Day 22-23 - The End!

Day 22 was a mix of wheel and spindle again - as you see I'm well into the second ply of the Nightfall over Dark Grey, and have started on another hanky in my rainbow hanky collection (I got this via a Ravelry swap last year - thank, Sourkraut!). Dry hands make working with the hankies a bit frustrating, but I've been told to rub lemon juice on rather than use handcream - as handcream can stain silk irretrievably.

I really wanted to complete something on Day 23, so I got spinning yesterday and finished the Nightfall, as well as plying it. So satisfying. While I was working, I listened to "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" as a talking book. 

Well, the end of the Tour arrived much sooner than I'd thought. I feel a bit sad that it had to happen, but keeping up this level of spinning, posting and blogging would be totally exhausting over a longer period! I'm so happy that I managed to get as much done as I did, with all the interruptions. I still have my lockspinning to do, but I want to wait until I feel totally recovered before I do anything complex.

Not only did it make the time pass quickly, it also ensnared Ken, who was quite disgusted when I halted the book before he'd found out what happened at the end. I've read it before, and seen the film, but it's quite different read aloud - very moving.
So this is the final yarn, which is a double knitting weight. You know, I always thought worsted weight was the English 3-ply. Now I know better! If I wasn't learning how to controll my long draw right-handed rather than left, I would have done a MUCH better job with this yarn. It's not too even and I would like it to be finer, much finer.

Progress moves on apace with this lovely scarf pattern - Birdsfoot Fern - which I'm making in a shorter version because I was terrified I'd run out of yarn...but I still have plenty left to complete it, which should happen later today. I will blog again with FOs from the tour as they happen!

Total TdF output
From top left:
Spindle spun yarn, 1 ply merino in Ink, one ply silk hankies from The Midnight Sheep
Singles on the spindles
Boucle yarn - one ply of merino/silk from my hoard; one ply of hand-dyed drum-carded mohair, specifically dyed for this project; one ply of hanky silk, again dyed for this project. I got about 1/2 of this yarn done; more to come later.
100gr Falkland tops from a swap parcel on Ravelry, n-plied
100gr Haunui Halfbred in Dark grey/ Nightfall, traditional 2-ply
Bottom: Birdsfoot Fern scarf in baby camel down from the same swap parcel (NZDebz, thanks so much!) plied with purpose-dyed silk from hankies. Yet to be completed and blocked.
Quite a swag!

Thanks for following along with my blog over the Tour! I hope you'll be along for TdF 2014. We've had a great time in the Heavenly Wools group.