Spin Those Wheels!

 It's that time again!  TOUR de Fleece! kicked off July 4th.  What will you spin during the time of Tour de France--as fiber spinners, we use this time to encourage the TdF riders while we spin the perfect fiber.  

Here is my challenge for the tour--all these bobbins and cakes are singles! Singles of brown cotton that were spun last tour de fleece--best to let them rest and age!

Now, it is time to ply these lovely fibers

perfect time is NOW!

The purpose of the Tour de Fleece is to challenge yourself and have fun.

The concept is simple:

• Challenge Yourself.
• Spin.
• Have fun!

Dates

• Tour de Fleece (TdF): This year, the Tour de France starts on
  Saturday, July 04, 2026 and runs until Sunday, July 26, 2026.

• Tour de Fleece Femmes (TdFF): We will also spin along with the Tour’s women’s race, Tour de France Femmes. This year there will be a week between the two, with Femmes starting on Saturday, August 1, 2026 and runs until Sunday, August 9, 2026

Guidelines (NOT RULES):

Spin every day the Tour rides, if possible. Rest on the days they rest. Challenge yourself on their toughest days. Unexpected collapses, ambushes and twists of all kinds could be on the cards, so remember to have fun despite the unexpected!

• Spinning Days: TdF Saturday, July 04 through Sunday, July 26. TdFF Saturday, August 1 through Sunday, August 9.

• Rest Days: Monday, July 13 and Monday, July 20.

• Challenge Days: Spin something challenging on the challenge days (or pick your own Challenge Day to suit your needs and schedule). TdF: The first one is Stage 9, on Sunday, July 12. The second is Stage 15, on Sunday, July 19. TdFF: Stage 7, on Friday, August 7.

• Colored Jerseys: Wear yellow on Sunday, July 26 and/or Sunday, August 9 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 ‘race leaders’.
Green: sprinter - think FAST.
Polka-dot: climber - as in uphill.
White: rookie.

Join a group on Ravelry or spin alone   Let's turn those wheels!!

In Search of

 We’re on the hunt for that Perfect cup of coffee!  Decaf that is!!  Most of the members of our household drink decaf--Everything decaf!  For years it was very difficult to find any decaf teas or coffee but now there are  multi products.  Recently, on a visit to our Colorado daughter's house, she invited us to enjoy decaf coffee drinking event!  What Fun!  She had ordered a number of decaf coffee beans.  Little secret--if you read just ONE decaf ad on Social Media, you will be bombarded by decaf coffee ads!  Who would have thought there were that many decaf coffees?!  Not me!

We wanted to make sure our experience was the best!  Year ago, we did this same controlled tasting with WATER!  What an event that was!  Try it some time.  You think water is the same==Nope!  You're wrong!  We had several glass bottles of water. Each hidden in brown paper bags—taste each one, makes notes, compare—the one water that was not the favorite—tap water!

Now to our coffee tasting..................................

It was hard to decide which one to begin with

Larry's coffee had three different decafs from light to dark

When we saw a different coffee shop, we'd pop in to taste their coffee

One of the cafes we had this as their decaf coffee

Atlas coffee club is interesting as it features different countries with their beans

Our last hotel on the way home served this coffee in the room--we were smitten--a dark roast that stimulated our palate.

We certainly learned about coffee with this tasting--

This was a controlled tasting too

Each coffee used the same water, same amount, same temperature in a French Press.

We controlled the amount of beans ground, along with the grind number;  time of 

grounds steeped was same each time.

Each person tasted and provided their notes of taste--we made note of the packaging--ease of opening, how to store once open, smell and look of beans in package.

After the first day of doing this controlled tasting, we said 'what the heck" and went back to our own way to make coffee!  Still liked the French Press for the best tasting coffee beverage!

We're still trying different decaf coffees!  The supply is unlimited!

Bottom of The Basket

 You never know what you’ll find at the bottom of the basket—my fibers have been sitting around the house untouched for months—and I do mean months!  Our son was ill, in and out of hospital, in and out of rehab, then home, and then the cycle started again!  Finally, with grace of God’s healing powers, our son is home!  Has visiting nurses, PT/OT—did go back to work remotely.  

In all that time I could not think of knitting—some patterns would not work through my brain.  My hands did simple stitching, that I could handle. 

The other day, I decided to look through my baskets!! What a wonder of goodies to be found!  Like discovering new adventures—knitting begun and not finished.  Patterns lined up to begin.  Touching the skeins of newly founded, was the dream alive.  

pattern that wants to be!

