Tour de France

Ok, I dropped out of the tour. Fell off I did! Not enough stamina I guess and then all those distractions along the way. I did get 1 and 1/2 bobbins of flax spun. I will wheel on as I can.

Tour De Fleece

Well I changed my mind about making it a murled yarn. I am going to spin and ply the colors seperately. I think I am going to use it for warp for some bookmarks for a weaving bookmark exchange. Gonna do a linen warp and woolen weft. Then it will be Linsey-woolsey! So keeping the colors distinct would be more helpful.

Tour de Fleece

I got started on my Tour de Fleece challenge on Sunday. After spending the day Saturday finishing what was on the old wheel I decided not to use that wheel as it is acting real putzy. So I got out a couple bobbins for the Mazurka and started with the natural colored flax that I found. It weighted 3.5 oz. then I will spin the bleached Irish flax (linen), which weighted 3.7 oz., and ply the two together for strength, which they say you don't need too but I want to use it for warp and not to sure of the evenness of my spinning. Some pretty thin spots there. Will work on it being more consistant but I like some variance so I am not too concerned. I love the tweady, barber pole effect of plying two different colors together too. Gives a lot more interest to the yarn. I think I will aim for a Linsey-Woolsy fabric. Traditionally that is Linen warp and wool weft. I got plenty of yarn around to use for the weft.

Le Tour de Fleece

I have Joined the Tour De Fleece
Rules are to set yourself a challenge that has to do with spinning. Can be almost anything this year to be completed between July 4th and July 26th. Mostly working along the times that the Tour De France race is running.
I have chosen as my project to locate and spin up some linen rovings that I have had for some time. I think they are around here somewhere so as soon as I find them and get the other project off the spinning wheel I will begin on my challenge. I can begin tomorrow by finding the rovings. I have never spun linen before so this will be a new thing also.

We Got BroadBand Yippie

I found this gorgeous spinning wheel on and outing to a small town in Southeastern Mn. Mantorville. Was on a crafting retreat at a local retreat house The Milton House and wanted to investigate the town. This was one of the first things that caught my eye in the first booth. The town shops in that town sported two more wheels but this was the most unusual and prettiest. Anyone seen one or know anything let me know evesch@yahoo.com No markings found other than a grease penciled white numbers 55 on the bottom which may be a dealer's marking. It only has one serious issue that I can see. There are a couple chips out of the wheel part and the wood seems to be powdering in those spots. Wood Rot??? It does have some tiny little holes in various places around on the wood. Minor problems is the missing footman (no problem to make one) and no bobbins. Maybe another brand of bobbin will work or have custom made. The back maiden seems to be broken and comes out of its hole, should be attached to a turning thing like the front one. and it is missing it's finial. The wheel may be warped the sections are seperating but my other wheel does that and spins great so not worried about that too much. I am thinking about sending it off somewhere to have it repaired/looked at. Gotta see who does that. Since I put myself in the hole getting it, the fixing it may have to wait a while. It's still pretty but I am itching to spin on it!!!

Spirit of the West Festival

Here I am in costume at the 2008 Spirit of the West Festival in Sioux Falls, SD. A fun filled 3 day event. I volunteer to do Bobbin Lace and spinning and get free entrance and meals at the event. Plus I get to play dress up and do demos. I have on a hoop skirt vest and victorian style shirt with a french influence hat. I love that hat it is sooo cool to wear. I am working at my Bobbin Lace pillow putting a bobbin lace finish to some woven bookmarks for an exchange.