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tips and tricks thursday

Tips And Tricks Thursday – How Do You Spin? Part 3

Nov 29th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
6 comments

Today’s Tips and Tricks Thursday post is all about spinning semi-woolen yarn.  This is another style of spinning that I am still working hard to learn.  It is defined as semi-woolen because it uses the traditional worsted prep of combed top but uses woolen style spinning techniques.  A wide variety of spinning is covered by the “semi-woolen” umbrella but some of the key points are:

  • Uses combed top for fiber prep
  • Twist enters the web or the fiber between your hands
  • Uses a forward draft

The fibers in the combed top are usually (but not always) shorter fibers such as angora rabbit, yak, camel, or a blend.  This list is not inclusive … there are tons more short fibers that are used for woolen and semi-woolen spinning.  The key determinant in defining semi-woolen spinning is that the spinner uses combed top in conjunction with a long draw to draft the fibers to produce a lovely soft and fuzzy yarn.

The drafting technique for semi-woolen is very much like that of the woolen long draw with the main exception being that the forward hand pulls the fiber gently towards the orifice, leaving the back hand in place, as opposed to the back hand doing most of the work in true woolen style.  With my experiments with semi-woolen spinning I have found it very useful to try and keep a distance of approximately 6 inches between my hands and to frequently fully release the fiber from my forward hand.   This helps to keep me from reverting to my almost instinctual short draw for worsted spinning.

Another key element of successful semi-woolen spinning is that  it tends still to be under spun and over plied.  This aids in giving the lofty and fluffy appearance and more bounce to the finished yarn than is seen in traditional worsted or semi-worsted spinning.

Recommended finishing techniques for semi-woolen yarns are to wash in hot soapy water, plunge into cold water to rinse and give the skein a good whack on the back of a chair to “fluff” the yarn, then hang to dry.

For those of you who are visual learners like me, I’ve included a short video by InspirationFibers that demonstrates the difference in technique from true worsted spinning to semi-woolen spinning and it only requires a change in the motion of the hands:

 

 

I hope that this encourages you to try something fun and new with your spinning and I’ll see you all tomorrow for FO Friday!

Tips And Tricks Thursday – How Do You Spin?

Oct 25th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
4 comments

In the previous Tips And Tricks Thursday posts, I shared some great videos by others and info on how to get you started spinning.  Starting with today’s post, I thought we would get a little bit more nitty gritty.  Did you know that there are four different types/styles of spinning?  I’m sure that there are actually more because each spinner has their own style, but MOST fall into four categories:

  • Worsted
  • Woolen
  • Semi-worsted
  • Semi-woolen

Over the next four Tips and Tricks Thursday post, we’ll be diving into these, starting today with worsted.

The definition of worsted spinning, according to Lee Juvan in her Knitty.com article “Worsted Yarns and Worsted Spinning”, is “a yarn spun from parallel fibers that have been combed (not carded) to remove shorter bits and spun with a short draw to keep the fibers in their parallel alignment.”  Another key feature of this style of spinning as noted by Judith MacKenzie in “A Spinner’s Toolbox” is that the twist doesn’t enter the web.  So as you are spinning, the twist never travels past your forward hand into the fiber.  To be really technical, the twist never enters the drafting triangle or the fiber between your hands.

I found a really lovely video demonstration of worsted spinning by ruthmacgregor on youtube, which show these principles in action:

This is my favorite way of spinning or drafting technique because it is the first way that I learned so it is the method that I am most comfortable with.  The key points to keep in mind are:

  • use combed top for your fiber preparation
  • use a short forward or backward drafting motions
  • no twist should enter the fiber between your hands

Worsted spun (not to be confused with worsted weight) yarns tend to be very smooth and dense and show off the luster of the fiber.  They are not especially stretchy or springy but they do tend to be harder wearing.  This type of spinning is ideal if your are planning to knit socks from your handspun.

For anyone who enjoys reading, especially about history and textiles, I’ve found a very interesting book available for online reading titled “Principles of Worsted Spinning” by Howard Priestman.  Written in 1906, this book explains the history of worsted spinning and the ins and outs of homespun and commercial spinning. It covers just about everything your might want to know about this type of spinning in its 354 pages.

So if this spinning method is new to you I encourage you to try it out!

 

Tips And Tricks Thursday – Wash That Yarn!

Oct 4th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
3 comments


Photo credit: Bubble bokeh – Explored #17 Aug 15 2011 by janefk – slowly catching up :) on Flickr.

