Tour de Fleece DNF

In racing, DNF is the designation for "did not finish".   Other meanings - Do Not Forget, Did Not Find, Does Not Function (I am NOT making this up) apparently also cover my Tour de Fleece performance.

My goal of 6 pounds in 2012 gave me a Tour focus.  I was behind many ounces.  The goal seemed simple:  catch up to the 52 ounces total since January 1 that would have been due by July 15.

Finishing six ounces of laceweight CVM mix was not the path to the goal.  The finish line of July 15th marked 46.6 ounces completed, 5.6 ounces off the mark.  

Perhaps I should not have also plyed most of a previously spun fleece.  That would be the same as if one of the racers in the pack looks to his right, sees a convenience store, breaks from the pack to pick up a quart of milk for his mother, and yells to the pack that he'll join up with them as soon as he is done.  

Lesson probably not learned.  

The laceweight is not yet plyed, nor is the BFL that completed the Tour.  Predictably, the fleece is almost done.  I plyed the entire set of bobbins (13), and washed most.  

I used Etherply.  I had to kick out one bobbin, since it would only let me input 4 x 3 (plies).  Then I reran the program three more times, using the bobbins that I had left.  Very little waste singles remain.  Mr. E is going to fix the kicking out of the bobbin loophole.

Stats:  Fleece was Felicia, Romney/Corriedale cross.  Purchased from Ingrid at Ward Brook Farm, Candia, NH at NHS&W 2006.  Processed by Still River Mill.  Singles spun 2009-2010.  Three ply, bobbins assorted by Etherply utility to make consistent yarn.  It is aran weight, approximately 1150 yards by niddy noddy measure before washing and fulling.

It is firm yarn.  The singles have a bit too much twist.  The twist was reawakened in a washbasin with water to see how much twist to put in the plyed yarn.  As the bobbins emptied, the grist became less consistent with the first skeins.  That goes with the territory.  I have BeadLizard's algorithm for where to put which skeins in a sweater.

Lynn dragged me out to plant shop on Saturday.  Seawright Daylilies in Carlisle is in full bloom.  

 

 

Comments

[Melissa G]

Daylilies are fascinating in their variety. We stayed in a place in CA once that had some varieties taller than me.

I have undertaken to spin for a sweater (or two). HOWEVER, my plying approach is MUCH simpler than yours.

[margene]

You set the bar high and while you didn't reach the goal, you now have more spun than you did when you started. It's not nothin'. ;)
How many daylilies made it home with you? The field is fabulous!

[Lynn]

Hey, you dragged ME to Seawright!

And I, too, DNF in the TdF. However, I will point out that you're doing a lot of spinning these days; don't sell yourself short about that.

[Kathy]

Well, DNF is better than DNS (did not start), which was me. Any spinning at all decreases the stash and for me, that would be a good thing!

[Lorette]

Oh my God. Etherply just cracks me up! That is just so YOU!

[Paula]

I love the idea of Etherply! What units of length and weight does it require?

[Caroline M]

I remain in the DNS camp, living in a techie household it usually means domain name server. I have no problems giving names to things so I'll go with that.

Your yarn is a lovely colour, what are you going to knit?

[Cheryl S.]

Etherply is awesome, and the daylilies are beautiful.

[Anne]

I bet the sweater will still look might-ee fine.

(Your nails are fantastic. I like that coppery-steampunkery color.)

[gayle]

I spun for about 10 minutes for the Tour. So, I basically made it about a kilometer from the starting gate....
DNF, indeed.

[Kim]

Etherply.......why am I not surprised? LOL...you and Paul crack me up! xoxo

[kmkat]

So. You did not hit 56-whatever ounces. But how much would have spun/plied without that goal? And I do not buy your analogy of the Tour de France racer stopping at a convenience store. The singles had to be plied eventually, no? If sometime, why not now?

In my book, you are A Winner!