I have always loved the camaraderie of participating in the Tour de Fleece, but other obligations have kept me sidelined for the past couple of races. This year, however, I’m thrilled to be back for the challenge; and with the event beginning tomorrow, I’m taking some time to enjoy one of my favorite pre-ride exercises: planning my Tour de Fleece spinning projects.
Why take the time to plan ahead? This bit of organization helps to keep me motivated and on task. Record-keeping provides me with an ongoing roadmap of my spinning journey.
Charting Progress and Change Over Time
Since my last Tour de Fleece, I’ve experienced a seismic shift in what motivates my spinning, a change that's reflected in this year’s plans. As someone whose spinning has always been driven by a love of color, I stuck mainly to hand-dyed, single braids. This worked well for me in terms of efficiency, and—let’s be honest¬—these single-bite projects benefited my short attention span, too. But something unexpected happened to me while working on my book, The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible, in that along the way, I found true bliss in the nuance of intentional fiber preparation. From planning each element of the texture, color, and hand in my spins to the tactile stimulation of spinning my yarns, I became a different spinner. My spinning became as much about enjoying the path as it was about finishing the proverbial race.
Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode.
Planning to Stay Motivated
This year’s Tour de Fleece bin contains two hand-prepared projects and eight ounces of luxury fiber dyed by a friend. Plotting out the wheels and spindles I’ll use to spin these different wools and preps ensures that I’ll stay on course without losing intertest or becoming preoccupied by other options. My typical allocation is one project for a treadle wheel, one for an e-spinner, and one for a grouping of either suspended or supported spindles. No matter where I am during the weeks of Tour de Fleece, I’ll be able to work on my spinning.
Will I be able to complete all of these spins in just three weeks (four counting the added week of the Tour de Femmes)? Maybe not, but that’s not my reason for participating. I’m here for the shared experience and the bonus of moving fiber from stash to intentional yarn.
The Tour de Fleece is the perfect opportunity to break out those special braids, like this luxurious 50/25/25 blend of Cormo, cashmere, and eri silk.
Find Your Own Motivation
What spurs me on may or may not be compelling to you, but having one (or more) main motivator can help you see this year’s Tour de Fleece through to completion. Some incentives to consider:
• Learning a new skill
• Trying a new fiber and/or preparation
• Starting that daily spinning practice you keep promising yourself
• Meeting new people through virtual gathering and posting
• Achieving a goal amount of yardage/mileage
No matter your impetus, join in! You can find other like-minded spinners to follow and interact with on your favorite social media platform(s), including Ravelry, where you can join your friends from Spin Off in the usual spot.
Spinners, c’est parti, and we’ll see you on the road!
Debbie Held is a freelance writer, a contented real-life spinster, and an international fiber-arts educator. She writes recurring spinning-related content for Spin Off in print and on the web as well as for PLY, SweetGeorgia Yarns, and more. Debbie and her Persian cat, Marty, live on an urban farm in Atlanta, Georgia, where both enjoy watching the Shetland sheep that roam beneath their windows. Debbie’s new book, The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible, is available from Stackpole Books.