My Favorite Word Meme

I've been blogging over a year now and managed to avoid getting "tagged" by either not getting tagged or ignoring the tagging that sort of happened.

I'm ready to start accepting the responsibility that goes along with running a blog. Indulge if you will, the meme... (Thanks to CraftyGinger)

Here's how it goes - once you're tagged write a short blog post about your favorite word, and what makes it your favorite. Of course you can have more than one! Be as long-winded as you like! Just make sure to copy & paste this text into your post, and tag four friends!

For the sake of this game, I'm going to act as if I had a favorite word, which I don't. There are good words, such as peanut, lilac, ginkgo, fandango, yankee doodle, tinker, frankenberry, duchess, parsnip, munchkin, clover, aglio e olio, etc.

These sort of words are fun or yummy or pretty.

Then there are bad words. Words that make the skin crawl, or give you the idiot shivers. Words like crotch or moist. Come to think of it, never ever use those two words together. Ever.

I remember having a conversation with my parents once about words they don't like. My mom hates "paraphernalia" and my dad hates "closure," though not in the zipper sense. What words do you love or hate?

I'm tagging Brooke, Gina and Heath, Stacy and Amy. This is not a chain letter and nothing bad will happen to you.

Fiber Friday 6/29/07

I've only got one to show off today but I suspect I'll have loads once the Tour de Fleece begins in one week's time (yay!)

This little number here I spun as a gift to my good friend Brooke.

There is natural colored coopworth, hand-dyed green mill ends, mohair curls and recycled sari silk.

This style of yarn is part of a series I keep re-visiting by taking neutral colors and pairing them with shocks of something bright. I've made one blue and one orange previously.


I had the luxury of hand delivering this yarn while on vacation last week during the great NW odyssey adventure I took. That reminds me, Black Sheep Gathering pictures... to come!

Now that I'm writing about it, I admit I'm kinda sad to be back home in the heart of darkness. I miss the good living my friends have worked out in the great NW. The older I get, the more I appreciate the concept of quality of life.

I better start carving out pieces for myself no matter where I am. Fiber Friday is a little taste I get each week. Yum!

Tour de Fleece FAQ

I'm excited to report it's only 9 days until the start of the Tour de Fleece! I've gotten a lot of questions lately and I'll try to answer them here, in the first official FAQ. (Subject to change, of course)

1. It's not too late to sign up.

2. The idea is to spin every day the Tour rides. If you can't, I won't punish you.

3. You don't have to be Tour de France obsessed like I am to spin-along. You just have to want to spin yarn. A wheel or spindle will both work.

4. If you want to watch the Tour de France and you live in the US, Versus is the channel that airs it.

5. You want to know where to link your badge? I don't require this, but if you want to show solidarity... You can link it to the Tour de Fleece page:
http://keeponknittinginthefreeworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/tour-de-fleece-2007.html

6. When you sign up here, it's great if you could leave your name and blog address in the comment so I don't have to guess and hunt when I add you to the list.

7. If you live in Europe and have an opportunity to get a picture of yourself spinning while the Tour de France passes by, you will get special treatment... including, but not limited to, the intense envy of yours truly.

8. All of the basic information can be found on the sign up page here.

9. Show off your homespun during the Tour in our Flickr pool here. Lots of people have already signed up and started chatting about what to spin!

10. There are no requirements of how much you have to spin. Just spin every day. If you're travelling, take a drop spindle along. Five minutes spin time counts.

OK. This is my first big blog event. Last year was great, but we had fewer people and I could keep up with everyone. This year is already fantastic. We have so many spinners I can hardly believe it. I am open to hearing your suggestions on what I can do to make this as fun as possible for all of us. If I'm not doing something I should, it's probably because it didn't occur to me.
In closing, enjoy this picture I snapped at the Black Sheep Gathering last weekend of a curly-headed sheep!

I'm back...

1. Black Sheep Gathering ROCKED! (pics soon)

2. I will organize and update all things Tour de Fleece later today.

I'm thrilled to have this Tour to motivate me back into daily spinning and blogging. I'm very happy to be back indeed.

