Tour de Fleece

Aka I'm such a joiner.

So it took some peer pressure, but I've started trying to get into spinning. I've probably not even spun an entire ounce yet (and I'm not very good) but I'm trying. I like the idea that i can take a bit of fluff and turning into yarn, then turn that yarn into 'stuff'

Makes me think that if I could master it that I would be awesome über crafter girl.
More likely outcome is that I will mourn the loss of knitting time and give spinning up after a few months, but who knows? This is why I'm started out with just a couple fibers and a drop spindle, instead of massive amounts and a wheel. Well that reason and because I seem to have lost the money tree that was going to allow me to buy all the things I want (maybe I shouldn't have forgotten to water the side yard all last summer)



Anyhow, in order to get better at this whole spinning thing I've signed up with the awesome people on the Pissdrunk Pirates Flouncing Overboard Team for Tour de Fleece. Basically you spin a little every day (while the riders are sinning a whole other way) and by the end (hopefully) you've gotten better. It runs the same dates as the Tour de France (starts June 30 and runs until July 22nd), but being such a new new spinner I figured it wouldn't hurt to practice a bit early. Besides that, my pretty fiber was sitting there unused taunting me.

Both my fibers (and the little extra) came from Greenwood Fiberworks, and they are gooooooorgeous. My only hope is that I can turn this into yarn that looks even a quarter as beautiful as the fiber.
Check out the BFL I practiced with today, it's called Rosewood:

This picture came out a little dark, but you can get a good idea how it looks. So pretty and smishable.

And here is a not-so-hot picture of it on my spindle:

And a better one of it hanging:

I spun less than 10 yards, and maybe it's not as even as I'd like, but I already know I need to practice if I'm going to get any better. It is most definitely identifiable as yarn though, so that makes me happy. Really like the heathering of the colors.

I think I'll work a little bit with the other next time, it's a 50/50 merino/tencel blend called Cherry Cola