Advent Calendar 2022 Day 4

I don't think I'd call this a luxury fibre but here in the UK it is definitely a different blend to what is normally available and is probably more likely to be available to spinners in Scandinavian countries from suppliers in their own countries.  Will make for an interesting spin.  It is called Lapland and is a blend of Finnish Landrace, Icelandic, Norwegian and Scandinavian Mountain in equal amounts (25% of each).  I don't mind humbug kind of blends.

Tour de France/Tour de Fleece 2022 Stage 3 - Vejle to Sønderborg (Denmark)

Stage 3 of the Tour de France and it is a 182km long flat race that starts in Vejle, in the south east of the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark and ends in Sønderborg in Southern Denmark.

The Map

Sights and points of interest along the route

Vejle Windmill built in 1847 can be seen from a great distance.  It was a functioning mill until 1960.

St Nicholai Church built in the 13th century. One of the best conserved Iron Age bog bodies, that of the Haraldskær Woman, is on display in a glass-covered sarcophagus.  The exterior brick wall of the north transept has 23 spherical indentations, each approximately 6 inch in diameter, which hold the skulls of 23 robbers who were caught and beheaded in the nearby Nørreskov forest.

St Nicholai Church

Jelling, an old town dating to the Viking Age and home to the Jelling Stones. It was originally a Pagan site, but was later enlarged and converted into a large-scale Christian site.  There are two large burial mounds and beneath the mounds is a large stone ship dating back to the end of the 9th century  

Jelling Monument Site

Lake Farup, one of the deepest lakes in the region.  Kolding, its medieval castle was built in the 13th century by the King of Denmark. In the 16th century it lost its defensive importance and was turned into a royal residence.  It now houses a museum.  Then there is Christiansfeld, Christinero Park, Haderslev Cathedral, the town of Aabenraa and Brundlund Castle built in 1411 by Queen Margareth I, being fully restored in 1985 before becoming an art museum in 1998.

Brundlund Castle

The town of Graasten famous for the apple variety Gravenstein, the German name for the town and Graasten Castle was built in 1603 and in 1935 became the summer residence of the Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Ingrid, who late became King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid.  The castle is the used for the official photo shoot of the royal family in summer.

Graasten Castle

The race finishes at Sønderborg in the South of Denmark.  Sønderborg Castle was built in 1158 during the reign of Valdemar the Great the castle has been extended and transformed over the years and was used as a barracks and prison until the 1960's and 1970's.  There is a castle chapel, dedicated to Queen Dorothea, which is one of the oldest and best preserved Lutheran chapels.  

Sønderborg Castle

Who Won the Stage and Who Won What Jersey

The Stage winner is Dylan Groenewegen for Team Bikeexchange-Jayco/Aus

The Yellow Jersey won by Wout van Aert for Jumbo-Visma.

The Green Jersey won by Wout van Aert for Jumbo-Visma.

The Polka Dot Jersey won by Magnus Cort Nielsen for EF Education-Easypost/USA.

The White Jersey won by Tadej Pogacar for UAE Team Emirates.

Combatif Award won by Magnus Cort Nielsen for EF Education-Easypost/USA.

Leading team: Jumbo-Visma

The Challenge: Sønderborg is where we start off today.  This coastal town is bisected by the Als Strait, making it an important location for shipping and industry.  In fact, the oldest boat found in the area is the Nydam Boat which has been dated to 320CE - that is 1700 years ago (if our maths is right)!  A newer addition to Sønderborg's history is Niels Christiansen, the CEO of Lego.  Lego has always encouraged creativity and we're pretty fond of all things creative too.

Spin something you wouldn't normally spin with.  We're not talking a different type of wool here; we're talking a different thing.  Could it be grass?  Fabric?  Strawberry laces?  If you're going to go full-creative and start working with foodstuff we'd recommend not using your wheel or spindle...  maybe just a little twist by hand!  We'd love to see pictures of the result, too!

