Skirting 2 fleeces during the Tour de Fleece.

/ LDSVenus / 4 Comments

I signed up last spring to have two fleeces that I have had for about 4 years turned into roving to spin, and I needed to ship them to the mill around Aug 1st. I tried to skirt them in April but rain and wind made it not fun to try to do outside, so I put it off. Now it’s too hot so I decided to do these on a sheet in my living room. They made a nice sheepy smell in my living room lol. I did the white fleece today, and the grey yesterday. These were very dirty fleeces and I lost about about 1/3 of them to parts that were so dirty they were past cleaning up. These were not coated sheep because are meat sheep, however they were polypay ewes and their fleece is next to skin soft. They were given to me so I’m not out any money and I will have some nice fiber to spin when they come back from the mill.

The first picture is what was left of the white fleece after skirting. The 2nd picture is the unskirted grey fleece, and the 3rd picture is a little bit I pulled off the grey and washed so I could see what color it really was and the last picture is that sample after it was dry and I put it through my drum carder. It’s fluffy and soft and a medium grey as I suspected. I will be excited to get it back! One more thing off my list of things I need to get done!

I have been spinning but not as much as I wanted to. I should have the 2nd bobbin finished tomorrow and hopefully plied, but it will be Saturday before I get a picture of the yarn because I will need to wash it and let it dry. 🙂

Next week starting on Tuesday our temps are suppose to be in the 90’s. Sigh. I just keep telling myself, better than -50.

Tour de Fleece Days 10-13

/ LDSVenus / 4 Comments

I took an antihistamine and fell asleep early the 10th, so I will call that “my bicycle broke day” lol, was suppose to be a rest day anyway, guess my body said yep. On the 11th I decided I was going to try to use up the little bit of singles on one of the bobbins from the last skien of yarn because I was going to need that bobbin for plying and decided to try a chain ply, something I had never done. I watched someone on YouTube and thought ok I can do that. When I put the empty bobbin on somehow I didn’t get my brake band on the part it needed to be on and the yarn wasn’t taking up on the bobbin, ugh. I was frustrated so I put it down and didn’t get back to it. Decided to look over the wheel on the 12th and after adjusting some other things, I noticed the break band, oh my gosh, problem solved!! I tried the chain play, not quite as easy as it looks but I managed to get most of that single plied on the other bobbin with the chain ply until it broke with about 1 yard left. I thought ok, no problem, I’m happy with what I got, even tho it’s a bit over spun with the chain ply, I’ll keep practicing with the left overs on future bobbins until I get better. Notice in the first picture there is no marling of the yarn :). When you chain ply you get same color on same color except sometimes at the end and beginning of each color for a short distance. So new technique learned! Today I went ahead and started spinning the 2nd bobbin, see picture.

Tour de Fleece day 9

/ LDSVenus / 4 Comments

Day 9, finished the first bobbin! It looks a lot more full in real life than in the picture but maybe a bobbin with the same amount of singles will fit when plied, tho I have my doubts.

I didn’t start the new bobbin but it is on there ready to start spinning tomorrow since I will be making up time for my lack of spinning time the 6th day. I don’t care tho tomorrow shouldn’t be too busy, laundry day and maybe an errand. I may not post tomorrow tho unless I have a substantial amount of spinning to show :P.

Our city has been doing their “work” on the roads, and oh my gosh you almost need a map to see where you can go and where you need to avoid, and how the heck you are suppose to get to your destination, sigh. I guess it’s all cities but so annoying, altho not quite as annoying as the pot holes they are fixing by repaving, some are almost big enough to swallow your car lol.

Tour de Fleece day 8

/ LDSVenus / 3 Comments

Ok, I did spin on day 7, just didn’t post because I didn’t spin much, guess I will be spinning on their rest day on the 10th :P. I have a little bit more to spin on this first bobbin, then I will start the 2nd bobbin. If I have weighed the fiber out correctly and my spinning is consistent, my 2nd bobbin should be equally as full and that, I think, will be a problem when I ply it on the 3rd bobbin, because plying two near full bobbins will be too much yarn to fit on it. I guess that will mean 2 skeins, one larger than the other. I might just have to invest in a large bobbin and the large flyer that goes with it. Won’t be cheap, it won’t be here for this year’s Tour de Fleece and I don’t spin a lot of bulky type of yarns but if I am going to do it occasionally it’s best to have one.

Tour de Fleece Day 5 and New Tee!

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

Fiber Love Diary, a spinner I follow on YouTube, has her new tee shirt out for the Tour de Fleece. I spun with her group last year and am again this year. She spins, dyes, knits, weaves, you name a fiber project she has probably done it. Very cute tee’s this year!

I know this says day 5 and when you see it, but it will be day 6 for the Tour de Fleece, but for the moment that is how it is. If I skip posting a day, it will be right :P. There is progress on my spin even tho I’m sure it doesn’t look like it, I’ll try to pick up the pace. Because it’s quite a bit thicker than I usually spin and I’m only about 1/2 way on the first 2 ozs (each bobbin will be 2 ozs), it makes me wonder if my bobbin will be big enough for the ply of 4 ozs, I’m thinking after plying and washing this might be a heavy worsted or a light bulky yarn. I am loving it tho, it’s a fun fiber to spin, the singles are beautiful, and I’m trying to think of all the things it could become. Depending on how many yards I end up with, maybe a hat or fingerless mitts. I don’t know what the South American wool is, maybe a combination of wools, but it isn’t scratchy, it’s skin soft :).

Tour de Fleece Day 4 – Spinning the Very Berry Color Pop

/ LDSVenus

This is the singles I finished so I could start this year’s Tour de Fleece. Fractal spins are fun and look cool when they are done, just no idea what I would knit it into. Maybe it’s just meant to look at and enjoy :).

Here is my progress with the Very Berry Color Pop (South American wool with viscose). I am really enjoying this spin, it’s a bit thicker than my normal spin because of the viscose bits in it but I am loving the tweedy slubby look. I can hardly wait to see what the plied yarn will look like.

Happy Independence Day 2023

/ LDSVenus / 1 Comment

Happy Birthday, ie: Independence Day, to the country that I love, the United States of America.  Long may our Flag wave! 

We celebrate on the 4th of July but the Declaration of Independence was actually signed on the 2nd and published on the 4th.

Sometimes I think the foundation of our Constitutional Republic is in danger, but my prayers are always that Our Father in Heaven will forgive us from falling away from him and protect our country from dangers of all kinds. Please join me with prayers of your own.

Below is a link to The United States Army Field Band playing the Star Spangled Banner. Enjoy 🙂

https://youtu.be/DADmZdbQ9x8

Monday Funny

/ LDSVenus

I saw this on line some years back and thought this was hilarious but not quite proper for tomorrow, so today it is :P. In case the black lettering is hard to read it says “Dear Americans….. Good Job and have a great we beat the English day…..Love Scotland”. Gotta love Scotland.