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Spinzilla Prep: It Took Me By Surprise

Spinzilla is just one week away - gulp! Between a very busy month for work and the unexpected week-long trip to KC earlier this month, I find that I am feeling quite unprepared for a week of spinning. This past weekend, I did at least find some time to dig through my fiber stash and make some plans.

I've heard that Spinzilla is a great time to spin a sweater's worth of yarn, something I have never attempted, but I have been working off and on (mostly off) to spin through a large quantity of Louet Light Gray Swalesdale fiber with that purpose in mind. I've got about 2 pounds to go, and have been saving it for Spinzilla.

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While I love natural colored fiber, I sometimes get bored spinning with it, so I raided my stash to see what else I could spin to keep things interesting. I pulled out a half pound of Louet Dyed Merino in Brick, A braid of Nerd Girl Yarns Panda Blend Fiber in Parrotfish, and two BFL braids from Cloudlover in the Ginkgo colorway. For me,  getting through all of these fibers along with the two pounds of Swalesdale above is ambitious at best since I have to work during the day, but I'll certainly give it a shot. 

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Earlier this month, I had the foresight to invest in a rolling cart where I can keep all of my spinning supplies - fiber, extra bobbins, my spinning notebook, niddy noddy, yarn meter, and even a glass of beer! I bought it during World Market's Labor Day sale, and I'm so glad I did; since I'll most likely have both spinning wheels going concurrently, I can roll it back and forth and always have what I need within arm's reach.

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I'm also feeling mighty glad that I purchased this spinning wheel basket for my Ladybug when I was at Convergence in August, because now I never have to waste time searching for my orifice hook, oil or WPI gauge - they are all safely stowed right there!

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I'll probably start predrafting the dyed fibers next weekend so that they're ready to grab & go once Spinzilla kicks off - some of them have been in my stash for a few years now and are probably pretty compacted. If I am feeling particularly ambitious, I may even whip up some rolags with my blending board - something I intended to do for this year's event, but haven't been able to find the time to do just yet.

How are you prepping for Spinzilla?

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  1. Bukan SayaOctober 13, 2016 at 6:16 AM

    Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me. Susu Besar Tante Jessica Sungguh Menggoda

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