# TdF ...



## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Is anybody doing the Tour de Fleece this year over on Ravelry ?? I have joined the "Yarn Therapy Zone" group, such fun people !!! Come hang out if need a group , it's NO pressure, just great enabling  !!!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I am planning to hang out here for the TdF, but not so much on ravelry.
In fact, I just finished dyeing some rovings and got Layla out and tuned up today in preparation.
She needed a new driveband measured and tied on, and was super dusty after a couple months off. 




eta: there are pics and everything but they are not loading I guess. Grr.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Okay, one more try. :bowtie:

Sideways, but whatever. 
The last one is a pretty candid shot of my main living space currently.
Sailor was doing zoomies after his bath tonight... he smells minty fresh now.


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

BEAUTIFUL rovings !! What method do you use to dye them ?! 
Your living room looks so cozy perfect .... hard wood floors... plants ..... quilt on the window ... spinning wheel, and cute fur baby !!!! 

I hadnt heard any chatter over here about TdF , maybe Im just early !! I have been combing up a Gotland fleece to spin up on my wheel , then I made some rolags to spin on my turkish drops !


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Oh, very nice. I love the grey nests and pretty rolags. Beautiful prep work.
I am going to give the prep work a skip this year! 

I have only JUST started getting in gear for it myself. 
My rovings are all done with acid dyes. 
I just sort of slopped the colors around on the purple/pink one and on the fiery colored one, then steamed those two. 

The red one and the black/white were both done in dye baths.

My goal this year is to spin a whole pound of 3 ply sock yarn, all from superwash rovings. 
That will be a real challenge, I think.

I also bought this beautiful SW BFL/silk/sparkle roving and it is making my fingers itch to spin it.
I am a little bit excited. :dance:


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Gorgeous rovings GAM!!
Were ya been girl, we've missed you!
My rolags are never that tidy Mary, just lovely.

I'm trying to get all my piles of Alpaca ready for this. Hopefully i'll have enough ready to go in time, if not I have some Shetland that will be good to go as well.
I really should set a serious goal this go 'round.......maybe spinning up enough for a sweater...that should take at least the entire race up!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

GAM I sure have missed you 

I've never done anything formal with the TdF. Usually we have a team over there on Ravelry and then participate here too. I find the whole thing on Ravelry confusing :teehee: I know WIHH usually sets it up for us but she is so busy these days. I'm not sure how much I'll participate this year, I've got a lot going on and I am feeling the need to preserve my time. I'll definitely be reading.

I was thinking maybe we should have done something for the World Cup.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I will be happy to ramrod another TDF here on HT! Let me get my brain going and I will post an official thread here for us on Friday, okie dokie?

A couple of "housekeeping questions" and opinions sought....


_In the past, I have started a new thread each week so as to not get overly huge since the event goes on for almost 4 weeks. _

_Should I continue to do that? _

_In the past, I have also attempted to keep a ravelry group (Homesteading Today) going for people who aren't members here at HT but want to join our Team. _

_Should I continue to do that? _

_I know it gets a little "unwieldy" at times - with some folks posting here on HT, also on the ravelry HT group AND ALSO in the event-wide TDF group..._

_...but ..._

_is that how y'all want to do it? _
​I am open to suggestions and love the interaction with everyone so :bouncy: *WE'RE DOIN' IT :nanner: :clap: *, one way or the other. 

Let me hear your thoughts and on Friday morning, I will try to outline the event here on HT and get our Team signed up and rolling on the TDF group at ravelry.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I personally really enjoyed the way you did it last year.:happy:
You do an amazing job with it, and I'm soooo glad you're willing to do it again!:bouncy:

As to the Ravelry group, that is entirely up to you, if you want the extra work, although, it is a nice way to include non-members, and maybe encourage them to become members.

I need to think up a prize or two I can donate.....


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

The weekly threads were nice, but not strictly necessary in my opinion.
I really do love the 'themes' that you come up with and I feel like it inspires deeper creative efforts (at least for me).

