Friday, June 30, 2006

Le Spin de Tour

NOTE: EDITED, UPDATED AND ONGOING! - for 2007 Tour de Fleece - click HERE.



The Tour de France is coming! It begins on Saturday, July 1st and I've been trying to find a way to participate. I considered knitting cycling themed items. (I am still waiting to come up with one of those) And then it hit me: They spin, we spin. Thus begins...The first annual Tour de Fleece! Let's all spin along!

Post your progress in the comments here. Feel free to link to photos or your blog if you have one. We now have a Flickr pool here. Show off your homespun in the pool! Be sure to check out the Craftster board as well. Here is the Craftster board for completed objects. Yes, there are 2 boards on Craftster.

Guidelines (NOT RULES):
1. Spin every day the Tour rides. Saturday July 1st through Sunday July 23rd. Days of rest: Monday, July 10th, Monday July 17th. (Just like the actual tour)
2. Spin something challenging on Tuesday July 18th (Gap to L'Alpe DE d'HUEZ)
3. Take a button if you want one. Then we can use the button on our blogs in show of solidarity. Link button to:
http://keeponknittinginthefreeworld.blogspot.com/2006/06/le-spin-de-tour.html
4. Wear yellow on Sunday July 23rd to announce victory. Why not wear yellow on any day you feel particularly successful?
5. Other colors if desired: Green (sprinter - think FAST), Polka-dot (climber - as in uphill), and white (rookie)
6. In the event I am the ONLY person doing this, no public mocking. Even Lance had to start somewhere.

Known participants:
star (aka knitwit) (aka ME)
chipper
hobbledehoy
annalou
bitibis
mayerlove
fyberduck
misshawklet
ewe spinster
Soprano Spinner
Ella
Emma
quatzical
fiberangel
TheBon
melanie

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

if you wanted, you could give other "jerseys" corresponding with the tour -
Green (sprinter)
Polka-dot (climber)
White (rookie)

Brewer said...

Can't wait to get started spinning! I'd better get busy and finish my weaving project.
--chipper

ewe spinster said...

Count me in too!

Star said...

I just added you to the list ewe! Welcome all!

Wendy Stackhouse said...

Okay, I'm in! This could be fun! I'm knitting my socks for the L.A. county fair entry so I don't have a lot of time till they're done, but I will try to spin some every day. Tomorrow is training day!

Wendy

Anonymous said...

Don't have a blog, but I'm a new spinner and watch the tour every year.
This I can do!
Just have to indigo dye the 1lb of roving I got last week!

Star said...

This is great! Wendy - I didn't know there were other spinners in LA! Cool! I've been hoping to submit homespun to the LA County fair but there's nothing on the website about it yet.
And Ella, it doesn't matter that you don't have a blog. I've never tried Indigo dying. I've seen some nice results from others who have though! Sounds nice.

Wendy Stackhouse said...

All the information is up on the L.A. County fair site now. The deadline for the forms is July 12 and I think for the items is July 25, but I'm calling them on Monday. There is also a spinning contest (I won the novice class last year!) that is not listed. But I will let you know what I found out. The more people that enter the more likely it is they will continue this category, so go for it. I think there were only three or four of us last year! Eek! If you'd like to see the blue ribbon winning socks, I'll send you a photo...

Wendy Stackhouse said...

Oh, and maybe we should have a little spin in (park, playground...). It would be fun!

Star said...

You are my hero! Thank you so much for keeping me in the loop about the fair. You must be so proud to win novice class! I very much want to see the finished socks. And a local spin gathering would be a treat. Are you going to the fiber fest in august?

Wendy Stackhouse said...

I was extremely proud, I mus admit. I actually jumped up and down! I will post a picture of the ribbon winners on my blog, if you like. The photo is of those with the red ribbon winners from the previous year.

It looks like I'll miss Fiberfest this year as my family needs me to travel with the kids out east as late in the summer as possible so they're not too busy to see us. But it's mostly a weaving thing, anyway. I'm not upset about it. I'm upset that the Fair isn't having a Fleece Auction this year. I bought some beautiful fleeces last year and have been making inroads on them slowly. Let's get together sometime and spin!

Wendy Stackhouse said...

I did manage to spin this evening, at 10:00 p.m. so I'm still in the race. I did some more of the blue singles yarn for June. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be more ambitious, but it is a busy day!

Melanie said...

Wow! what fun Idea. I know I'm a day late in signing up but I did some spinning yesterday. My plan is to fire up my wheel in a bit. I do plan to update my blog first with some of the things I have been working on over the past few months.

Star said...

Great! Thanks for the updates everyone, and melanie - you're added! Welcome! I've been spinning natural colored mill ends from Sheep Shed Studio but going pretty slow. I reckon I'm at the back of the pack!

Melanie said...

I have added my first two skeins to my blog. The one I started on the 1st is for a skein swap that I have coming up. You can see that on the July 2 entry titled "a new project". My second skein was just posted and is from Spunky's fiber of the month. I'm not sure what I will spin tomorrow. I guess I will have to look through my stash tonight.

m. said...

I don't spin, but I may participate in some sort of knitterly way. I did however want to share this cycling related pattern I found:
http://www.menknit.net/mag.html

Scroll down to Issue 1. :)

Milly said...

Count me in! I'm loving it!

Shell said...

Okay- I am in - I need yarns done for the Festival this year and for me to knit.
http://fiber-among-the-roses.blogspot.com/

Lisathemom said...

I'd love to join - count me in. Great practice for a new spinner like me!

Anonymous said...

saw your offer 4 info on results from LA county fair. I've spent some time Tues morn trying 2 access results for weaving...table runners...submitted by a blind friend as his first project. 'cannot gain access to results...suggestions?...am recouping from knee surgery,