Tour de Fleece: Changing Plans and Long Draw Spinning through Suffolk in Record Times

Hello friends! Tour de Fleece has officially begun! And what a start I had. I might have to change my spinning plans all together. Me and my spinningwheel, my Louët S71, have been zooming through that Suffolk fleece that I prepped with my drumcarder. The long draw spinning I'm still practicing is spinning up like a charm. I'm certainly riding in yellow. But this means that I might have to change plans and start prepping some more wool. Maybe some more Blue Texel action in the future of this challenge? And as you will see we have two very chunky skeins of yarn already by day two of this year's Tour de Fleece. What a race!
If you want to listen to The Yellow Line on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/74qwr...
You guys asked for recommendations for more Tour de Fleece vlogs and onine shenanigans to watch while you are spinning your own fiber arts projects, well here they are in a non-exhaustive manner:
‪@etienne6916‬
‪@FlannelandPurls‬
‪@stitchesandstarlight‬
‪@sweetgeorgia‬
‪@FairilyFiberFun‬
‪@thepassioknitspinner2688‬
‪@YarnNYarns‬
‪@Lochknits‬
‪@PliesHellhounds‬
‪@ColorsofHopeCraftsASMR‬
‪@camajfiberarts‬
‪@arieknits‬
‪@YarnworxStudio‬
‪@UnwindingwithFiberandFabric‬
‪@SomethingBeautifulHandcrafts‬
‪@jkfiberarts‬
‪@FroukjesWolBoutique‬
‪@ColourfulCreativitypodcast‬
‪@greengoatranch3180‬
‪@blametheknots‬
If you want to join in on the chaos, you can join the patreon via: / mijnwolden
You can also find me on Ravelry and Instagram as @MijnWolden
If you enjoy spinning, yarn, knitting, fiber arts or any other traditional craft then this channel is right up your alley. Maybe you could hit that subscribe button?
#spinning #wool #tourdefleece #tourdefleece2024 #fiberart #crafting #spinningyarn

[@JillianEve]

Your spinning is gorgeous as always. That first skein you finished is so drool-worthy! I'm watching while I'm spinning my own TdF and I love feeling like we are hanging out and spinning together. 😊 Happy spinning!

[@alexvanderpol1]

@@JillianEve It makes it so much more fun to spin together! Even if it's through KZbin 😂

[@MijnWolden]

That is what I love about the internet. We can make so many fiber friends all over the world!

[@billijo111]

@@JillianEve love you JillianEve

[@FairilyFiberFun]

Thank you for sharing my channel in your list if recommended youtubers! I always love watching your videos!

[@Sincyn241]

Not a spinner, but I fully support CHAOS HOBBITS!!!!

[@MijnWolden]

yesssss!

[@jacquelineslavich591]

I just love your lack of pretension. You are so true and honest. And those drama classes have made you a breath of fresh air

[@MijnWolden]

I left the pretenses somewhere and I can't find them. (I'm also not really searching).

[@citrinedreaming]

I'm just going to keep the intro of this video on repeat…. 😂I love it so much

[@MijnWolden]

I hesitated about keeping it in, for it might just have been a smidge too ridiculous, but I am glad you like it :D

[@tracybird4547]

I love your Chaos Goblin content! Thanks for being so generous with your time and sharing. ❤❤❤

[@MijnWolden]

You're welcome :D Thank you for watching!

[@etienne6916]

third comment while rewatching: I missed the singing the first time xD I joined the watch party too late for that part xD its amazing

[@alexvanderpol1]

@@etienne6916 get there early next time 😜

[@etienne6916]

@@alexvanderpol1 sorry ill skip work next time ;) hahahaha xD

[@alexvanderpol1]

@@etienne6916 just take every Wednesday afternoon off of work for Jente's videos, it's not that hard 😜

[@etienne6916]

Hahahaha xD

[@MijnWolden]

It's amazingly ridiculous, that's what it is :D

[@alexvanderpol1]

It was so much fun watching together with so many patreon members! And of course, I'm watching again, because, what else should I do while spinning 🤷😁

[@billijo111]

I didn't realize in time to watch with everyone...next week for sure!

[@MijnWolden]

I am very grateful you're watching again, because now I get to reply to your comment :D

[@esmithsarah]

Ayy spreadsheet shoutout! This is the most fun tour!

[@alexvanderpol1]

@@esmithsarah it's only my second so far, but I totally agree!!

