It's almost time again for the Tour de Fleece! This year, it starts Saturday, July 6 and runs (or spins) for 21 days. This event was started by Star Athena in 2006 to spin along with the bikers on the Tour de France. Star began with sixteen spinners, but the Tour has grown each year until it reached over ten thousand spinners last year.
Last year was my first year to try this. I had a blast. I joined a few groups on Ravelry and spun every day. The challenge is not to compete against others, but to challenge yourself to spin as much as you can manage in the 21 days. This year, there are also prizes and a special team just for kids!
I have mountains of fiber that I need to get through. I think this year I will make some hard decisions as to which ones to put on my Etsy shop and which to set up for spinning. I also have new fibers to card into my wools, such as mint fiber top, rose fiber, carbonized bamboo, and pearl-infused fiber. I need to pull out the drum carder and get set. Both of my wheels are loaded right now, but hopefully, I can empty at least one to have a fresh start on July 6.
Have you tried one of our pvc niddy noddies? I have several sets on my shop which come with their own decorative drawstring bags. They're perfect for winding off finished yarn to measure. The nice thing about the pvc is that you can wet the fiber while it's on the niddy noddy and leave it to dry. When dry, it's ready to use, no kinks, no having to hang. They really speed up the process.
Are you up for the challenge? Go to Ravelry to find more info and a group (or groups) to meet and participate.