What I did

Erm, yeah, I'm not doing this challenge either so what I decided to do was to spin the rest of the Stricken Scandinavian Mountain wool from yesterday.  The term Stricken refers to the unique colouring where the white colour base wool has black/brown fibres running through it.  This creates a textured cream colour.  It's quite a scratchy yarn so I'm not sure what I will eventually make with this one.

So, 100g spun to sport weight gives me 252m of finished yarn, which in terms of the TdF length calculations is 756m - 2 singles plus the plied length = 3 x finished yarn length.

Tour de France/Tour de Fleece 2022 Stage 2 - Roskilde to Nyborg (Denmark)

Stage 2 of the Tour de France and it is a 199km long flat race that starts in Roskilde, a municipality in the Sjaelland island region of Denmark.  

The Map

Sights and points of interest along the route

Roskilde Cathedral, a 12th century red brick gothic style Cathedral with 21 kings and 19 queens of Denmark buried in the Cathedral and its Chapels.  

Roskilde Cathedral

Town of  Lejre, then the palatial mansion of Ledreborg, Gammel Lejre; the Land of Legends Historical and Archaeological Experimental Centre and a museum that tells the stories and myths of Denmarks oldest Royal Family. Holbæk, tis the sunniest city in Denmark and has its own microclimate and Oro Island can be reached by ferry.  Dragsholm Castle originally built in 1215 was used as a prison in the 16th and 17th centuries but is now a luxury hotel and restaurant. Reputated to being the most haunted in Denmark with the ghosts of a white lady, a grey lady and Lord Bothwell, the Prince Consort of Scotland, the third and final husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, who ended his life in captivity in the prison on 14th April 1578.

Dragsholm Castle

The ruins of Esbern Snare Castle built in 1170. The Lutheran Church of Our Lady of Kalundborg was built in the 13th century of red brick and the shape is unique to Denmark with a central tower surrounded by four smaller towers.  

Church of Our Lady of Kalundborg

At 160km along the route is Slagelse which dates back to the Vikings and was a Pagan site. Hans Christian Anderson went to a Latin school in Slagelse in the 1820's.

Trelleborg

Korsor, a port town on the main island of Seeland and south of the Great Belt Bridge.  

Korsor, with the Great Belt Link in the distance

The Great Belt Link links the main island, Seeland, Built in sections; the East Bridge links Seeland to the islet of Sprogo and is a suspension bridge, the East Tunnel is underwater and the West Bridge links Sprogo Island to Funen and is a combined road-rail bridge.  

Nyborg Castle was built around 1170 was restored 1917-1923 and became a museum (Nyborg Slot).

Nyborg Slot

Who Won the Stage and Who Won What Jersey

The Stage winner is Fabio Jakobsen for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl.

The Yellow Jersey won by Wout van Aert for Jumbo-Visma.

The Green Jersey won by Wout van Aert for Jumbo-Visma.

The Polka Dot Jersey won by Magnus Cort Nielsen for EF Education-Easypost/USA.

The White Jersey won by Tadej Pogacar for UAE Team Emirates.

Combatif Award won by Sven Erik Bystrøm for Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux/BEL

Leading team: Jumbo-Visma

The Challenge: Roskilde is the starting point of today's stage.  Formerly the Danish capital its cathedral is a huge pull for tourists and is a UNESCO heritage site.  For those looking for something a bit more rock-n-roll it has held a rock festival since 1971 with some of the biggest names headlining.

The riders have got a flat ride today through to Nyborg so we've gone for something nice and easy.  Your challenge is to spin a natural-coloured fibre of Scandinavian origin.

Suggested Fibre:  Let's go all in with Scandinavian Mountain Wool

What I did

Well it just so happens that that is one of the fibres that was on the pre-informed list of fibres that we might need and I just so happened to buy it as I hadn't got anything suitable that isn't earmarked for something else.

I only managed to spin half of it today, so 50g of single spun.