HELLO TEAM MEMBERS!
[Hopefully you’ve signed up by now! Membership will close when the Tour begins!]
I have had some awesome newbies ask about how the Tour de Fleece works in general, and this is also a good time to explain how it will work for this team. If you have suggestions or comments, they are welcome!
A lot of people got used to the hosted Tour on Ravelry, and though that’s one great way to do it, not everyone wants to use Ravelry or that group on Rav, or just wants to do something different – hence me hosting this team. You can totally join any other teams on Ravelry or off that you like. We have a thread in my group on Ravelry where chatter and photos can be shared, if that is where you like to hang out; the thread is here: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/threeravens-dot-net/2585133/1-25#11
I am personally on two other teams! I am competing for Team Gourmet Stash and also the team for spindlers on Facebook, Twisted People Drop Spindlers.
You can share goals set in your other teams with this one, or set different goals for this team. I just want to see us all spinning! 😉
So what’s this about goals and prizes?
The point of TdF is to spin, every day if possible. Of course, we all know that life conspires to get in the way of that, but having goals that you work toward finishing for the Tour can help to keep you on track. For some people, their goal might be to wash & process a fleece, then spin it up. Another’s goal could be to make a yarn every day of the Tour. [this was a previous goal of mine.] Or it could be to at least try one new technique. The common ones are:
Breakaway – spinning art yarns, especially ones that have new-to-you techniques
Climber – personal challenge [see suggestions above]
Sprinter – spinning for output [huge skeins of yarns, sweater’s worth of spinning, lotsa laceweight are all ideas]
The Challenge Day – July 18th – should be a day to try something that really knocks you out of your comfort zone. That could be to spin for a couple of hours straight, or spin one yarn in a sitting, or to try the technique you’re a little afraid of, or spinning something totally weird or hard to spin. [googly eyes, anyone?] The goal and challenge is all up to YOU.
The prizes will be given out according to these guidelines, and loosely based on both Tour de France rider designations and Tour de Fleece spinner challenges.
Here’s the prize categories I’ve got so far:
- Breakaway: Art/Expressive Yarn
- Mountain Climb: personal challenge
- Sprinters: spinning for amount
- Lantern Rouge: underdog prize
- Natural Yarns: no dyes, please
- Creative Display: amuse me with pics of your yarn
- Peloton: Random Prize!
- Maillot Jaune: finish line prizes
How do you enter for these prizes? Post pics of your finished work on our posts here, or on Facebook. If you have a category in mind, you can mention it, otherwise I’ll determine where it best fits. Yes, you can enter for more than one prize where it fits. Winners will be chosen randomly for each category. Most prizes are awarded at the end of the Tour, with exception of the Peloton prizes – they’ll happen here and there, to award you for your hard work!
Questions? Suggestions? Comment on this post! I’ll do my best to make it all clear! 🙂
OH! Please, team-members, feel free to declare your goals here in the comments [or on the Facebook event] and I’ll compile them for you in a handy-dandy Goals List!
20 Comments
Xiane K
June 26, 2013 at 3:31 pmHeather S reports her goals: 1. Spin some every day (or most of the days- every day most likely won’t happen!). 2. Get at least 3 finished yarns done. 3. Use up some of my roving stash that is threatening to overtake my bedroom. 4. Try tailspinning.
Great goals! You can do it!
Melanie B.
June 26, 2013 at 4:23 pm1. Spin 5/7 days each week. 2. Try to complete 6 skeins of yarn (traditional 2ply or N-ply). 3. Spin my least favourite roving that has been in my stash for too long. 4. Try to spin 4ozs of plain white roving (I adore color, this is my challenge). Plain bores me to tears. 5. Have fun and enjoy the process of spinning in my new home and creating squishy goodness!
Xiane K
June 26, 2013 at 8:16 pmThese are great goals! Go you!
MommaKo
June 26, 2013 at 9:21 pmhow does one join? I Join! I claim my position??lol
Xiane K
June 26, 2013 at 10:44 pmJust by saying “I want to join!” This means, of course, that you are IN. 🙂
Welcome to the team!
Xiane K
June 26, 2013 at 11:09 pmSome more goals!
Megan L: Goals for me would be spin a fingering weight, something over 200 yards. Also spin one bigger and fatter than ever before. and i know i’m not going to be able to spin everyday, but i can try!