I know it was my idea to have an HT team on rav, but I am absolutely unable to hang out over there in a social capacity. 

You should do exactly as much ramrodding as you want to, and not an inch more. :teehee:
Don't get burnt out trying to do too much, WIHH. 

:kissy:


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

all those colors and fibers are making me swoon and wish I was home at the wheel!!!

For the new and uninitiated, here is the ACTUAL ravelry description of the TDF. 

OUR guidelines will definitely differ and we are not strictly a "spinning only" group - we allow the substitution of knitting, crocheting, weaving, dyeing, fiber prepping - anything loosely associated with the fiber arts will do! :grin: 


Welcome to our group for participants in the annual Tour de Fleece spin-along during the Tour de France. They spin, we spin. A real spinning-themed spin-along.
The concept is simple:

*Challenge Yourself. *
*Spin. *
*Have fun.*

This year, the Tour de Fleece starts on Saturday July 5 and runs until Sunday July 27th, 2014.




*Guidelines (NOT RULES):*

Spin every day the Tour rides, if possible. Saturday July 5 through Sunday July 27th. Days of rest: Tuesday, July 15th and Monday July 21st. (Just like the actual tour.)
Spin something challenging on the challenge day (usually the toughest high mountain stage: this year, it&#8217;s Stage 14, on Saturday, July 19th, when they climb over 3,000m at grades from 4-6%).
Wear yellow on Sunday July 27th to announce victory. Why not wear yellow on any day you feel particularly successful? (Yellow is the color of the race leader in the Tour - but here we are all &#8216;race leaders&#8217 Other colors if desired: Green (sprinter - think FAST), Polka-dot (climber - as in uphill), and white (rookie).
*Teams: Join one, or many, or none.*

Peloton (the main group)
Rookies (first years)
Sprinters (fast and/or high mileage, like lace, sweater quantities, etc)
Climbers (conquer mountains, big personal challenges)
Breakaways (textured &#8220;art&#8221; yarns)
Lanterne Rouge (you will participate as much as possible but you may skip days here and there)
Maillot Blanc (This team is intended for our younger participants. Anyone under the age of 18 who wishes to take part in the Tour is encouraged to participate in the Maillot Blanc team. This thread will be monitored and is required to be kept at the equivalent of a G/U rating.)
Wildcards (This is for people who want to form their own team. This includes sponsored teams, like those affiliated with a specific fiber shop or people who live in the same town, etc.)
The teams are inspired by the actual Tour de France.

*Prizes:*
Prizes are being offered only in the wildcard teams this year and are subject to that team&#8217;s rules.

*Conduct:*
The Tour de Fleece is primarily an adult event and this group will always be treated as such. The &#8220;official&#8221; Tour teams (Rookies, Climbers, Sprinters, etc) will be moderated to the extent that we ask you to be mindful that minors may be present, but other teams are not and will not be censored in any way.
That doesn&#8217;t mean we&#8217;ve forgotten our up and coming spinners. This year we will be hosting a team for our Younger Riders - Team Maillot Blanc! This will be a moderated thread within this group. Please be mindful that other parts of this group may not be suitable for minors so adult supervision while visiting this group is always recommended.
Parents and caregivers are responsible for their children and should use the &#8220;ignore thread&#8221; feature to block inappropriate threads from view.
This group is a SAFE PLACE for everyone to be themselves. We ask everyone for tolerance. We ask everyone to respect your fellow spinners&#8217; rights as human beings. We ask everyone to be excellent to one another.

*The purpose of the Tour is to challenge yourself. *

*The purpose of this group is to share your Tour experience.*


*And to give you greenhorns an idea of our own HT "spin" on the TDF, feel free to check out LAST year's startup thread. *

*http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...3-***tdf-2013-official-theme-schedule***.html*


*also, we would LOVE to have prizes! donated by you/us/anyone for any reason you can dream of using any criteria you can dream up. 

In years past, we have had random drawings for prizes (and this is a perfect time to destash some fiber that just doesn't speak to you anymore, or an extra niddy noddy or stitch markers or knitting notions or handcream or knitting magazines or books - WHATEVER) and rehome them to someone that might think they are awesome! Or you can use any criteria you think would be fun and then award a prize for that. 