[@MijnWolden]

Thank you for making this the most fun tour with your spreadsheet :D

[@Roehrtribe]

Before TDF we rewatched your previous TDF videos. So good! My girls and I are posting a little here on the KZbins this year. Not as much as we would like, but some!

[@emmakins0515]

Beaitiful spinning as always. I have to say. If i had a theme song for everytime i walked into a room, that intro would absolutely be it

[@MijnWolden]

That would be epic.

[@ShanaH414]

I started spinning in May so this is my first Tour. My goal is very simple: make usable yarn.

[@MijnWolden]

Oh happy days! Have fun, I would say that is an even bigger goal ;)

[@olivertenworms7082]

I LOVE your niddy-noddy. Shocking that people would await the demise of such a beautiful object!! Makes me want to make my own :-) The yarn is lovely too!!

[@resourcedragon]

I second your comment. It's an excellent niddy-noddy.

[@MijnWolden]

It is a bit rickety, so I understand people thinking it might fall apart any moment now :)

[@countbaldwiniv]

The best distraction while working!

[@MijnWolden]

But you shouldn't be distracted while working? :o

[@SylviaHonigmann-bn9qc]

It doesnt matter what your Goal, spinn ,spinn,spinn! Its so funny, the begin of tour de fleece, i make a Art yarn from Polwarth First time ,iwas so proud of it. The next i spinn Texel from raw fleece, that i dye myself. To make a Pullover, actually i be drum carding it! Love it!

[@MijnWolden]

I am spin spin spin spinning :D

[@etienne6916]

these look so soft! :O I started doing longdraw and it's fast becoming my favorite way of spinning too :D if you continue like this you will beat Ellana! 😂😅

[@alexvanderpol1]

@@etienne6916 I don't know if anyone can beat Ellana...

[@etienne6916]

@@alexvanderpol1 xD hahahaha

[@MijnWolden]

Ellana is unbeatable. Xey are a speedmachine.

[@jenniferbrighty5120]

Hi Jente, I hope you're OK xx ❣️❣️❣️❣️ Thankyou so much for sharing this video podcast. Spinning Long Draw, dies mean that fibre spins up rather quickly, yet it's my default way of Spinning. Your Handspun Yarns look amazing and beautiful . I spun the 1st & 2nd day up on the 1st day. Then had to make more stuff to spin on the 2nd day. Plied them yesterday ( Tuesday) Now spun today and tomorrow today, might leave the plying till tomorrow unless I get bored.🤣. Love your Rendition of 500 miles. I think you and I are very likely to run out of Prepped fibres to spin at the rate we're going 🤣🤣 Hope you have a Wonderful TDF 🚲🎡🐑🥰 Happy Spinning Fibre Friend 🎡🐑🥰 Take care and stay safe Lots of love and Fleecey Hugs Jen xxxx ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🐑🐑 I hope your ankle is getting better 😊😊

[@MijnWolden]

Yes we are very likely to run out... but luckily there's always more of where that came from, right? :D

[@CrownedLadybug]

I just finished catching up and watching your Suffolk prep video, and then saw this pop up in my sub box right after! Perfect timing Watched together with my partner, who is another Unhinged Flemish Fiber Goblin and has never watched your videos before. They clocked where you're from just based on the little segment where others could be heard speaking in the background (cue me losing my mind. Flemish accents are just on another level) I don't spin myself but I'm really enjoying watching the Big Floofy Fleece turn to Big Puffy Skeins. My gremlin hands long to touch (Next year my darling and I are joining in on the fun too, hopefully! They spinning, me as emotional support, and maybe hand-dyeing yarn together to prep)

[@MijnWolden]

Oh but did they also clock that when I was singing our national anthem that I actually have a different accent than when the others were speaking, completely throwing off his theories? ;)

[@raevynwoods9403]

Wow you are going fast! I'm glad you're having so much fun with this fleece!

[@MijnWolden]

It's a great fleece!

[@sweetsar04]

Ooo Suffolk!! I'm excited I will be getting my first fleece this weekend. ❤ wonderful video as always 😊.

[@MijnWolden]

Have fun with your first fleece!

[@ggnanna6007]

I am not a spinner but love watching you. And one I’d love to try.

[@MijnWolden]

Thank you :D

[@ColorsofHopeCraftsASMR]

That’s so beautiful! Thank you for tagging me in your video!

[@MijnWolden]

You're welcome, hopefully someone finds their new favourites in your videos

[@ColorsofHopeCraftsASMR]

@@MijnWolden that’s so sweet of you to say! Maybe we can do a collaboration sometime?

