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Gradient In Motion: My Tour De Fleece 2025 Spinning Project
- Sönna Schuttner
- Aug 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 1
Spinning and plying this magical fading project offered so much joy (and a few lessons) this Tour De Fleece.
Tour de Fleece 2025 has wrapped up alongside the peloton in France, and here in my corner of the desert, I’ve finished spinning and plying a stunning six-ounce gradient of BFL — all by drop spindle — and I’m thrilled to share the results. Whether you're a fellow spinner, a curious knitter, or simply wool-wanderlusting, this wrap-up covers what I spun, what I learned, and what’s next on my bobbin. This Tour de Fleece spinning project has been the most joyful fiber surprise of my summer.
This project-based witch crafting journal from my real life as a fiber artist, knitter, and seasonal maker. I write these posts myself — no AI ghostwriting, no ads — just spinning, stitching, and stories from the Wool & Wyrd side of life. If this post makes you want to pick up your spindle (or dust one off), leave a comment or share it with a friend — your support matters more than you know.
Jump to:
What is Tour De Fleece?
Spinners spin while the cyclists cycle. That’s it. And it’s delightful.
If you’ve never heard of Tour de Fleece (TdF), here’s the gist: it’s a global spin-along that runs concurrently with the Tour de France. While cyclists race up mountains and sprint through towns, spinners around the world set their own fiber goals and celebrate progress in community.
This was my first time participating. I didn’t follow the bike race (not even once 🤣), but I loved the idea of spinning every day for 21 days. Some hard core spinners plan to spin gently on “flat” days, push themselves on the cyclists’ tough climbs, and rest when they rested. That rhythm gives shape to the days and creates a sense of togetherness as participants unite their efforts levels. My plan was a tad more laid back. I actually just wanted to spin a little very day and (hopefully) make it through that lovely gradient. I know me and my tendency to self impose schedules and deadlines (hello neurotic fix to adhd imposed anxiety) so I chose to make being gentle with myself part of my goal.
My Fiber & Spinning Setup
6 oz of hand-dyed BFL, one dreamy fade, and a deep commitment to the drop spindle
My Tour de Fleece spinning project began with a six-ounce fade of Bluefaced Leicester wool (you say that wacky Old English word like "Lester" and might see the abbreviation BFL). It was dyed by Fossil Fibers. Each mini braid was part of a circular gradient: soft cloud-creams and pinks giving way to lavenders, and moody blues before traveling through the fiery colors. I brought the first braid with me on a beach trip to Bellingham and got started right there on the sand.
I decided to spin and ply the entire gradient on my drop spindle — and I stuck to that plan! Each ounce became a meditation. By the end, I had a spindle-spun fade I adored, with a light sport/fingering weight and the most satisfying color transitions.
After the gradient was complete, I transitioned to my spinning wheel to begin a braid of BFL from Koomasi. It was the perfect shift in pace: faster, but still grounded in the rhythm I’d cultivated over the previous weeks. I included some pictures of this project below but you can jump to it if you NEED to see.
The Pivot: Playing With a Circular Gradient
Long color changes? Short fades? Neighborly plying? Here's what happened.
A few days into the spin, I had an aha moment: this was a circular fade — not just a left-to-right gradient. If I plyed each braid with its neighbor, I could create shorter color shifts and a seamless flow from one shade to the next.
But I had an issue: I’d already spun the first braid with long color repeats by not braking it up before I spun it. Could I change the plan now?
Cue the group poll.
I brought the dilemma to social media and Discord — and ultimately made the pivot thanks to so much lovely feedback and lots of ideas about how to encourage a flow in color. I chose to embrace the neighborly plying and let the first braid stand as a one-off. That choice changed everything. The gradient came alive with nuance and movement. I loved watching the subtle transitions unfold as I spun and I cannot wait to see how they knit up together!!!
Sometimes you spin for the yarn you imagine. Sometimes you spin for the yarn that wants to be.
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Community: Spinning Together on Discord
The joy of daily progress, mutual encouragement, and crafty celebration
What made this project especially magical was spinning in community. And honestly, that magic really is the foundation of Tour De Fleece and why it continues to spin on each year. We shared daily progress — from awkward spindle videos to “look what I learned” rambles — in the Tangled Makers Discord, where folks were working on all kinds of creative projects. We posted updates, encouraged each other, and celebrated the soft, quiet wins of just showing up to our craft.
Annalisa was working on a combo spin of Desert Panda Fiber Arts and The Frosted Stitch that might one day become a Weekender Light Sweater! If you want to keep being super duper inspired by her creative journey, follow her on BlueSky @TravelingLawMom.
Along with about a million yards of other projects, Mieke, spun a rainbow (and y'all know how I feel about rainbows!!!) It was so fun to follow along as she added each new color! It came out to about 240m and weighs around 250g. You can find Mieke under the name pandameisje on Instagram, and be prepared for some serious guinea pig cuteness along with your fiber inspo!
Andrée was also a powerhouse, used a mix of spindle and wheel and spun a whole pile of pretty while also casting on a hand spun brioche knitting project! Their fiber path is journaled through video over on youtube @OsteoKnits and you can find them on Insta with the same handle if you want a dose of beautifully photographed knitting and spinning projects!
If you’d like to join us, you’re always welcome:
What I Learned Along the Way
Spindle satisfaction, plying ball myths, and the magic of changing your mind
Some takeaways from this sweet, spindle-driven adventure:
Drop spindle spinning is slow, but deeply rewarding. Every yard feels earned in the best way.
Plying balls aren’t the enemy. I used to be anti-plying-ball, but this project taught me that winding singles tightly helps keep tension even and tangles at bay. A properly wound plying ball is a game-changer.
Changing plans can be generative. That circular gradient would never have happened if I’d stuck to the original method. Letting go of the “shoulds” opened the door to something better.
Final Yardage & Future Plans
A full heart, a finished gradient, and more spinning to come
By the end of the Tour, I had:
6 oz of spindle-spun BFL, plyed into a soft, shimmering gradient over 12 mini skeins of 2 ply yarn
A few good lessons learned
About 1/2 an ounce of BFL from Koomasi started on my wheel on my wheel — I split into skinny strips and chain-plied to (hopefully) create self-striping sock yarn and I promise to report back! 💛
I’m tempted to spin up a neutral or undyed batch of BFL to pair with the gradient and knit a sweater yoke with the mini skeins — something circular, to echo the fade itself.
The hardest part of this whole undertaking? Photographing the final skeins! The colors shift so delicately that either the darks vanish or the lights get blown out. So to all the dyers who can capture their yarns perfectly on camera — I see you, and I’m in awe.
The Final Thread
Tour de Fleece 2025 didn’t end with champagne in Paris, but with skeins drying on my porch and my heart full of wool and wonder.
Thank you for cheering me on — in comments, messages, and threads. Spinning in community has made this project one I’ll treasure, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.
Did you spin for TdF 2025? Already spinning something new? Share a photo in the comments!
💛 Sönna
Did you spin for TdF 2025? Already spinning something new? Share a photo in the comments!
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I loved seeing your progress spins in discord and the gradient turned out lovely! Your explanation of the circular gradient helped me plan my own spins for TDF too!