'Cause There Just Ain't Enough Crazy In My Life...

After the devastating panic upon realizing I'd sold Marcel's fleece last spring, the Always Amazing Aaron talked me off the ledge by reminding me that I'd stashed away a bit of Marcel's lamb fleece two years ago.  That and he had eight ounces left in his stash which he so kindly gave back to me.  A woolly gift - if I'm careful, it's enough to make the Market Jacket. Gratitude.

It's been processed for several weeks, but I've stewed and stewed with how it needed to be spun.  I sampled a couple times and finally decided to just jump in and spin it.  Yeesh, the indecision will kill you.  I was bummed that I'd delayed so long that it was going to end up being a summer project rather than something I'd finish yet this winter, but that was okay.  

Enter an email this afternoon from Alaska Cathy, one of so many fun folks I've met through all this fiber craziness.  "Want to do the Iknitarod?"

The Iknitarod?  A winter knitting challenge following the Iditarod? I like what I'm hearing here!  My favorite musher isn't racing this year, but I don't care.  I'm a sucker for winter sports, anything winter.  I live for the Winter Olympics and something to fill in the years between?  Perfect. 

Here's where it starts to get a little crazy.  We are to cast on at the start.  Which is Saturday.  This Saturday.  As in the day after tomorrow.  My yarn isn't spun yet.  Luckily I've spun the last two Thursdays, and not feeling up to my usual work load, I threw in a Wednesday this week too.  I got two bobbins (about 10 ounces) spun today and have whittled my stack down to 16 ounces.  

That's still a herculean amount for me to spin in, at this point, mere hours.  And that's not counting plying and skeining.  And washing to set the twist.  And drying and winding into balls.  And sampling yet again to make sure I have the right gauge and needle size and know which pattern measurements I'm going to use.  ACK!!!  

However, in the spirit of the Iditarod, it will be a true challenge.  And getting all the yarn finished in time?  I'm looking at it like it's a qualifier race :-D.  I even brought my miniSpinner to the house this evening and am putting in a night run ;-).

And Miss Maisie did a great job taking care of herself for awhile this afternoon. A good lambie to have on my team :-).