[@Laverne732]

A longdraw spin is my next project after this fleece (on my new-to-me wheel!). Loving the community of spinning together! And the intro -- I watched the first time without subtitles, and thought, "wait ... I know that intro. Is that 'The Lion King??" and true to form, it was lol

[@MijnWolden]

Yep it was :D

[@maverickspirit208]

You make spinning into an adventure!

[@MijnWolden]

Spinning is already an adventure, I don't have to do much :D

[@Dollcan]

Great energy and fun!

[@MijnWolden]

Thank you!

[@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761]

I hope you have enough Suffolk yarn to make a sweater. I look forward to your next fleece.

[@resourcedragon]

I'm definitely thinking Arran knit jumper - or something along those lines. The only question is whether to dye the wool before knitting or to go for the natural colour.

[@MijnWolden]

I think I will. I have almost a km of yarn now.

[@MijnWolden]

Cables would look gorgeous with this!

[@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761]

@@resourcedragon It would be a wonderful opportunity to try a new dye technique or nature dyeing.

[@Janet-ov7zx]

Your spinning and your yarn looks fabulous! harpingJanet

[@MijnWolden]

Thank you!

[@jenibylsma9845]

Loved watching your spinning antics! I am currently pushing myself to spin colours I don’t normally care for - think lime green/grey shades 😁 Also trying to spin on my spindles each day. So far making good progress. What fun! 😜

[@MijnWolden]

What a great challenge!

[@etienne6916]

second comment :D thank you so much for the shout out!! :)

[@alexvanderpol1]

@@etienne6916 you deserve it! The vibes in your videos are wonderful!

[@etienne6916]

@@alexvanderpol1 thank you! :)

[@MijnWolden]

Everyone needs to know your thoughts about the Cosmere/Stormlight Archives!

[@annestuartstuart5720]

Lovely spinning and fun vlog , its long draw but not woollen spun.

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

You’ve taken quite the start! So much gorgeous floofy yarn! 😍 You asked about TDF goals. Well, mine are simply to spin every day. Fun side challenge: finding out for how many hours I’ve spin over the course of the entire event, and how many metres that amounts to. Not much more. It’s my first Tour so I thought that’s enough of a goal.

[@MijnWolden]

And how many hours can you clock in now?

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

@@MijnWolden - Due to a full work day followed up by an office BBQ, I didn’t do much yesterday. Clocked off at a total of 7 hours and 25 minutes since the beginning of this Tour. So 40-ish minutes of spinning for the day. Just setting up for this evening’s spin. I’ll see how long that goes. I’m really looking forward to this week-end when I’ll be able to do more.

[@gemmaf_]

Wow you've done so much!!

[@MijnWolden]

Thanks!

[@amydebuitleir]

For a split second, in the thumbnail I thought you were wearing boxing gloves! I guess you were ready to do battle with your fleece.

[@MijnWolden]

I was :D

[@moonbasket]

KACHOW!

[@MijnWolden]

KAPOW!

[@jenniferfowler6713]

you are doing amazing!

[@MijnWolden]

Thank you!

[@Lady_dromeda]

I haven’t heard of tour de fleece before starting to watch your channel. I don’t know if I would be able to do it, i dont have any fleece to spin for one 😅 but also ive been stash busting because I don’t have the money to buy new yarns. I do have some Briggs & Little Country Roving ive been meaning to spin, but that won’t be for a while.

[@alexvanderpol1]

@@Lady_dromeda you don't have to spin an entire fleece to join in the TDF fun! Just spinning a little every day is enough (and not even every day of you don't want to).

[@MijnWolden]

Tour de Fleece doesn't necessarily mean spin a fleece, it's just: try and challenge yourself to spin a bit more frequently then during the year and have fun with it :D

[@brandyolin5979]

I started trying long draw at the beginning of TdF, and oh my goodness it IS faster! My hands were hurting (getting old stinks) with my short forward draw, so I started playing with my method to see what hurt less, and slowly migrated from short forward, to becoming ambidextrous, to short backwards, to long backwards draw. It's helped with the pain and I thought I was crazy that it seemed faster! Glad to see that I'm not crazy!! Or I'm at least in good company...

[@MijnWolden]

And not just slighty faster, but like spinning my entire last year's TdF results in a week faster!

[@brandyolin5979]

@@MijnWolden yes!! Blazingly fast! I spun up a couple of 100g braids of combed top already, and I haven't even spun every single day! My goal was to burn thru my stash of prepped fiber, but it's a good thing I have a drum carder on its way!

