Tour de Fleece finish line...

It was my first TDF

After a difficult first week start it went like a charm.

I really enjoyed the challenge and now I have a lot of yarn to pet and to choose some nice projects to enjoy.

Crossing the finish line and stumbling with that bounty.

This was my last stage, some white english leicester I combed and a little bit of corriedale left over.

Next year I will make sure I have some washed, dyed and ready to spin fleece for this event if I'm participating, it is more rewarding and pleasing to spin something I have prepared, no more bad surprises when it's too late to get something more appropriate to really enjoy spinning that many days and hours.

Louet and Karaoke

Here is a copy/paste of my comment to their blog as it might never get published on theirs:

Diane F July 11, 2015 at 5:14 pm | Permalink | Reply

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I have spun two different colorways of your Karaoke and those two tops are the worst I ever bought/encounter, I noticed my seller about it and I’m very disappointed with the answer you gave her, it is shameful when knowing your product is of very bad quality to mix it in a pack, in addition of letting down your sellers to deal with the complaints. I can assure you I’m totally unhappy with your ways to do business and I won’t buy any of your products in the future.

I'm posting it here because I doubt it will be published on their blog and to make clear the person whom sell it to me did received complaints from other customers too.... I'm not alone she offered me some fibers of my choice at her own expense... I refused as she won't be compensated for it, it's not her fault but LOUET's fault.

The fact is the fiber is part of a  pack is not an excuse to hide from the customers that some part of it is badly processed at a mill in China where nobody regularly tested the quality before shipping it to their sellers whom will take the hit is totally unfair.  It's not an honest way to treat sellers and customers.

cross posted on Ravelry.

Tour de Fleece

First week.

Louet North America

Karaoke Tiger Shrimp

50% wool/50% soysilk

225 grams

Made in China

I'm going to be frank here.... 

The colours were very nice, but it's been a real pain in the ....

the fibers were impossible to draft like regular tops, It was like felt and the only way I could start to do anything with it was to open the roll separate the fibers in 4 length wise and then it was the tug war to loose up the fibers... this is time consuming as one tug nothing happens and I really do tug fast and hard few times before a small part started to move.

Spinning the fiber wasn't really enjoyable part of it is rough and still couldn't draft as fine as I would like.

Now it is a 2 plies and when I washed it in cold water to set the twist it bleeds..............

At the moment I'm spinning the same fiber in the Angelfish colorway

The colours are nice but I'm finding the same problems as the previous I got to do the same steps to get to spin this one too.

Believe me this got nothing of the silk softness, it got some luster but it's about all it got.

I will finish spinning what I got and I won't recommend this to anyone ever.

I can say it's not only one batch problem as it was two different colors = two different batches.

It's not worth the pain and aggravation, I won't buy this fiber ever again.

This is my opinion from my experience with this fiber.

It's not the quality of fibers I'm used to from Louet, very disappointing.

I'll be happy to start something else next.

Getting ready for The Tour de Fleece...

This year I'm a participant in The Tour de Fleece, my first year so I'm a rookie at this I decided to buy some prepared fibers as I didn't received any Pickwick fleece yet.

I have pick the June Spinzilla Fibre Packs from Louet at the  Boutique Fibre Detours  it's a very nice assortment of fibers.

Merino/silk

Karaoke... wool/soysilk

wool/mohair

Tencel

Llama

and of course some silk

plus 4 packs of 100g of  colourful merino this should keep me spinning this July.

I'm cleaning the wheel wiping all oil residues and getting it all clean and ready for more oil.

Gail... aka Nightsongs

This was my first attempt at a shawl without a spine...

Here is my project bag and the pickwick yarn I used for the main body.

A very entertaining knitting and reading...

I really enjoyed how the yarn luster keeps giving with this design.

It is completed but the weather is not cooperating today and probably for few more days...so no blocking yet.

For the border I have been using a skein of my "unloved" handspun merino.

The garden fabulous poppies will be taken down by the rain too...

Wishing the sunshine and some quite warmer weather soon, because it's been cold even the tomatoes and cucumbers are refusing to grow much.

A partially sunny day...

At last

The sun dared showing briefly...

I rushed to wash and block finish the blanket/shawl, it's been waiting for over 10 days.

Here it is, the sun barely shining but it's the best day I could find as more rain is on the way tonight.

I have used some of my hand spun merino superwash and knitted until it was all used up.

I started for the larger version and did only the lace chart once, I love this pattern Dangan by Carol Feller.

Soft cables and lace .... cozy and comfortable.

I'm already sorting for another project... more pictures soon.

Pickwick locks in progress...

Back to last fall...

One upon a time there was some raw and dusty locks.

I did washed them.

Then I got really busy and couldn't work them for awhile.

I have decided to dye the locks turquoise.

They are so pretty...but life got in the way again, the weather was so gray I couldn't take a decent picture either.

Now here are the pretty locks sunbathing ;)

And a super carded batt.....

Ain't this lovely to see fluffy wool ready to spin?