Tour De Fleece Update

I did get a little bit left behind in 'The Tour' but I have tried and I am back in the saddle.  I am not quite 'Yellow Jersey' material but I am still having fun sticking along for the ride.  I have finished spinning and plying  'Mars - The Red Planet'.  It was yucky experimentally dyed Merino.  It was orrible to spin.  I was glad to get to the end of it.  It will eventually be crocheted into a planet the size of a golf ball and I am sure it will crunch on the hook!  Yuk! The uneven spin should add some texture to the surface of the planet.  Eh, eh, how about that for textile artiste's 'Poetic Licence'?   My 'mistakes are passed off as intentional creativity!  This young man was very interested in my wheel and 'Navajo Ply':

I carried on regardless, as it is not easy to 'stop' Navajo Plying...mid spin.  This handsome, hairy beast gave me a few kisses of encouragement.  Full smackers on my face!  Beautiful.  My own dog, 'The Lovely Lacey' seemed to get the sulks when Gandalf arrived yesterday.  They are great buddies but they do not engage in any crazy play or displays of affection. . . they are happy to ignore each other.  Lacey loves my spinning wheel and will sleep with her head on the base of it while I spin, she also knows how to deliberately stop the wheel if she has something important to 'say' or she wants some attention.  She is also good at nudging my crochet hook or knitting needles to get attention.  My favourite skeins seem to be her favourite skeins too and we find them in the kitchen in her bed, untangled in the hall or sometimes in the garden!  She loves Alpaca and raw stinky fleece is a big treat.  The joys of pets.  I have just been to put the chickens to bed but they have given me the run around too, I think it is their way of telling me it is not quite bedtime.  Usually they waddle up to bed dutifully like reluctant children.
                Now I have finished 'Mars'  I really needed a treat to spin.  Here is my latest on the Bobbin:

I thought about blending the Silk with Merino, but then decided to spin 100% silk.  It is rather lovely but quite different to spinning fleece.  I have to make sure my hands are kept nice a smooth with hand lotion for this to work.  Tussah silk is silk made by wild silk worms as opposed to Mulberry Silk.  Mulberry silk is from worms fed exclusively on Mulberry leaves and it produces the whitest silk.  I like this 'off' white Tussah silk. . . I think it will make a very good 'Moon'.  Silk has a cellular structure made up of prisms, which is why it has a wonderful iridescent sheen, perfect for moonlight.  It feels very luxurious, especially after 'Mars'.
                  Five more sleeps before I pack my tiny car to the gunnels with two stroppy kids and one large dog to drive down the Motorway for 3 hours to get on our holibobs!  Ooooh I can't wait!  It will be great when we get there, it is just getting there that is the problem.  At least we are not camping as the weather is still shocking.  Henry wants to take his guitar and I want to take my wheel!  Something is going to have to give!  I have offered to buy Henry a Ukulele!  I may have to pack my Spindle!  My spindle and I do not see 'eye to eye'.  My favourite 'Spinning Shop' just happens to be 'en route', about two hours into the journey and only five minutes from the Motorway.  I do not know if I dare get off the Motorway though as it will be very busy on Saturday as it is the start of the 'Summer Hols' for most of the country and everyone seems to want to head south for the last week of July and the first week of August.  I am planning to leave at the crack of dawn!   Poor Euan has to travel in the back seat with the dog and he also usually has to sit on mounds of stuff, I also pack things around him at the last minute!   You get the picture, I do not travel light!
XXX

Tour De Fleece Day 9

Well, poor old Andy Murray, he must be suffering a bit of Tennis elbow!  I am suffering 'Spinners Kneecap'!  Nah, not really, I am not suffering at all but today I spun my little heart out.  Rumpelstiltskin himself would be proud of me!  I was at my parents spinning away while the Tennis was on.  I just don't get tennis, I was amazed Henry seems to understand it!  Apparently he still owes the school £4.00 for three tennis balls that got stuck on the school roof!
            The Bluefaced Leicester fibre seemed to go on for miles and miles.  It is a lovely fleece to spin with though and I would definitely like to spin more of it.

