Decisions

Amid the patriotic festivities yesterday I found myself distracted by a head-spinning existential Tour de Fleece quandry. What to spin?

Back in May I thought I'd try ply on the fly using an MDS&W 2015 fairing, a braid of Into the Whirled Falkland with the suggestive colorway name Rhinebeck. It's somewhat similar to ITW colorway Royal Platypus (purchased at Rhinebeck 2009, spun for TdF 2010, and knit up for Sock Madness 2011). I thought it would be interesting to compare the finished yarns. It's a worthy goal but somehow the enterprise no longer appeals.



Then I thought about various braids that for various good reasons are only part-finished. There's ::cough:: a fair number. Finishing them (or at least one) this summer would be a good thing. Yet what beckoned was these braids of Cloverleaf Farms Merino, colorway Chili Peppers.



These fiery beauties were a 2014 MDS&W fairing. I dimly recollect I was going to spin them for competition, then spun and won with Gale's Art undyed BFL instead. This time I plan to spin to weave, then to sew a minimally tailored SAORI-style vest... not without some trepidation. A lot of handspun, handwoven textiles look like they have the weight and drape of cowhide, and I'm hoping for something rather lighter and more supple. So, goal the first will be to finish the spinning during TdF; goal the next will be to evaluate the finished woven fabric. Allons-y!