Tour de Fleece is an annual event for hand spinners that coincides with the Tour de France, the famous multi-stage bicycle race. During Tour de Fleece, spinners challenge themselves to spin yarn each day that the cyclists are riding, often setting personal goals to achieve by the end of the race. The idea is to focus on spinning, learn new skills, and enjoy the community of others who share the passion for handspinning and the fibre arts. Spinners often join teams, share their progress online, and encourage one another, mirroring the community aspect of the cycling event it runs alongside.
If this is your first time hearing about Tour de Fleece, here’s what it’s all about:
- The Tour de Fleece (TdF) runs alongside the Tour de France. Spinners spin along the same dates as the cyclists of the Tour de France.
- On Ravelry or other fibre websites, you may see teams that set goals, offer prizes, and post results at the end of the race.
- Some spinners also continue the spinning fun as part of Tour de Fleece Femmes (TdFF) which takes place during the Tour de France Femmes. This starts at the end of Tour de France.
Hand-Dyed Spinning Fibres
To help you get ready for all of the spinning fun, we have a spinning fibre you can explore:
The 2026 TdF Limited Colourway: Wild Thistle
This colourway marks the first stop on a journey years in the making. This July (during Tour de Fleece), Felicia and her family set off on a month-long train trip through Europe, beginning in Edinburgh, Scotland — a multi-generational adventure celebrating two milestone birthdays and a milestone wedding anniversary. “Wild Thistle” captures that opening chapter.
The Spear Thistle blooms across the Highlands, Lowlands, and islands of Scotland from July through October. Spiky and prickly, crowned with brilliant plum-purple flowers, it’s Scotland’s national flower — a symbol of strength, resilience, vigilance, and pride.
These hand-dyed braids carry that landscape into fibre: delicate blues and greens, punctuated by a bright pop of purple.
This colourway is available on our BFL+Silk and Corriedale bases. Find the colourway here»
The True North Collection
The True North Collection is a brand new collection of spinning fibre colourways inspired by childhood memories and favourite places coast-to-coast across Canada. From the gorgeous water and mountain views at Cleveland Park in North Vancouver to the family road trips to see autumn leaves near Muskoka in Ontario, we love where we live, and we’re celebrating this through colour.
Our Classic Collection
We offer 14 classic colourways dyed over five different fibre bases: BFL+Silk, Corriedale, Polwarth+Silk, Targhee, and our Trifecta fibre base. Explore a new-to-you fibre base or colourway this TdF! Find a selection of all our fibres and colourways here »
Limited-Time Discount
Each year, we have a Tour de Fleece fibre sale for the month leading up to the Spin-Along. Get 15% our single braids of hand-dyed spinning fibre. This includes the limited Wild Thistle colourway! Discount valid until June 30, 2026. Find our fibre sale here »
Spin with SweetGeorgia for Tour de Fleece
Choose your own spinning goals for the duration of the Tour de Fleece. These goals can vary widely depending on your skill level, time availability, and personal aspirations. Some spinners may aim to spin a certain amount of yardage, others might focus on mastering a new spinning technique, and some might simply commit to spinning a few minutes every day of the Tour.
For our 2024 Tour de Fleece, Felicia spoke about spinning a new-to-her wool fibre, Charollais. Perhaps consider spinning a new fibre this year.
We love the idea of spinning every day but prefer to keep it pressure-free. As in past years, we’re an unofficial group. We don’t post goals or give out prizes. Instead, we encourage each other to spend a little time spinning every day for most of July. The heart of Tour de Fleece has always been about the love of spinning. We focus on having fun, loving the fibre arts, and enjoying the company of our community.
Tour de Fleece Dates
Just like the cyclists, we have challenge days and rest days. On challenge days, set something up for yourself, like trying a new technique or spinning a new-to-you fibre—it’s up to you! And after each challenge day, there will be a day to rest.
For 2026, the Tour de France starts on Saturday, July 4 and runs until Sunday, July 26.
- Challenge Days: July 12 and 19.
- Rest Days: July 13 and 20.
We have a few places you can share your progress: at the new SweetGeorgia + Co space, in the School of SweetGeorgia Community Forums (for SOS All-Access members), or share with us at our SweetGeorgia Ravelry group.
Throughout the event, spinners also share their progress, challenges, and successes on Instagram and Ravelry using hashtags like #TourdeFleece, #TdF2026, or #TdFF2026.
Tour de Fleece Femmes Dates
Keep up with your spinning habits and continue the handspun journey during the women’s Tour de France Femmes race. For anyone interested in taking part in this challenge, the Tour de France Femmes starts on Saturday, August 1 and runs until Sunday, August 9.
Tour de Fleece Online Meetups
We will have a few online meetups planned for our SweetGeorgia + Co and School of SweetGeorgia members where spinners can gather to chat, connect, and share their Tour de Fleece progress.
- July 6, Monday Crafternoon: Open to members of the School of SweetGeorgia, bring any craft you are working on and chat. Great way to start your TdF spinning!
- July 8, Multicraftual Meeting: Open to the entire SweetGeorgia + Co Community, bring any craft you are working on and connect. Keep the momentum going!
- July 13, SOS Weaving Meetup: This is a rest day. No spinning required. Take the day off to chat with fellow SOS Members about spin-to-weave projects!
- July 20th, Monday Crafternoon: This is the second rest day. Take this time to connect with SOS Members to chat about how you will use your handspun yarn!
- July 27, SOS Fibre Prep Meetup: The TdF is officially over. Share with other SOS Members what you spun and let us know if you plan to spin for Tour de Femme!
You can also find further information about Tour de Fleece and the groups participating at Ravelry.
If you are new to spinning or looking to refresh your skills, we offer many courses through the School of SweetGeorgia. Also, check out our Spinning page for many free articles with tips and tricks!
If you are active on social media, please tag us with @sweetgeorgia and @schoolofsweetgeorgia. Also, use the hashtags #sweetgeorgiayarns, #sosspinning, #schoolofsweetgeorgia, and #tourdefleece2026. We love being inspired by your photos, sharing in your wins, and encouraging you through your challenges.
Gather your fibre and plan your Tour de Fleece goals — we look forward to spinning together again soon!