[@kdbgvxsv]

I started spinning last month and only heard about TdF today, so only a couple of days late! I've got some beautiful Corriedale wool tops in pink, purple and blue that I've been playing around with, and I'm aiming to get all 600 grams spun and plied, but with no real plans on what finished products I get. The goal is to learn as much as possible, and not to be too precious about the results :)

[@MijnWolden]

Learning is a great goal in and of itself!

[@miserybutane298]

i, too, am spinning long draw. I, too, have absolutely NO idea what i'll do with the yarn by the end of it. I, too, am unsure I have enough fiber.

[@MijnWolden]

High five!

[@linr8260]

[chanting] long draw! Long draw!

[@MijnWolden]

[joins in chant] Long draw! Long draw!

[@maribethclark2798]

I am spindle spinning a merino single, then make a single of Tarhgee, then ply it for my granddaughter.

[@MijnWolden]

I've heard many a great things about Targhee, your granddaughter is lucky!

[@michellebruton6287]

Oh you are a nutter - when you opened that door I thought YES !!! perfect outfit, perfect hairdo for a day of chaotic spinning. looove your excitement. Damn girl, you are really going for it - but your chonks are gorjuss !! AND I think I have been subscribed for a year now - I recall thinking 'what is this Tour de Fleece" stuff and then remember watching a video where you get a whole fleece from a farmer and you make him a beanie out of some of the spun wool ... hooked ever since (ha ha 'hooked' - coz I watch your videos while I crochet 😁). Happy spinning dearest Gobliness. Oh here's a question from a non-spinner - how do you control the thickness of the yarn - how do you know how much floof to let thru your fingers and do you get finger and thumb cramp ?

[@MijnWolden]

My hairdo and outfit are just my day to day outfit and hairdo. I went to work looking like that :D

[@SylviaHonigmann-bn9qc]

❤😊😊😊😊

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Is consistent with everyone that first skein worked is a monster amount,the rest are always smaller for me. Seeing you do this too makes me say hmmm 🤔

[@MijnWolden]

Last year my third was the monster monsterskein though :D

[@hawthorngrove3629]

I'm spinning Corriedale then maybe some Suffolk and Alpaca cause I want to try all the things

[@MijnWolden]

Trying all the things is the best way of learning :D

[@micahmilne]

TBH I think a short staple is easier to woolen spin. I'm doing a semi-woolen spin right now with something that's like 5 in/12.5 cm and it's much slower than I'm used to. I just can't draft as quickly because the staple length can't outpace the twist. You left your lazy kate screwed in after plying the first skein, and I can visually see that it's fine, but after last year I got nervous. 😅 I'm glad it's not trying to kill your bobbins this time.

[@MijnWolden]

Yes, I did. I noticed that I'm not to hunched over my wheel with the long draw, so my knees don't touch it :D

[@ddrenth98]

My goal is to spin as much lace weight pure alpaca as I can, so I can knit a sweater on 1,5 mm needles. I will need more time than just the tour to get enough yarn though, it takes me about 5 days just to spin and ply 100 grams

[@MijnWolden]

1.5mm is a feat!

[@Kathy-ml6yu]

Hi, I was wondering if when you have largely uneven bobbins and more wool to spin, can you leave the excess on the bobbin, complete the skein, then continue spinning on the bobbin with the excess? Forth day in and I broke my drive band 😢 hopefully will fix it today.

[@elizabethstreeter2145]

Yes you can

[@MijnWolden]

Sure you can. I hope you can get the drive band fixed!

[@Kathy-ml6yu]

Thank you. Also, The drive band is mended and we are back on track.

[@resourcedragon]

When counting Tour de Fleece lengths spun, do you count the length of single spun, or singles plus plied result, or just the plied result? EDIT: I'm sure there was more comment originally - but some of it seems to have got lost. Your finished skeins are absolutely beautiful. I'd be thinking along the lines of an Arran knit jumper. No-o-o-o-o-o! Not the niddy-noddy. I like your niddy-noddy. Long live the chaos goblin's home-made niddy-noddy. It works and it's perfect for you.

[@MijnWolden]

For the spreadsheet I count singles plus plied result, for my index cards just the plied result :)

[@buzzy.bee.crafts]

Ooh thank you for sharing our spinning! What a lovely surprise

[@MijnWolden]

I only asked about this twice this ast week in the discord :D

[@buzzy.bee.crafts]

@@MijnWolden oh, to have a brain and memory that works 😂 so many pleasant surprised that I already knew about