Taking the Challenge

Today marks the beginning of the Tour de Fleece (and the Tour de France) but we are only noting spinning fiber wheels rather than spinning bicycle wheels.  These challenges get me going and help to keep me focused.  And for someone who is so easily swayed to a new project, limited time challenges do get finished as I have given my word to stick to the timeline.  A few months ago I knit some Slytherin socks and in the winter of 2006 participated in the Knitting Olympics so I know these can be done if I don't overwhelm myself with too many.

The rules are fairly simple.  One must use only stash, start today and end by July 27 and be spinning something that is a bit of a stretch.  Oh and blog about it.

As most of us, I have lots of stash. However unlike most of us, I usually feel compelled to only spin my own hand dyed so I can make another sample.  This challenge is liberating me from that concern.   Basel helped me decide to spin some Fuzarella (that I acquired  second hand and cannot find where to contact her for more) hand blended fiber.  It is a mix of hand dyed South African Fine, angora and a bit of silk.  The challenge comes from the fact that the roving is not uniformly blended so presents me with differing fibers, and therefore techniques, every few minutes.  I am also going to use Wendy.  She is a tiny wheel made by Mr Poore in New Zealand in the 70's & 80's.  Wendy was originally designed for his wife so she could spin in the passenger seat of their VW bug.  If Mr Poore was still making these neat little treasures I sure would be a dealer.

The Fuzarella will be plied with some undyed Blue face and knit into a Moebius Vest.  I have been wanting to make one of EZ's moebius vests for years but.......  EZ is definitely the designer who has influenced me the most.  I really listened to her when she said that one did not have to adhere to a pattern like it was written in stone.  That one could make subtle or even larger changes depending on mood and yarn and body style.  I have done several percentage sweaters and find them quite liberating.  So.... on her Moebius Vest I will be doing stockinette rather than all garter and see what we shall see.