Touring

As many people know, thanks to the proliferation of media talking about Lance Armstrong and his problems with doping, the Tour de France is now in full swing.  As I write this post, riders from all over the world, the elite of the elite, are in full-on competition mode to see who can claim the yellow jersey.  And I'm right there competing along with them!

Now, this competition requires no Cervelo bicycle, costing several thousands of dollars (upwards into plus $10,000!), Rather, all it requires is some fleece, and some means of turning said fleece into yarn.  For many of the competitors in the Tour de Fleece, that means is a spinning wheel (hence the reason for the competition, the wheel), although there are plenty of individuals using only spindles.  This year, my first year ever, I am one of them.

"Competing" in the Tour de Fleece is a bit of a stretch.  The winner of the competition typically gets a new skein of yarn (you guessed it, the one she spun!), but really it's about having fun in the greater community of spinners.  People are coming together, both online and in person, to spin, talk, and enjoy each other.  And I love it!

Here's my setup for the competition.  Note the Tom Bihn Travel Tray holding my roving!

 Now, the wheel I'm using for this year's competition is my Majacraft Rose.  I named her Charlotte, after my grandmother, and I love using this wheel.  It's smooth, versatile, and attractive.

Frabjous Fibers BFL

 I decided to go stash diving for this year, and selected some Blue-Faced Leicester to spin.  It's one of my all-time favorite fibers to work with, and for its staple length, is very soft, given its small micron count.

Fiber turns into lace

This is only the first stage of the spinning process with the bobbin.  I still need to fill another bobbin and ply them together to have a more stable yarn.  As I am only spinning 10-20 minutes a day, I'll be lucky to finish before the competition ends, given that I'm spinning lace-weight.  Nevertheless, I'm having a great time, and falling in love with my wheel (and spinning) all over again!