Sunday, July 13, 2014

Tour de Fleece

It is that time of year again where spinners across the globe gather in clumps and even more often in the privacy of their own homes to compete or at least just do a little spinning each day. I fall in the latter category. The tour coincides with the Tour de France running July 5 through July 27. Just like the "real" tour there are rest days and challenge days. I am on Team My Favorite Sheep.


Just like the cyclists in France, you need the right equipment in order to truly compete. It is all about the technology. It just so happens I recently had a birthday. My dear husband gifted me with this beautiful great wheel and so far she and I are off like a heard of turtles. (Picture me with a wide-brim hat riding a three-wheel tricycle with a flowery basket hanging in front of the handle bars while all the streamlined cyclists whiz past me.)

They are really hard to find in good working order around here so he has been looking for years. We had even been considering taking a trip to the East coast where you can find them more often. All along I thought it was interesting how willing he was to try to find one. I mean he's always supportive, but not necessarily "actively" supportive. Once we were home and setting her up he admitted he wanted one because his grandmother had one in an old home in Harbor Grace, Newfoundland where he visited as a child. So it has been decided the wheel's name is Beatrice, aka Be Be, in honor of his grandmother. It is fitting given that my cherry Norwood loom is named Lula in honor of my own great-grandmother who's maiden name was Norwood.

I am making good progress and hopefully will continue to do so. I'm not competitive at all, for me it is just therapeutic work that in the end results in something beautiful and useful.


5 comments:

Florida Farm Girl said...

The whole process of spinning and weaving is just fascinating to me. Don't know that I'll ever try it, but fascinating nonetheless. Can't wait to see what you turn out.

My DH would never in a million years go looking for sewing related items for me. I'd truly faint dead away if he did.

Unknown said...

You crack me up!

Michelle said...

Is all that yarn from THIS year's TdF??? If so, I must be riding a tricycle!

Tombstone Livestock said...

Hmmm, sounds like you have the equivalent of a St. Tim at your house. Nice wheel, and that is a lot of good looking yarn on your drying rack.

Jayne said...

I agree with what Florida Farm Girl said, that the process of spinning and weaving is really fascinating. I don't know that I'd have the patience to do it. Can't wait to see what you make out of all that beautiful wool!