 Keeping along with my tips and tricks theme for spinning, the next step in the process is to wash that finished yarn and hang it up to dry.  Why would one bother to wash their yarn, you might ask?  Well, there are lots of different reasons why you might want to give your yarn a wash so I’ve outlined a few of the most common below:

  • to remove any excess dye left over from the dying process
  • to ensure that the fiber is nice and clean
  • you may want to full (felt) your yarn (I plan to cover this in a future blog post)
  • to “set the twist” or to try to distribute twist more evenly

Now before you dive your yarn right in to hot soapy water, there are a few things that you might want to think about first.  I’ve created a short video on an easy way to prepare your new handspun for its first wash and how to avoid tangling the skein:

After you’ve prepared your skein, you’ll need to think about what soap or wool wash to use.  I use some really fantastic locally made soap to clean my wool/yarns (because I love the simple, fresh, and earth friendly ingredients used) called  Sents & Sudsability.  Don’t you love how it is a play on Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility?  Unfortunately, they don’t have a website so their amazing soap is not available outside our province but there are other soaps and wool wash options out there for you.  Soak, Eucalan, and Kookaburra are all very common wool washes, although I’ve not tried them.  You can also use a tiny bit of either your shampoo or dish detergent in you wool wash water.  Just be extra careful, if using either of the latter, not to agitate your handspun in the wash water as soap does aid in the fulling or felting process.

Now on to the washing!  There are, I’m sure, as many different ways to wash your handspun yarns as there are spinners, so I’m going to outline my process for you.

  1. Fill a large mixing bowl with tepid to moderately warm water and create some suds with my soap.  If you are using a liquid soap, you can add a dime sized amount to your bowl first before starting to fill it with water.
  2.  Place your skein(s) of yarn in the soapy water and fully immerse.  I like to use the bottom of my dish soap bottle to gently push the yarn under the water.
  3. Allow your yarn to soak for approximately 20 minutes.
  4. Remove yarn and very gently squish out the soapy water.
  5. Rinse very gently under tepid tap water.
  6. Refill the mixing bowl with just water this time (the same temp as you used initially) and soak yarn for another 20 minutes.
  7. If the wash water is clean and clear, remove yarn and prepare for drying.  If water is still tinted with any dye or looks a little grungy, repeat the rinse and soak until the water comes out clean.

To dry my yarn, I lay it on a nice, thick towel and roll it up.  Don’t twist the towel as it may damage the yarn inside but do feel free to add some extra weight (step on it!) to squeeze out excess moisture.  Unroll the towel and hang your yarn up to dry.  I have a big wooden drying rack in my kitchen for drying clothing and yarn.  If you don’t have a drying rack, you can always hang your yarn over a clothes hanger and hang it over your shower head to dry.

Some people like to tension set, or weight, their yarn when it is drying.  Personally, I choose not to as the next time the yarn gets wet or washed, it will almost always bounce right back to its natural state, tension setting or no tension setting.  Plus, I love to see the character in each skein of yarn!

I hope that this post finds you well on your way to creating tons and tons of lovely handspun yarn.  If you’ve missed any of my Tips And Tricks Thursday posts, you can find them all here.  Also, if you have any questions or requests for future Tips And Tricks Thursday post, please feel free to contact me :-)

Happy crafting everyone!

Tips And Tricks Thursday – Plying

Sep 20th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
1 comment


Photo credit: Plying with spindle and nostepinne by Woollymphotos on Flickr

Handspun singles are fun to work with and are quick and easy to spin but sometimes you might be looking for something different in your handspun yarns.  You might be looking for a more durable yarn, you might want to experiment with handpainted fiber and how it looks in two or more strands spun together, or you might just enjoy the look of a nicely plied yarn.  Whatever the reason, chances are that if you continue with your spinning you will eventually look toward learning to ply your handspun.

There are many, many resources out there for people to enjoy now so today I will list a few of my favorites:

1.  This knitty article explains my favorite way to ply on a drop spindle.  If you get tired of plying or need to scoot off to do something else, just slip the singles from your wrist over your hand and onto an empty toilet paper tube.  Your spinning won’t get tangled and it will be ready and waiting for you the next time you want to spin.

2.  Andean Plying “How To”.  This technique is worked similar to the link above but the singles are wrapped around the hand in a slightly different manner.  This page has a picture that would be great to print out and stick to your fridge for quick and easy reference.

3.  Megan LaCore demonstrates how to ply from two separate balls of singles in this video:

4.  Abby Franquemont offers more options for plying in this great article on her website, including making a two ply ball out of the singles for plying portability.

A really important note to remember when plying is that you will generally be plying in the opposite direction that you spin in.  So if your spindle is spinning clockwise when you are creating your singles, you will need to spin your spindle counter-clockwise when plying.