Anna H: OK, my goals as of right now? Just spin every day. xD Um… I’ll see where I get past that. Life has been CRAZY and promises to continue to be crazy all the way through this tour! This will be a nice distraction. 😉
Denelle P: My goals right now are to also spin every day. Beyond that, I have absolutely no idea. But darnit, I’m going to sit down and take a few minutes to spin. 🙂
Stephanie Mcguckin
June 27, 2013 at 3:43 amI’m not sure if I commented in the right place before so I’m commenting here to I’m in
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 1:39 pmI’ll make sure you’re on the team roster, Stephanie! I think you are, but it never hurts to double check. 🙂
Maya
June 27, 2013 at 4:19 pmI am in as far as trying to spin anything!
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 1:40 pmI know whatever you spin is going to be gorgeous!
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 1:45 pmSome more goals:
Vickie C – My first goal of spinning everyday will be an easy one for me as I try to get some in everyday as it is…….food for the soul 🙂 I sorta have a theme in mind as to colors and some add-ins. My challenge will be to master the ‘coil’.
Ange M – Since, I am brand new, like will be starting spinning for the first time on Saturday when this starts, my goal is to just spin a little everyday to get my technique down. On the challenge day I will probably just try to spin more than I did on the regular days, since all techniques are brand new to me.
Rhonda J – My goals are to basically make at least 3 different yarns using techniques that I have never tried before or I would like to get better at. I know I am going to tail spin some gorgeous grey Wensleydale and I want to incorporate fabric into one and possibly use some gorgeous mohair to make another.
Victoria M – My goal is to spin a great portion of each of these set days that I can and finish spinning an alpaca fleece that I MUST get done for someone. My challenge is to break out the yak fiber that I have let intimidate me and make serious progress getting it spun up. If both of those are completed and I’ve time to spare, I will begin spinning the cotton roving that also has me a little intimidated.
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 1:47 pmAnd even more goals!
Alina S: well, I have a wallop of a hopeful plan for the TdF.
First, to finish the alpaca contract that I have going (with just a little more than a half fleece remaining). Then I have a multi-color natural alpaca roving that’s next on the list. Then a bag of alpaca I want to spin from the cloud so to speak. Then we kick into MY project — and that’s to get enough yarn spun up for a pair of calf-length hunting socks in 3ply fingering, and enough to do a doubleknit (one wool yarn, one alpaca) hat in about sport weight.
The challenge goal? Corespinning 😉
IF I manage to get through all of that, I have a number of other projects — but that’s the lineup to that point 🙂
Wendi: My general plan is to try and spin every day. I’d like to work on some more art yarn, as well as process the gorgeous CVM/Romney cross fleece I picked up in Estes Park at the beginning of the month. So…uh…I’ll be all over the place, in terms of what I produce. I’ve got a few bumps and bags of fluff to work on, but that fleece is my major goal.
LeAndra B: My ‘goal’ is to spin up at least one yarn a day- if not spinning a new one then plying and setting. I also want to spin from a silk hankie for the first time.
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 3:25 pmMore goals!
Esther D: My goals are 1) to spin art yarns with more than one technique. 2) spin un-dyed yarns. 3) at least one fine and one bulky traditional two ply yarns. 4) Have fun doing 1, 2 and 3 …
George C: I’ve only been wheel spinning for 3 weeks. I got my wheel on June 9th so my goals are to spin every day, To get more than 200 yds of two ply from one 4 ounce top, to spin an art yarn and to just be a better spinner by the time this over. My challenge is to spin two coordinating 4 ounce tops and then ply them together for a mega-skein.
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 10:13 pmEven more goals!
Pam B: My goal….. spin an art yarn each day with wild add in’s! I’m free spinning baby!!
Lindsay H: I haven’t really formulated any sort of goals yet. I know there’s a braid that isn’t a gradient that I want to spin into a gradient. I guess my goal is to get through as much of my stash as possible.
Ashley T-M: My goal is to spend the tour focusing on spinning. From scouring and dying, to spinning natural yarns to art yarns. I hope to have a skein for each day. Since I work as a Resident Artisan Spinner at a Living Heritage Museum, I have lots of opportunity to spin, dye, scour, etc. Unfortunately it isn’t all for me. 🙂
Elizabeth S: I think I’ll pace with something slow and easy.. Maybe a beasty 2-ply over the course of the first week.
Luna O: I’ve got a pound of really nice corrie fleece that i dyed that I want to do a two ply worsted with. I will have to go slow and easy.
Adele M: I’m going to be spinning for my Peacock coat… Yes, I’ve been re-inspired to do it. I have 3 different tops I’ve found to spin that will all go into it. YAY!