Today's List... more of an update actually

1. Thank you all for signing up for the Tour de Fleece! Keep it coming!

2. I am currently in Portland, experiencing the Good Life during a one week Odyssey throughout the great NW. I'll be home Tuesday, then everything returns to normal.

3. I will update the spinner's list as soon as I can... I am amazed at the enormous response! I love it! Online spinners are the best.

4. I have some yarn to share for Fiber Friday but it is on my computer and I can't get that one online at the mo.

5. Black Sheep Gathering tomorrow! I'm preparing for a fiber frenzy! Seriously. It might not be pretty.

Fiber Friday 6/15/07

It's been a year since my first Fiber Friday entry here on this blog. I had been posting on Craftster for longer than that, but let's stay focused. June is the month of my one year blogiversary!

I've been posting yarn on Fridays for one year! What have I learned? I take better pictures now.

This yarn here reminds me of "king cake" - you know that sweet stuff you eat in New Orleans around Mardi Gras? If I was really clever I would have worked some beads into it but I am only just now thinking of it.

Anyway, it's 205 yards, 3.2 oz. Hand dyed mill ends single with recycled sari silk.

Lesson of the day for Fiber Friday? Take your pictures outdoors and don't use the flash.

Happy Fiber Friday... Have some bright cake if you can. Otherwise something boozy and sweet I guess.

Tour de Fleece 2007

The Tour de France is coming! It begins on Saturday, July 7th. I can hardly believe it's been a year but here we are again and I am really excited. Welcome to the second annual Tour de Fleece - an online spin-along for people who spin yarn and play with fiber.

The first Tour de Fleece was in 2006. Click here to read about it. We had 16 spinners but I hope to have even more this year. The concept is simple, They spin, we spin. A real spinning themed spin-along.

Want to participate? There are three ways. You choose - do one, two or all three:

1. Sign up in the comments here. Feel free to link to photos or your blog if you have one.
2. We also have a Flickr pool here. Join the group and show off your homespun in the pool!
3. Be sure to check out the Craftster board as well. Also, check out the Craftster board for completed objects. Yes, there will be 2 boards on Craftster, one for discussion, one for pictures of yarn, etc.

Guidelines (NOT RULES):

1. Spin every day the Tour rides, if possible. Saturday July 7th through Sunday July 29th. Days of rest: Monday, July 16th, Tuesday July 24th. (Just like the actual tour)
2. Spin something challenging Wednesday July 25th. (The last hard climbing mountain stage in the Pyrenees - Col d’Aubisque)
3. Take a button if you want one. Then we can use the button on our blogs in show of solidarity. Take it from here or grab a clean one from the flickr pool.
4. Wear yellow on Sunday July 29th to announce victory. Why not wear yellow on any day you feel particularly successful? (Yellow is the color of the race leader in the Tour - but here we are all 'race leaders')
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.