For those of you who really want to get jiggy with it, you can also learn to Navajo ply (also called chain ply).  This is a technique where you can take your single and turn it into a 3 ply yarn.  How cool is that!

I would recommend that you get comfortable with one of more of the above plying methods first but if you are super eager to give it a go, go for it.  It does take more coordination than the previous methods.

Simply Notable has a fantastic step-by-step photo tutorial on how to Navajo ply on a drop spindle . This would be an excellent page to print out for quick reference.

Paradise Fibers has a video demonstration for Navajo plying on a drop spindle if you would like to see the whole process in action:

And just because I’m in a silly mood today (and because I referenced it in the Navajo plying section), I’ll leave you with a little music … Getting Jiggy With It by Will Smith.

Happy spinning all!

Tips And Tricks Thursdays – Spinning On A Drop Spindle

Sep 13th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
4 comments

 

In the previous Tips and Tricks Thursday posts, I have shared links on how to create your own drop spindle for minimal (or no) cost and how to prep your fiber.  Today, I want to share with you how to get spinning.

There are numerous resources out there on the net so I won’t be able to cover them all but I will touch on a few of my favorites … ones that got me started spinning with a drop spindle and some newer videos and resources that I think are great!

1.  Spindle Spinning Instructions

This was my number one, go-to resource when I was learning how to spin.  I had this page printed out and stuck to the fridge so I could easily refer to it.

2.  Introduction to Spinning, Part 1

It wasn’t until after I started learning how to spin that I discovered the wonders of YouTube and Abby Franquemont.  In this video, Abby show us the park and draft method of spinning on a drop spindle.

You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

3.  Spinning Yarn With A Drop Spindle

The Joy Of Handspinning has a fun page dedicated to spinning on a drop spindle.  They give a general outline for the steps needed to spin in the center and along the right hand side they share step by step videos for you to follow and try along with.

4.  Drop Spindle Spinning

This is a free ebook put out by Interweave press with information and pictorial examples on how to make a drop spindle, how to get started, and how to ply your handspun using your spindle.  It is a great “get started” guide with a little info on each step of the process.

If you are looking for a bit more support as you start on your journey of handspinning, Craftsy has an interactive class that takes your through the beginning phases of learning to spin using a drop spindle. You can check out the details and sign up here.

Another great resource is Respect The Spindle by Abby Franquemont.  She teamed up with Interweave Press to produce a book and a DVD all on the wonders of drop spindling.  I wish that these were available when I was first starting out!  You can find the DVD here and the book here.  Both are also available in downloadable formats for those of you who want to get started right away.

I hope that you enjoy these spinning resources and that they help you get started on your way to creating lots and lots of amazing yarns.  Be sure to stay tuned for next week’s Tips and Trick Thursday for help on learning to ply with your drop spindle!

Tips And Tricks Thursday – Fiber Prep

Aug 30th, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
1 comment

When I was first learning how to spin, I found the size of roving and combed top hard to manage.  I learned very quickly that I had a much easier time spinning if I stripped the fiber down and also if I pre-drafted.  Those two little tricks helped me on my way to spinning smoother and more consistent yarns and made me a much happier spinner.  Once I had a bit more spin time under my belt, I experimented more and more with spinning straight from the top (no stripping and no pre-drafting) but I knew if I got into a mess or didn’t like the result of what I was creating, I could always fall back on those two wonderful little tricks.

I came across a great tutorial on YouTube that demonstrates both of these tricks really well so I thought that I would share it along with all of you.

Happy crafting everyone!

Tips And Tricks Thursday – DIYS Drop Spindles

Aug 23rd, 2012
by SandAndSkyCreations.
3 comments


Photo credit: “Second Drop Spindle Attempt” by Rees Bees on Flickr

 

I have received quite a few emails recently from people expressing interest in learning how to spin.  My suggestion is always “GO FOR IT!” and my second bit of advice is that learning to spin doesn’t have to be expensive.  A great way to learn to spin or even just see if spinning is right for you is to start out on a drop spindle.  There are a huge variety of spindles out there … just about every shape, color, and size that you can imagine … and their prices all vary.

When I started learning to spin, I used a dowel and toy wheel spindle that I bought from a lovely seller on Etsy for $5.  My spindle saw a TON of action over the next few years.

Here are some great examples of low cost DIYS spindles to help you get started on your spinning journey:

I’m planning to do a series of posts on spinning over the next while with lots of tips and tricks to help those who are interested, get started.  Be sure to stay tuned for updates!

Until next time, happy crafting all!