Well that's weird.

So, I was going to post a beautiful wrap-up post for the Tour de Fleece. So, I was pulling together all my lovely handspun from the last 3 weeks, and I took a picture.

How is it possible that I didn't notice, while powering my way through tons of fiber, that I didn't actually get out of my color comfort zone? 80% of this nonsense is green. Or has a significant amount of green in it. The only fibers that didn't involve any green at all were the:

A) 8 oz of pink surprise BFL, which I didn't intend to own so much of

B) The 2 oz of yellow Rambouillet that isn't pictured because I gave it to Caitlin because I couldn't stand it.

C) 4 oz of some tasty brown alpaca that was a pleasure to spin, and not nearly as filthy as the white stuff I got at last year's Wool Market. Next year, I'm totally getting more of this stuff.

Anyway, on to the wrap up! I kind of lost interest in spinning for a while, probably because I'd been doing so much of it. I did still make quite a dent in the fiber stash, but I still need to get more done. However, the Ravellenic Games are coming up, and I need to come up with a project/variety of projects to use as a goal for the next fiber-related marathon. In the meantime, I'm working on Mariah's chuppah (it's coming along nicely, although I'm not 100% that I'll use all of the yarn I ordered). And my sister requested some socks. Long socks. I'll have to get on that sometime before it gets cold and she needs to wear boots again. Yay.

That's all the news that's fit to print. If you have any good ideas for Ravellenic goals, let me know. I'm drawing a blank.

The first step...

They say the first step to fixing a problem is admitting that you have one. Well. I think I may have to admit that I have one. 

I went stash diving today. In the fiber stash, so I could have more fiber to spin this evening for the Tour. I came across a variety of exciting items, but grabbed 2 items: some superwash merino, and a braid of BFL I purchased at the Fancy Tiger, in Denver. Just to make sure, I kept rooting around a bit more to look at everything in the stash bin. My eye was caught by a braid that looked similar to the BFL I had already extracted from the bin. It was odd, I though, since it was in a peachy pink color that I'm not usually persuaded to purchase. 

I pulled it out. It was the same brand, but slightly fluffier. 

I checked the band, it was the same fiber. In fact, it was the same colorway, the same fiber, the same brand. And I knew that I hadn't purchased the two braids at the same time. For one thing, they were slightly different in their colors. And for another, I remembered purchasing both of them at different times. From the same store. And I hadn't realized it until today. 

Like I said. I may have a problem. An impulse problem when it comes to stash enhancement. Now that I'm aware of it, I guess that means I can fix it? I hope...

Anyway, enough true confessions. Let's get to the Tour update! I've been spinning a lot. Doing very well on stash busting. 

Last night, I pulled out some mystery fiber that may have been mohair-silk-something or other. It's really pretty, but not very nice to touch. I guess I'll wash it and see what happens then, but I'm not hopeful. I also plied the Dragonfly singles from this weekend. They are lovely, at least! 

Today, after my stash diving adventure, I plied the mystery singles. Again, pretty to look at, not very nice to touch. Then I yanked out one of the BFL braids. Cuz, hey! I have a lot of it, surprisingly. And I'm a little embarrassed about it. So, spun 2 oz of that nonsense. 

Tomorrow, I have the day off. Caitlin and I are going to see a movie, and I'm going to do some homework, and I shall endeavor to take a larger chunk out of the BFL surprise. Should be a productive day! After I sleep in, of course. 

And we're off!

The Tour de Fleece has begun! I still don't have what you might call a "concrete" goal, but I think that I'm going to aim for a major stash reduction, and to spin every day for the length of the tour. We shall see.

The picture above is the remainder of the fluffy green bamboo stuff that I said I needed to do last time. I whipped through that nonsense. Like a powerhouse. It was awesome. I still need to ply it, but that can happen tomorrow. Maybe. I have to do a lot of driving tomorrow. There may not be a lot of time for spinning.

Then I pulled out another braid from this year's Wool Market haul. It's one of the 4 braids that I bought from Bonkers, since I loved the superwash merino that I got last year. This year I didn't get any superwash, but I got a bunch of very colorful in just about every other variety offered. This braid is, apparently, merino and silk. In the Dragonfly colorway. Which turns out to be very appropriate, because the shiny silk gives the fiber kind of an iridescent look. Like dragonfly wings. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's done.







I spun about 5 ounces of fiber tonight. Pretty impressive, considering all the other stuff I did today. Alone, because everyone nearby abandoned me. Cuz they have lives and stuff. It's rude, really. Ah well, more time for spinning!

I have nothing to knit

That's a lie. I have many things to knit, including the stash and the WIPs. I should say I have nothing that I want to knit. But you know the feeling, right? I've been slaving away at the melonstrosity (4 rows a night equals a little less than 2 hours of work, somewhat less if I'm not procrastinating/distracted/tired). But the melonstrosity knitting is just... duty knitting. I'm doing it because I know I should, and because it will yield a product of which I can be proud and which will be useful. I'm not knitting it because I want to. So it doesn't really count.

I'm also knitting on a cowl, which I started a few days ago because I was bored and because it counts toward Christmas knitting. Which I should really get on. I'm just not inspired about it yet. I probably will be when I get back from Thanksgiving, though, because that will really be crunch time. But now is not the time.

I have, as you know, several shawls on the needles. But the lace shawl I had big plans for last weekend pissed me off to the extent that it's back in time out because I've decided I hate it. Big scary holes, that's all I have to say. The other shawl I'm working on is the leaf lace shawl that I've been eyeing for a while, primarily because the sample I saw is made out of Karabella, which is a yarn company that only manufactures luscious, uber expensive yarns.






Mine is made out of slightly less luscious yarn, because I don't really need to spend a hundred bucks on a shawl. I just don't. Anyway, it's coming along fairly well, although it would be doing better if I could remember my freaking pattern when I leave the house. I'm still on the first ball of yarn, but nearing the end of it (I like to think).









To distract myself from the fact that I have nothing to knit, I have been spinning many things. Firstly, I started some of the fiber that I purchased at last year's Estes Park Wool Market (where Caitlin and I were overcome with wool fumes and nearly hyperventilated because we couldn't purchase everything).

It's Bonkers superwash merino in Indigo. It's very pretty, in person, and I haven't even washed it yet. I'm a little worried that the dye is going to bleed quite a bit when I do wash it, so I'll have to be careful. Anyway, it's pretty and it's plied and now I need to think of something to do with it.

I've also been plying my singles from the Tour de Fleece this summer. I only had a hand spindle for the TdF, so I went a lot more slowly than I thought I would, and didn't get nearly as much done as I had planned. I was proud of what I accomplished, however.

 This is Prim on BFL, from Storied Yarns. It's a representation of a character from The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. This BFL isn't as luscious as the BFL singles I gifted to Caitlin last weekend, but might be nicer after I wash it.

 This, I think, is Rose Quartz on Merino, from a mystery fiber company. All I know is that I purchased this fiber from my LYS, because I lurved the color. It's very nice, and fairly smooth.

This is Mint Petals on merino/silk, from Funky Carolina, which has closed since I purchased this fiber in the spring. It's also my first attempt at 3 ply, which came out quite nicely, and is quite gorgeous because of the silk. It's actually kind of pastel, but I like it. Excellent.

You know what I really want to work on? I want to start a new sweater... I've got it picked out and the yarn and everything, I'm just a little concerned that the yarn is the wrong weight. Which would suck. We shall see. Maybe.