Renee S: I have a sweet batt from Spinning Mermaid Fibers…and tomorrow I am going to a TdF kick off party at Blueball Mountain Spindle and Needleworks Studio!!
LadyKae: My goal is to finish all the plant based fiber I have in my stash. I also want to try and spin more than 300 yds out of 4oz. It’s gonna be tight, since I lose 7 days to a trip for work… I’m just looking forward to making more things out of my handspun when this is over!
Stephanie B: My goal is to finish getting the 3# of wool that I’ve got for a SAPGAP washed, carded, & spun – which means I may not get to play much with color or crazy techniques.
Adele F: Even though I am in the middle of a huge move my goal is going to be allowing myself the pleasure of spinning every single day no matter how much needs to be packed..oh and to spin thin singles and ply something I have not done yet
Rebecca P: Years ago, I bought a super-fine Merino fleece, and in my haste and inexperience, slightly felted the cut end when I washed it, enough that I didn’t know what to do with it. So I put it in a bag, and sent the rest of the fleece to the processor to do right. I have often pulled that small bag of slightly felted fleece out and caressed it, and cooed over it, and thought, someday…
So my goal for this month is to comb whats left of that beautiful, super soft, silky fleece and spin gossamer with it. Otherwise, to keep it from getting monotonous, I will work towards getting other ‘almost finished’ fleeces and spinning projects out of my wool room.
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 10:21 pmMore:
Carol K: Want to really try a few things I have not during this TdF, expand horizons and such!!
Knitty Lizzy: I have some natural Yak in the back, Alpaca/Silk on the left, gorgeous Falkland from Threeravens Yarn and Fiber Studio in the front and my Vespera E-Spinner on the right. These are the fibers I want to work with. Probably not all of the Alpaca/Silk as this is a whole pound, but at least enough to make something bigger with it. I have a Batt on the way I also want to include and if I still need more, there is more in my treasure chest. But I’m happy if I can get this done 🙂
Daphne H: My goal is to spin a braid of Shetland and a braid of BFL, and also to at least comb through this gorgeous but DIRTY Finn fleece I have. Hopefully will have time to spin it too! 🙂
Rebecca J: My goals are to spin every day, and to use up the roving, tops, and batts that I have without buying any new ones. There will be lots of plying involved too. My challenge will be spinning a yarn with add-ins, specifically little ribbon flowers 🙂
Leslie A: My goal would be to spin from the art batts and rolags I have been creating, using different spinning techniques.
Stacy S: My goal is to spin either on a wheel or spindle. Then weave something with it.
Sue G: Goal… to spin. And spin on a daily basis. Perhaps even spin outdoors, which always feels so good. I’d like to make a dent in some of my stash. It is multiplying as I ignore it.
Xiane K
June 28, 2013 at 10:32 pmLiz A: My goal….I want to try to spin almost everyday. Maybe challenge myself to spin for hours. I really want to try different spinning techniques! I am still a newbie to spinning, and have only spun singles and two ply! I want to pick my drop spindle back up too for at least one spin 🙂 BUT I just bought a new wheel that will be arriving any day so that may be tough lol
Oh, and Christiane K: I want to spin every day, of course – but I also want to try and break up my spinning between wheel, regular spindles, and support spindles… I want to spin up some of my heritage sheep breed wools, and finish the Husky yarn I’m working on. And I want to learn one new technique.
Taneli Crisfwelle
June 29, 2013 at 10:13 pmi have a whole file box full of addins for yarns I would like to empty the box. 2. I have 2 pounds of natural black Shetland that I would like to finally get spun to be my first sweater. 3. I have a gorgeous CVM fleece that i want to spin a good amount of if not the whole thing as my first in the grease yarn. 4. finish four oz braid of merino/bamboo on a drop spindle, get in more practice with my Russian style spindle. finish whats on my loom,
Xiane K
June 29, 2013 at 11:28 pmThat’s a big list! I am cheering you on to the finish line!
Deborah Castellano (@MsDebCastellano)
July 3, 2013 at 2:55 pmMy goals are as follows:
1. Spin every day (so far so good!)
2. Challenge day goal – Navajo Plying (so a’scared!)
3. Make some art yarns (one on the bobbin as we speak!)
4. Learn to use my Super Flyer (for some reason, I’m sort of freaked about this though there’s no real reason. Maybe because a screw driver is involved, hmmmm).
Xiane K
July 3, 2013 at 3:26 pmExcellent goals! Don’t fear the N-plying, it’s a breeze once your hands get used to the motion. It’s just pulling a loop through a loop! 🙂