A hat for the collection

Another hat to add

Musselburgh hat begun

And a pair of socks from fall Jane Austin series almost finished

Fibers to caress for above projects

There is a bit of commitment waiting to happen and it's about time to begin!  I wonder if I have any other baskets to dig to the bottom?!

 

Granny Made Me To It!!

 Granny Granny—how could you?  But——-there it was a ---free quilt along!  Granny (OPQuilt) made me do it!!  The one quilt block and quilt I’ve never made!  This reminded me of my Granny, who I loved dearly—she was always keeping her hands busy.  There was either a crochet hook in her hand or a craft she learned.   She never made a quilt though. 

I don’t really like to crochet——but, there is the Granny square staring me in the face.  My granny loved granny squares.  Don’t think I’ve ever done a crochet square.  Time to learn as I also work on the Granny square quilt block.   

Luckily, I have a box full of 2.5" squares from previous projects. 

My brain is working overtime.  I have several skeins/balls of handspun natural cotton--I don't need so many dishcloths--why not, a granny square jacket made from natural cottons!!   Oh, My!  how about handspun silk?!!

Handspun Cottons

Now, what to do with all the crochet blocks?  I really don't need an Afghan throw==just look at all those lovely wearables that are making their presence known lately.

Lovely jacket

Free pattern

Oh yes!  Socks!  right up my alley!

Did you know there is Granny Square Day??!! August--keep an eye out for this day!

Nature Stitching

Nature is Inspiration to the Eyes!  

My son collected geode rocks

you never know what you'll find when the rock has been cracked--Surprise!

Below is my inspiration of a geode half that son gifted me.  Sorry, I no longer have the rock but

this stitching is still around and about.

Long straight stitches give a texture 

I free handed the pattern on fabric

and various places, I improvised sections

using silk threads also gives a glow to the stitches 

Such fun using nature 

the matting was special cut to make sure the geode was the main feature

Take a look at other artists works using nature as their inspiration:

Textile Art

Stitching Blooms

Embroidery and Nature

Slow Stitching a Nature Mountain

 

What’s Your Shape?

Shapes!! 

That's what I'm working with now!

So many different shapes and sizes!  Here we have hexagons on 6" square fabric

 

different size for a hexagon

This is the shape I'm in now!! Working on this 'eye spy' quilt for a year.

"I Spy" excited for little hands and eyes to use 

Many small hexagons make one large one

triangles make different shapes--I'll be working on boxes 

different papers for different sizes and shapes

large hexagons, small hexagons, medium hexagons

then there are heart shape pieces--

I make these to place on note cards that are sent to friends

how about these shapes?

Really like this idea of using on wearables

another way to create a different shape with one small shape

What shape are you?

Collections!

 Collections!  I LOVE to collect!  I can not stop collecting!  You could say I live to collect!

Let’s begin:

  knitting needles—you name the size, I’ve got it!  Straight needles, circular needles, double pointed, wooden, metal—I’ve got it!  

Fabric—now, this is a small ‘collection’ compared to quilt shops—there is a good selection of colors, patterns, etc some on bolts, some in bins (supposedly arranged by color)—HA! That’s a laugh! 

Fabric scraps—talk about scraps!  I’ve got them!  Bins over flowing with fabric scraps—just can’t bring myself to throw anything away—never know when you might need that tiniest piece

Fiber (unspun)— brown cotton, white cotton, green cotton, silk, mohair, angora, acrylic too.  I gave away my llama that had aged for 20 years—gone!! Didn’t put a dent in the collection either. 

Rulers—I love rulers!  Quilt rulers that is!  Long ones, short ones, square ones, triangle ones, circular ones, tiny ones, large ones—my collection is perfect for any project

Quilt blocks—alas,  this is one of the collections that I wish would shrink.  I love piecing blocks!  Just stack them on the table and one day we’ll assemble a top!

Yarn—cotton yarn (hand spun, of course),  weaving yarn—trying to weed out the wool yarn—a closet, sorry two closets of coned yarn!  

Finished quilts—this a Joy of a collection—haven’t counted lately—every year the grands can search through the piles and take what they want—soon the great grands will have that chance too.  I don’t keep count of the quilts I’ve given away—so many in the hands of others who need some love. 

Books—oh yes!! The best collection of all—books!! Doesn’t seem to matter how many are stored in Kindle, on audible, or on the book shelves,  I’m always looking for more to add to the collection. 

  I think I have an addiction!   NO!  It’s just a Stash!!

Do you have collections!?