Table of Contents - Start Spinning

Why Spin?

Start with Wool: The world is full of exciting, exotic fibers from lustrous, smooth silk to soft, buttery cashmere. Plants give us sturdy linen and fine cotton, and don’t forget soy, bamboo, and corn fibers. All these fibers make beautiful, useful yarns, but wool is the easiest fiber to spin and the best one to learn with.

Things to Know Before you Spin: With fiber in hand, you’re probably eager to start spinning right away. Before you start twisting your fiber into yarn, learn a few techniques and ideas that will help you understand the processes better.

Spinning Yarn on a Spindle: Want to get in touch with the past? Learn to spin on a spindle.

Spinning Wheels 101: While some spinners are completely satisfied with the spindle’s beauty and portability, the speed and flexibility of the spinning wheel can’t be beat.

Getting Acquainted with Your Wheel: Take some time to make friends with your wheel before you start to spin. Set aside time when you won’t be interrupted, put on some good music, and take a good look at your wheel.

Spinning Yarn on a Wheel: When you’re comfortable with treadling your wheel and adjusting the tension, you’re ready to start making yarn!

Plying: You might wonder why anyone in her right mind would ply her yarn. The most important reason to ply is to create balanced yarn. A balanced yarn knits up with ease and produces a lovely smooth fabric; the same is true with weaving.

Finishing Yarn: So after all that drafting, spinning, winding, and plying, your yarn must be finished, right? Well…not quite.

Know Your Spun Yarn: When you first begin spinning, turning a rolag into yarn without breaking feels like a huge accomplishment. As you practice, however, you develop higher expectations.

Drafting in Depth: How fibers are prepared, and how twist enters those fibers, affects how your yarn looks and behaves.

Using Your Handspun Yarn: I really can’t say enough about the pleasure of using your handspun. First you have the enjoyment of creating the yarn and then the satisfaction of turning it into fabric.

Appendices
From Sheep to Spinning
Spinning Wheel Maintenance

Glossary

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Index

Handspun yarn: You can make amazing yarn if you just relax and let the fibers flow.

Plying: Hold all three plies in your front hand so they twist together at the same point. To make a beautifully plied yarn, you have to be consistent when you are plying.

Weaving: If you are spinning to weave, knowing the wraps per inch will help you choose a sett for your yarn.

Garter Stitch Scarf: This garter stitch scarf, knitted lengthwise, shows off several handspun yarns.