And They're Off - Tour de Fleece Day One!

This morning when I woke I up thought: "Since I'm doing the Ravelry Tour de Fleece* this year, I should keep a record of what I've done". Then I thought "What better record than my blog?" 
My 'bikes' are all tuned; my fleece is ready, and I'm all limbered up! On the right you can see the 'pit pony' , my Easycraft, which is a great fine spinner; 'The Bride of Frankenstein', my older Ashford, which has been assembled over time, and is my bulky workhorse and art yarn wheel, and Ottoline, a sturdy yet decorative high-bred mare, just acquired and still being explored. She's a double drive Charles Tyler wheel, made in 1973. 

*The Tour de Fleece is an annual event run through ravelry.com. To join the Heavenly Wools team, join my group here, then head over to the official tour group here and sign on to win prizes. Heavenly Wools group will also be giving prizes.

The 'racing stable'

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Baby Camel Down Tops

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Ottoline will be my tool of choice to spin some fine baby camel down tops recently gifted to me in a swap. The basis of my entire tour will be 'exotic fibres'. This includes some wool breeds that aren't usually available in New Zealand, such as Romeldale and Falkland; the baby camel down, 2oz of qiviut (musk ox fibre) that Ken gave me for Christmas (and then forgot, which meant I got two presents!), silk hankies and silk/merino tops. If I get to the end of my stash of gifts, I'll be spinning some of my own halfbred wool. Some of my spinning will also be done on spindles; more about that later. Just now, it's just after 12:00 so it's time to join the NZ Peleton and head off on the first day of the competition!