Tour de Fleece - 2009 - Day by Day

7/5  I am spinning 70% angora/ 30% alpaca in natural white at 32-36 wpi and eventually some 15.5 micron merino at about 30 wpi to make my sister a pullover. The angora/alpaca is turning out to be a very neppy pin drafted roving.


7/9 The bobbin is filling nicely. I am hoping to have half spun by Friday or Saturday.

Oh and those are neps in the singles, not poor spinning.

7/11 Half the angora/alpaca is now spun thanks to an afternoon at guild.

The Ithaca contingent of Team Spinning Bunny

However I have figured out I need more than I had to spin. Now I am working some 15.5 micron merino to ply with the non elastic ang/alp. 

7/12 A quarter of the second bobbin completed today.

7/14 Now at half the second bobbin. I do wonder if, at this rate, I can finish in time.

7/19. I am now at 40% - two full bobbins. Will ply them together tomorrow which will get me to 50%. It’s gonna be close, racewise.  At the same time I purchased the roving I also bought 4 skeins of milled angora/alpaca fingering yarn from the same vendor, just in case.

7/21. Plied the two bobbins together to make 680 yds of  fingering yarn. I only need about 1000 so am further along than I thought. Happy Dance.

7/22 With some input from Cathy C, I decided to work the two yarns together as one. They knit as a worsted weight yarn. That decided I now only need half of what I thought I did yesterday. Really fast progress. VBG  Plus I get will get to use larger needles.

7/23 Made a swatch to get a change from the endless spinning of off white. The bottom section is with US#8, middle with #9 and top with #10 needles. The top is too flimsy. The bottom seems about right BUT when all that angora and alpaca blooms it will be tighter so I am going with the middle. This whole project progresses faster and faster.


7/24 The sweater has been begun. It is a top down seamless raglan pullover, that starts with flat knitting, then goes to round, designed by Cathy Chesntut. I am the first tester.  The instructions are easy to follow and the sweater is moving along nicely.  The pattern will be available after the Knitting Getaway.

7/25  All the spinning for singles is now done!!! This evening, or tomorrow morning if I can wait that long, they will be plied into yarn!  Tomorrow is the last day of the Tour.  I am so relieved to know I will actually be going across the finish line tomorrow.

Yellow jersey here I come.