Known participants:
1. star (aka knitwit) (aka ME)
2. Jacki (aka lufah)
3. Amy
4. Raynbow
5. Soprano Spinner
6. Vanillaxlight
7. Star217 (stickyfingers)
8. nicolassa
9. chipper
10. ivycircle
11. TheBon
12. betzi
13. Olivia (aka eatmoreplants)
14. Rachel (you don't have to have a blog)
15. Chante (aka Harlem Purl)
16. Stacy Z
17. isamax
18. JoyousBohemian
19. AgentAlmost
20. Soth
21. Wendy
22. Amy Boogie
23. Abe-hap
24. Erica
25. Jennifer
26. Guernseygal
27. Margene
28. ErickaJo
29. Jane
30. Becky
31. Ann-Marie
32. Maia
33. Marie
34. Rebecca
35. Purlewe
36. Naomi
37. Velmalikevelvet
38. Lee-Fay
39. Rachel
40. Carole Knits
41. Birdsong
42. Holly
43. Cindy
44. Chris
45. April
46. Kristi aka Fiber Fool
47. Yvonne
48. Bunny Queen
49. Mama-E
50. Jenny
51. Lisa
52. DebbieB
53. Mistress Batty
54. Nishanna
55. Sereknitty
56. Spininmamma3
57. Taueret
58. Moze
59. Ra
60. Judy
61. Libby
62. Angela
63. Karen
64. Cherizac
65. Kimberly
66. Nancy
67. Peggy
68. Judy T.
69. KC
70. Liz Lafferty, Fiber Addict
71. Vicki in Michigan
72. Miss Violet
73. aelfiles
74. Marcel
75. Jane
76. Callejane
77. Donna B.
78. Kim in NJ
79. Valley
80. Bonnie
81. Kathie
82. Peachymanaangel
83. Sam
84. Marla Ellestad
85. Kerry
86. Kat
87. Ilona
88. Kris
89. Dragon in the Rain
90. ~Tonia~
91. Tempospinner
92. Meghan
93. Alice
94. Fiberjoy
95. Shell
96. Lynn
97. Elizabeth
98. Gomerriffic
99. The Redhead
100. Tehandehness
101. Saellis05
102. Sarahbird
103. KaeMarie
104. Keri
105. Smartlittlelena
106. Marmee
107. Ashley
108. Elsje
109. Liz aka Hobbledehoy
110. Mle
111. Catie
112. Jan
113. Dudleyspinner
114. FiredupFairy
115. Redford Phyl
116. Robin
117. Dragon knitter
118. Mistress of Fiber
119. K2Karen
120. Tara
121. Rae
122. Funfairiegirl
123. Robin
124. CC
125. Tonyia
126. TheShizzKnit
127. Susie
128. 4th Gen Fiberholic
129. Margaret
130. Kath (sadly bloggless) in hot, hot, hot Tucson
131. Nancy
132. Natalie
133. Amanda
134. Theboythatspins
135. Judy
136. Craftycrafter
137. Michelle La Wooldancer
138. Loretta

- Your name here! (I'll add you and link to your blog)

Still have questions? Try the Tour de Fleece FAQ page.

Go ahead, have one...

I'd like to share some cookies I made.

I now remember why I don't bake very often, no one to eat them. No, I won't eat all of them by myself. Stop looking at me like that.

I've been very busy lately writing up a new pattern for small amounts of yarn. And riding my new bike. And planning a trip to the great NW. Anyone else going to Black Sheep Gathering?

I'm also soon launching the second annual Tour de Fleece. Get ready to spin!

Finally, I must admit to something that has been weighing heavily on me lately. Something that has actually caused me to blog less than I like because I feel guilty... know what it is?

I had a contest a while back to name the Blythe doll I bought. I never announced a winner. That's because I went with Violet, a name I had already taken a liking to. And then I was embarrassed to admit I screwed up the contest. And some of you might have noticed?

And now that the one-year anniversary of this blog is upon me, I need to make a clean start. I'm sorry to announce... there was no winner! Congratulations to me for picking the name! Seriously, I appreciate everyone for coming up with names. There were some great ones in there.

Now have a cookie, pal.

Fiber Friday 6/8/07

Is it wrong to say I am extremely pleased with this yarn?

Probably... But I am. It's balanced.

This is all natural yarn - natural white mill ends, natural coopworth from Santa Ynez Valley, and natural black wool. 4.9 oz. 110 yards.

The yarn is meant to stripe itself. I'm thinking of entering in this year's LA County Fair for judgement. I recall they value a yarn's balance.

I wonder how they would judge a crazy art yarn? "Overspun" "Inconsistent thickness" "Impractical" Okay now I'm wanting to submit one of those too.

Have a great one everyone!

Fiber Friday 6/1/07

Hello fellow Fiber Friday enthusiasts!

I have one skein of yarn to show off this week. It's a sky yarn with white coil clouds.

I didn't spin as much as I wanted to due to things like jury duty, bike shopping, house cleaning, and a bad toe.

I have some ideas for new yarns and I look forward to trying them out. I'm going to force myself to spin more to get out of the slump. I have to start gaining momentum for the second annual Tour de Fleece! (July - you have been warned)