The big thing about the TDF is that it gives you an EXCUSE to spend some time with fiber EVERYDAY of the TDF. :teehee:

and it is meant to CHALLENGE you and ENCOURAGE you to stretch yourself a bit - into uncharted waters? Into spinning some fiber that SCARES you a little (like silk hankies or cashmere or cotton :yuck or maybe it's knitting cables or knitting bobbles or nups or lace or something like that. 

I will be coming up with a THEME (Why? because I love themes, that's why.) and you are encouraged to run with that (or not) 

The TDF also allows us to get to know one another even better - PHOTOS ARE ENCOURAGED!!!!! If you need helping to post photos, let us know, the website makes it EASY now to upload photos from your own computer without the use of a photo sharing website! So get out those cameras and cell phone cameras.

Start thinking about what challenges you might want to undertake this TDF, start tuning up your tools, oil those wheels, polish up those needles, and get that fiber out in front of you!​


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

I'll throw in a couple prizes! (Alright, I've been shopping for TDF prizes for a month and a half because I can justify purchases that won't permanently live in my home more than ones that shall never leave)


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

WIHH, you did ana AMZING job last year .... I say you just do it how YOU want .....kinda the perk of runnin it !!! I will follow here for this group ...... then I wont get confused on Ravelry with my other group ! 

I will have a prize/s for this group too !!!


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I will have a prize too! I will give a braid of my roving (your choice of color) to the person who spins the most creative yarn.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thank you WIHH for being willing to ramrod/spearhead this again. As everyone else has said you have always done an amazing job. 

I think a thread every week would be best. It can get difficult to find something in particular if it is all in one thread.

Haveing a team over on Ravelry is nice but I'm not sure if that isn't too much work. Do we really have people over there that aren't over here? It's up to you since you're doing all the work.


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## Lythrum (Dec 19, 2005)

I liked the weekly threads also, kept the threads from getting too long and too many. I got a little tired last year of updating here, on the HT ravelry group, and then on the Lantern Rouge group that I was participating in. Although in all honesty cutting and pasting is not that hard, when it is hot I get lazy.  I think there was more participation here than on the ravelry board and it let us share with the people here who don't hang out on ravelry. 

Also I will donate a prize too, a skein of my beloved Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn.


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

What fun! The more I learn about fiber folk, the more I like being around them. Last night at Spinners Guild we learned how to wrap yarn to make it self-striping. Next month, we'll actually dye it. Maybe TdF is a good time for me to learn how to do socks.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I've decided on my prize to donate!!
A pound of my Alpaca fiber, your choice of three colors, White, Chocolate Brown, or Caramel.:happy2:


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## raccoon breath (Aug 5, 2010)

I've never participated in this but I want too! I have some really cool things I could donate for a couple prizes too. I don't know what the prizes would be for but the actual prizes would be fun to play with.


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

raccoon breath , glad your joining us !!! Check out the other thread too ... 2014 TdF .... WIHH is leading the way and she does an AMAZING job !!! This will be so fun !!!!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Prizes are awarded to whomever and for whatever you choose


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

My prizes are on the way to my house, now. SO excited!!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I want to join in, but I know myself and I won't be able to follow threads here and on Ravelry. :teehee: I'll just follow along here. I can donate some prizes! I can do a soap/lip balm/lotion bar set! 

And I'll use this time to work more on my spinning, which I haven't done in a while. My goal is to be able to enter some handspun yarn or a handspun and knit project in my county fair, which I'll need to have ready by August 10th. If I don't spin every day, I at least want to knit or do *something* fibery every day.


And gorgeous pics in this thread so far!!! I'm drooling!


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

I have a basket full of Gotland birdnests' ready to go !


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

I will come up with something to donate...no clue what it will be but I'll figure something out! 

That Gotland looks soooo yummy!!!! You did yourself proud on that! What do you think you will make with it?


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