate for some serious whacking. 

The colors are much warmer than this - see this post for better idea.

How much fiber was used (weight of fiber in ounces)? 5.5 oz

How many yards were spun? 160 yards of 3 ply

How you spun it -- wheel/spindle/charka/ etc.? Louet Wheel

Are you a Rookie?  Spinning 7 years - first tdf

What type of yarn -- sock, bulky, lace,? 14 wpi

Is this an entry for the most out of 1oz? nope

Is it a new Technique you tried? nope

What Phattie is the fiber from? Spincerely dyed fiber

What is the Fiber content?  Llama

Happiness factor?  Very very happy!  Nice twist and very balanced.

Here it is plied but still on the bobbin.  Lighting is not good enough to take a new shot on my iPhone to capture it.

How much fiber was used (weight of fiber in ounces)? 5 oz

How many yards were spun? 94 yards of 3 ply

How you spun it -- wheel/spindle/charka/ etc.? Louet Wheel

Are you a Rookie?  Spinning 7 years - first tdf

What type of yarn -- sock, bulky, lace,? 10 wpi

Is this an entry for the most out of 1oz? nope

Is it a new Technique you tried? nope

What Phattie is the fiber from? Spincerely 

What is the Fiber content?  BFL

Happiness factor?  I have to say out of all the yarn I think I like the color of this one best.   

In all it's niddy glory!

How much fiber was used (weight of fiber in ounces)? 5.5 oz

How many yards were spun? 178 yards of 3 ply

How you spun it -- wheel/spindle/charka/ etc.? Louet Wheel

Are you a Rookie?  Spinning 7 years - first tdf

What type of yarn -- sock, bulky, lace,? 14 wpi

Is this an entry for the most out of 1oz? nope

Is it a new Technique you tried? nope

What Phattie is the fiber from? Natchwoolie

What is the Fiber content?  Silk, Milk, and Bamboo

Happiness factor?  Love the hand and the smell - colors are beautiful!

Hmmm I just said I like the way it smells - and it is indigo - should I be worried.  Actually it is the silk smell I'm drawn to.

How much fiber was used (weight of fiber in ounces)?1.2 oz

How many yards were spun? 36.6 yards of 2 ply

How you spun it -- wheel/spindle/charka/ etc.? Great wheel/Louet Wheel/Tahkli 

Are you a Rookie?  Spinning 7 years - first tdf

What type of yarn -- sock, bulky, lace,? 22 wpi and 32 wpi (Tahkli)

Is this an entry for the most out of 1oz? nope

Is it a new Technique you tried? nope but I was going for speed - and I don't think I really spun that much 

What Phattie is the fiber from? Natchwoolie

What is the Fiber content?  Cotton

Happiness factor?  Very happy - looking forward to spinning the rest of it.

Here is the Tahkli spun

Tour de Fleece Day 23

Day 23
July 25
4.5 hours
Husband's birthday
End of Tour de Fleece/France

This morning I finished plying my Natchwoolie Blue Hawaii!



Then my husband let me know he wanted to go out so I so I grabbed my cotton and my takhli from last night and was off in the truck spinning on bumpy dirt roads and eventually we made it to smooth ground.  He was fine that ever minute or so my hand was streched out in front of his face - but every now and then I changed hands so that I wasn't constantly blocking his view of the roads.

I didn't make too much progress - but I filled the spindle on the way there and then I prepared to Andean ply and walked around a few stores with a funny little cotton bracelet.  I plied it on the way back which didn't take very much time at all.  Then I got very sleepy and I fell asleep.  I got home and I was still sleepy - and I took a three hour nap (might be why I'm awake right now!)



When I woke up I went to ply the orange Spincerely dyed llama and the balls were too big to fit under my terra cotta plying pots.  So I decided I should fix my ball winder.  Two seconds later I was taking my balls and making nice little flat center pull balls that fit perfectly under my pots.







I made a center pull ball for the green Spincerely dyed llama.

I plied the two singles of the orange yarn and ended up again with two very full bobbins.


Then I navajo plied the green yarn.


Then I navajo plied the [Spincerely](/people/Spincerely) BFL - yummmmm




All the yarn I officially wanted to ply for the competition is done.  I've not had a chance to calculate the measurements yet but I suspect I'll be able to get to that tomorrow.

I'm thinking next year I will just have to ply as I go so I can post things to the finished projects regularly.  Although technically I've not finished any projects since I've not yet washed the yarn.

It has been an honor to spin with you all!  Go Team Phat!

Tour de Fleece Day 22

Day 22
July 24
4.5 hours spinning
3 hours clearing bobbins and preparing for plying
10 hours lack of internet and phone!

This is all the yarn I had spun up to Day 22 all waiting to be plied with the exception of the cotton that I plied yesterday.


So I've never used a nostepinne before today.  My guild's Fearless Leader, Alison, showed us a few weeks ago at guild social and with Youtube I somehow got caught up in it.  Do I own one - no.  But I was sitting there winding balls by hand when I knew I really wanted a center pull ball.  I have a ball winder but on the day Lance fell three times it went south on me.

So I was sitting there looking at a beautiful Tudor family made beeswax candle and I thought, "Hmmm, I bet that will work."  Sure enough it did.  Thanks Alison for showing us.  So that took a while and I guess it was what I needed to learn at the moment.  What I also know is that I know how to fix my ball winder when it acts up.  I've spent considerable time on the phone with the maker, Otto, a few years ago since I have an earlier version of the Strauch Jumbo ball winder.  Otto has been great - he has sent me parts to upgrade it when necessary and has walked me through all the tweaks.  I love tinkering and fixing things.  But today, I wanted a new skill.  I'm inspired by Galia (TDF teammate) and her homemade solutions.  Sure enough on Youtube there are several videos.  The second one I found was using a wooden spoon.  I like the candle very much and it may just end up in my fiber tool box.



Yesterday, I plied the thin spindle spun Spincerely dyed llama against some bulky natural colored llama and I love how it came out.  Very fun.  I had extra of the spindle spun so I andean plied the remainder.



Then I started to Navajo ply the Natchwoolie Blue Hawaii.  I would have finished but my husband's birthday is today and well I don't eat most cake.  He had several friends over yesterday so I got a brain storm to run out and buy him an icecream cake that he could share and it was such a hot day.



Saturday's progress


In the evening when watching the end of the second season of *True Blood* I did some cotton spinning on my Tahkli.  I don't normally ply and do anything else so I can focus on my counting and not get distracted.  Plus I normally let my singles relax for months if not years (see future posts soon as I have boxes of singles to ply . . . )  so I knew that it would need my full attention.

Then, hmph, no internet to post.

Go Team Phat!

Tour de Fleece Day 21

Day 21
July 23
4.5 hours

I achieved my goals for today - all Natchwoolie Blue Hawaii


and Spincerely dyed dehaired llama singles are spun.


I andean plyed the cotton

From my great wheel - on my hand


From the Louet on my lovely andean plying tool handmade and gifted by my dear friend Leslie and her husband John.


I thought it was interesting to see the difference in the two staple lengths from the Blue Hawaii and the cotton.


I'm psyched up for all the plying tomorrow!  Even spent some time tonight emptying bobbins.  I'm just hoping I'll be able to spin some of my June Phat Fiber box before the tour is over.

Go Team Phat!