I do think Bluefaced Leicester's are particularly handsome sheep.  They are rather strong and noble looking sheep, don't you think?  They are lovely and the fleece is lovely too.  I really should have been a farmers wife. . . or maybe just a farmer.
           I chose to Navajo ply / chain ply this yarn as I wanted to keep the blocks of colour for when I crochet 'Jupiter'.  If I plied two bobbins together of variegated yarns the colours would be blended, marled or resemble a Barbers Pole!  I am not keen on the Barbers Pole effect.  Plying a single thread enables you to keep some blocks of solid colour.   Navajo plying is plying from a single thread, you make a large/ long slip knot and ply it together with the thread, catching and making chain stitches/slip knots as you go.  It is hard to explain but there are videos on Youtube.  That is how I learned to Navajo ply. . .yeah for Youtube!  The resulting yarn is three ply, as in three strands twisted together.   If I want a finer yarn I spin two bobbins and ply the two threads together.   I spin clockwise and ply anti - clockwise.  The correct terms are 'S' twist and 'Z' twist but my little brain gets into a muddle and I get all muxed up as to which one is which way...I generally spin 'towards the door' and 'away from the door', I can cope with that because that is the kind of girl I am.  I still cannot say 'Ah right I will spin a nice fine yarn'.  I just get what I get, with all it's irregularities and uniqueness.  I am yet to be anything other than delighted with whatever I spin.  I don't know what I am going to spin tomorrow but I will have to hurry up and think about it.  Oh yes probably 'Mars'.  I am still troubled by one thing and it makes me snigger like a naughty school kid (which I was).  What colour is Uranus?  

Jupiter As Seen From Voyager 1

I am still spinning away for the Tour De Fleece 2012.  I am now working on 'Jupiter'.

I had this 'Acid Dyed, Blue Face Leicester fibre in my stash already.  I bought it at a Guild sale.  I think it is perfect for 'Jupiter'.

It may have something to do with a sudden craving for a juicy ripe peach too.  I am now in need of a shower, it was a real juice down your chin, wrists and elbows moment...my T shirt needs a wash too, it was a delicious peach though!
At Weight Watchers today I have hit my 10% Goal, I have now lost 10% of my total body weight.  I must keep going though, I still have a long way to go.  Juicy peaches are acceptable.  I have been baking for Euan's School Summer Fete tomorrow, Cherry Flapjacks and Iced Buns.  I managed to resist all but a small nibble of the Cherry Flapjacks but the Iced Buns proved too much temptation.

I nearly forgot to photograph them to show you, I took the flapjacks this morning and forgot to photograph those.

Euan provided a quality control service after school and the Iced Buns got the thumbs up.  Thursdays are busy days for him, he has a school Swimming lesson, then after school he enjoys 'Dodgeball Club'.  He does look hot and bothered in this picture.  He should have had his Annual Sports Day on Monday (which he hates), he was delighted it was cancelled due to the torrential rain, however. . . they say be careful what you wish for. . . it has been rescheduled for his birthday on Tuesday.  XXX

'Sunshine Spinning' Day 4 Tour De Fleece

Naughty Blogger!  I tried to post my Sunshine spinning yesterday but Blogger did not let me!  I have forgot what real sunshine looks like!  :) x

Tour De Fleece Day 3 - This is Planet Earth

This is Planet Earth. . . next for the Sun.  I have to make my own this year!  It is official it was been the wettest and dullest June for over a Century here in the UK.  My tomatoes will never ripen in this.  More wet weather today. . .the chickens are beginning to think they are ducks.  xxx

Random Raspberries and Other Stories . . .

What a lovely 1st of July.  Not only did we have the excitement of the Olympic Torch.  I have had the excitement of picking the first of this years raspberries from the garden.  Yum.  Three Little Red Hens cluck enthusiastically for their share.  They love raspberries and for the next few weeks they will provide a daily treat.  I try to put the raspberries to good use, making jam and Homemade Raspberry Liqueurs.  Tonight I made a scrummy and speedy pud using ready made Meringue Nests, Homemade soft cheese and homegrown raspberries.  Very pleased with myself I was too.

I just filled the Meringue Nests with the Soft Cheese and popped the raspberries on top.  Delicious.  The raspberries grow in the 'Chickens half of the garden'.  I had until today assumed the majority of the fruit was safe as although a hungry chicken can do a fairly high standing jump most of the berries are to high to reach.  Now this evening I have discovered there has been some cunning going on.  I found three chickens pecking all the berries off this fallen raspberry cane.

I did not see the deed but I suspect the three worked together and jumped on the cane until it fell!  I hope they are not going to make a habit of it.

Innocent until proven guilty. . . unless you are a chicken.  You can see they have been playing 'Foghorn Leghorn' with corn on the cobs. . . they love that too.  Good job I love them.  The cheeky girls!
Finally. . . Oh yes. . .

Pinch Punch First of The Month!   xxx

And We Are Off...Day 1 Tour De Fleece 2012

My little 'Kiwi' wheel and I are off to a flying start as the 'Tour De Fleece 2012' kicks off today.  It is great to be back behind the wheel.  I am full of trepidation but I will attempt to spin for each day of the 'Tour De France'.  This fibre is a complete mystery to me, I have no idea where it came from or what it is, it is in my stash and I have a plan for it.  I am hoping it will crochet into 'Earth', 'The Blue Planet'.  Get ready, (with a bit of luck) my posts should be very spinny and fibre filled for July.  I just hope my poor old knees hold out!