What a change a colour can make

These two hanks were both spun using the same multi coloured silk/alpaca/merino blend for the thick and thin singles.
One was plyed  using a commercial dyed plum and the other a soft sage green

My first attempts with a Blending Board

I bought a Blending Board from Janet Knoop 'My Spin on Things' at the Bendigo Muster

my first little 'rolags'

Then spun as a single and some of the dyed greens (Landscape colours - Moss, Flax and Mustard) spun into thick and thins for coils

the result

Finish of my 'All from one fleece' challenge

Continuing on after the Tour de Fleece - I carded and spun the left over multi-coloured and dyed some more a complimentary purple....   

this was the result

this was the left overs of the multi pinks plyed with some olive green - into a bulky art yarn

this is some singles I dyed - I just love the colours

Here is the whole lot - many hours of fun later.

End of the Tour de Fleece

A hank of 2 to 4 ply

some more dyed

This was my total spinning during the Tour de Fleece  plus another natural hank still drying
- didn't get the whole fleece spun but only 1/2 kilo left , shall keep going on it - great fun

Day 3, 4, 5 & 6 Tour de Fleece

Brushing, brushing, spinning, spinning still filling the same bobbin.  It takes an age to fill a bobbin when spinning this fine.  Took a break and dyed a big batch that I had washed yesterday.  Then back to the wheel.  The rain is still pouring down so I am going to be lucky to get the dyed fleece dry before I head to Melbourne on Thursday, at least it is dyed.

I had planned this to be dark and dramatic - but soft and romantic was the result.
I haven't played with these colours before so looking forward to spinning it up to see how it looks..... 

Day 4

The dyed fleece is out on the line still dripping, with me watching the sky for any signs of rain.   After about 6 hours, spread over the past few days, I have finally filled the first bobbin.  In the evening I started on the second.

Day 5

Today there is not much time to sit and spin – packing is the main task on the agenda.  I managed to get the second bobbin about one third filled.  The fleece is still very damp but is packed and will have to travel that way.  Hopefully the air will be dryer in Melbourne and the fleece will finally be ready to spin.  I packed another big bag of the natural fleece so I shouldn’t run out while away.

Day 6

An early start, fly to Melbourne, bus to my Mum and Sister’s home….great excitement and greeting and then …….. back to the spinning by late afternoon.  My sister taught me to spin so it is a passion we share. 

Day 2 - Tour de Fleece 2014

Day 2

Continued spinning the lace weight I started yesterday.  It is just taking forever to fill one bobbin, but it is the finest I have ever spun, so that is some consolation.  Combed some more and washed up the dirtiest part of the fleece and will dye it.  Must have spent about 4 hours, on and off, behind my wheel today – too wet to do anything else anyway.

Still filling the same bobbin

brushed up ready to go

Tour de Fleece 2014

My challenge for this year’s Tour de Fleece is……………….

I bought a 2.5k bag of ‘Ringrove’ fleece.  It’s a champagne colour and quite yummy.  My plan is to spin it in different plies, some will be dyed, some left natural and some will become art yarn all in the month of July.  My added challenge is that my right hand is still in a cast (had surgery on my right thumb and hand on 4^th June) which won’t be removed until 23^rd July.

Today I have started by spinning a lace weight (well my version of lace weight anyway).  I’m spinning this unwashed and it has only needed a light comb to clean it.  Other sections I’ll wash today and later in the week will dye it.