Tour de Fleece Ends!

Tour de Fleece - closing
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Today is the end of the Tour de France and Tour de Fleece. I think I managed to watch at least some of the racing every day even while traveling. I didn't spin everyday, however. I had a good time, though, and learned lots more about the race itself. And the teamwork involved. Stunning.

Eight ounces of plied "Moulin Rouge" will become mittens and hats.
Four ounces of plied "Cottage Garden" will be mitts/hats - and four ounces singles will be woven into a scarf. (Rigid heddle - my Christmas present to myself, I think)
Finally, 8 ounces of natural New Zealand wool - this will go into the pile ready for "August - the Month to Dye For"!

Today is also my mom's birthday. How appropriate that the last day of the tour ended in Paris - and the only time I've been to Paris was with my family years and years ago - and that it is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Vik.

End of the "Moulin Rouge" BFL

End of the "Moulin Rouge" BFL
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Tour de Fleece 2009 continues. On Day 3, I finished spinning the BFL...and started plying. Looking forward to fulling the yarn. BFL takes on a wonderful sheen after washing. Delightful to knit with. I have one more 8oz braid from Frabjous Fibers to spin. The next colorway is Cottage Garden. I have some natural (creme) BFL in the stash. That will be interesting to see how that spins - and eventually dyes.

Happy Independence Day!

Tree -
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Such a busy day already! Tour de Fleece has started, and I'm spinning Frabjous Fibers BFL "Moulin Rouge". Time trials for Tour de France, and the beautiful Monico, on in the background.

Going to be a gorgeous day - not too hot - not too windy - just right!

This is a flowering tree from in front of the Chemistry Building at the University of North Dakota. There's a pair of them, one on either side of the front entry to the building. What is the tree? I can't remember! It's some version of a lilac, which is why we noticed it in the first place. Lilac leaves, lilac flowers, even lilac odor - but not the typical lilac bush that is ubiquitous around here! Definitely a tree.

Have a great day, Everyone. And Happy Birthday, United States of America!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy 142nd Birthday, Canada! And may you have many, many more!

Birthdays are fun - and national birthdays are even more fun! I've got CBC Radio Two playing in the background - all Canadian music today. Nice. Have a great day! (Don't party too hard, though. Tour de Fleece starts Saturday!)

Minot Knitting!

YarnStash_June202009 001
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Another great visit to the Bagel Shop and YarnStash. We spent time winding down sock yarn into little balls to share for the Sock Blanket.

Beautiful drive over here! Met a birder from St. Paul - he suggested that I actually STOP to look at the birds rather than drive past at 70mph...or at least slow down to 50! LOL

More later when I get home. Time to get the yarn swap moving!

Group picture. TdF 2009

Group picture. TdF 2009
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian

Tour de Fleece 2009 is gearing up. The North Border Spinners is a group formed of spinners along the Canadian-US border.

My stash is about 20# (!) if I got the ounces/grams added correctly. Here's a list of what I have:

Yarn Stash/Minot, ND (YarnFloozie)

• 8oz br BFL top Frabjous Fibers #10 Moulin Rouge
• 8oz braid BFL top Frabjous Fibers Cottage Garden
• 4 oz Merino silk 80/20 Lichen Louet
• 1.5# Fine Brown Shetland Louet
• .5# Fine White Shetland Louet
• 1.5# Blue Face Leicester Louet (white)
• 1# Wensleydale Top Louet (white)
• .5# South African top Louet (white)
• .5# light grey swalesdale Louet
• .5# angora lambswool 50/50 Louet

From Hillcreek Fiber Studio/Columbia, MO (no rav)

• 1 oz French angora (clipped) “Giant”
• 8 oz Cotton Sliver “Coyote” New World Textiles
• 4 oz Cotton “PaloVerde Green” NWT
• 8oz Carolina Cottolin (70% cotton/30% flax) NWT
• 2.5 lb NZ corriedale roving light grey
• 2# 3oz NZ corriedale? carded sliver - natural white
• 2# NZ corriedale roving natural med grey

from Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe/Columbia, MO IdleKnit

• BIG BAG (?5#?) romney? corriedale? “Rambo” med grey.

I CAN'T FIND THE REMOTE CONTROL!

I can't find the remote control and it's going to make me nuts. What did we do before? Did we really GET UP and turn the volume up and down for commercials? Or did we suffer through the volume BLARE when they're on, just waiting for the TV show to come back and the volume return to a bearable level?

It's bad form, I know, but I do often write with the TV quietly on in the background. I'm sitting perched in the living room, laptop on my article/file crate that's on a stepstool. (Not as precarious as it sounds.) I turned Weather Channel down long ago so I could concentrate on something (someone has written my dissertation AGAIN - not really but it took me a while to calm down) but now I want to switch to CNN because the ship captain has been retrieved alive (I heard on a CNN email alert) but I'll have to go over and change the channel and then it'll be up and down volume over and over and over.

WHERE'S THE REMOTE?????

In the meantime, here's a picture of my work desk (where I am not at this moment):



(Found it. Had dropped down into the crate of folders/articles. Peace reigns at last.)