Spinning How-To

Finding Balance

Spin-Off — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:25:14 GMT

Spinning is a combination of art and science, philosophy and physics, intuition and logic. We’re taught to draft and join and spin, but only skill and experience can tell us how much twist is enough for a particular fiber. We learn the attributes of two-ply, three-ply, and cabled yarns but choose to do one or the other “because it feels right.” Perhaps this is why spinning is so satisfying: both halves of our brains—the intuitive, emotional side and the calculating, rational side—get a chance to shine.

Low Tech, High Satisfaction Spinning Brochure

Amy Clarke Moore — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:39:42 GMT

Free Spinning Brochures

Spin•Off magazine provides two brochures to teach you how to spin, and inform you about the techniques, tools, and terms you need to know.

Spin•Off magazine and its publisher, Interweave Press, have created these brochures for the general advancement of the spinning community. Although the information is copyrighted, Interweave Press grants you unlimited reprint permission, but the brochures cannot be sold without written permission from Interweave Press. Contact Karen Brock at kbrock@interweave.com for permissions.

Brochure Printing Instructions

The brochures are saved as Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files and you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print them.

Help with Adobe PDF Files

For the best appearance, we recommend printing these two-page files on legal-size paper (8 ½" x 14") in landscape orientation. Print one page on each side of the paper, and then fold the page in thirds to create a brochure. Your local copy shop can also create brochures for you if you provide them these files on a diskette.

The brochures can be printed on letter-size paper (8 ½" x 11") in landscape orientation. But before printing, make sure the "Shrink oversize pages to paper size" option is checked in the Print dialog box.

Click here for the pdf for Introduction to Spinning (1.7 mb)

Lo-tech, High Satisfaction (1.3 mb)

NOTE: These are high-resolution PDF files and may take more than one minute to download. If a file takes too long to download, you can use these instructions to save the file instead.

Introduction to Spinning Brochure

Spin-Off — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:13:21 GMT

Free Spinning Brochures
Spin•Off magazine provides the following two brochures to teach you how to spin, and inform you about the techniques, tools, and terms you need to know.

Spin•Off magazine and its publisher, Interweave Press, have created these brochures for the general advancement of the spinning community. Although the information is copyrighted, Interweave Press grants you unlimited reprint permission, but the brochures cannot be sold without written permission from Interweave Press.

Brochure Printing Instructions

The brochures are saved as Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files and you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print them.

Help with Adobe PDF Files

For the best appearance, we recommend printing these two-page files on legal-size paper (8 ½" x 14") in landscape orientation. Print one page on each side of the paper, and then fold the page in thirds to create a brochure. Your local copy shop can also create brochures for you if you provide them these files on a diskette.

The brochures can be printed on letter-size paper (8 ½" x 11") in landscape orientation. But before printing, make sure the "Shrink oversize pages to paper size" option is checked in the Print dialog box.

Introduction to Spinning (1.7 mb)

Click here for the Lo-tech, High Satisfaction (1.3 mb) pdf.
NOTE: These are high-resolution PDF files and may take more than one minute to download. If a file takes too long to download, you can use these instructions to save the file instead.

Saving a PDF File to Your Computer

Spin-Off — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:10:51 GMT

Saving a PDF File to Your Computer

Use the following instructions (either Windows or Macintosh) to save a PDF file to your computer's hard drive. Saving a file not only permits you to keep it for as long as you wish, but it also allows you to open the file much faster than you can in your web browser.
For Microsoft Windows users:

1. If you're currently attempting to download the file, click the stop button on your browser.

2. Right-click the link to the PDF file, and then click Save Target As on the submenu.

3. The File Download dialog box opens, and a progress bar allows you to monitor the download process.

4. After the file is downloaded, the Save As dialog box opens.

5. Specify the location on your computer where you want to save the file, and click the Save button.

6. After the file is saved, click the Close button in the File Download dialog box.

7. To open the file stored on your computer, double-click it (the Adobe Acrobat Reader will begin running automatically).

For Macintosh users:

1. If you're currently attempting to download the file, click the stop button on your browser.

2. Click and hold you mouse on the link to the PDF file, and then click the Download link to Disc in the pop-up window (if you use Netscape Navigator, the name of the pop-up window menu option is Save Link As).

3. Specify the location on your computer where you want to save the file, and click the Save button.

4. A progress bar allows you to monitor the download process.

5. After the file is saved on your computer, you can open it by double-clicking on the file (the Abode Acrobat Reader will begin running automatically).

Help with Adobe Reader Files

Spin-Off — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:05:19 GMT

Help with Adobe PDF Files

Some of the files on this website are saved as Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files. These files are identified with this icon and can be view with the FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 6.0 and higher. The file size is noted at the end of the link so you can estimate your download time.

* Most computers now come with Adobe Acrobat Reader already installed.
If necessary, you can download and install the latest version.

    * Saving Problems
          o If you click on a PDF link and nothing happens, check to see if you have a pop-up blocker enabled on your machine. (The PDF files are all set up to open in a second browser window.) Instead of clicking on the link to open it, try right-clicking on the pattern link and then choosing the "save" option. After the file has been saved to you computer, you should be able to double-click on it to open it.
          o If you are on modem or have a slow Internet connection, you may need to turn off your screen saver before saving the file so that there are no interruptions during the saving process.

Saving a PDF File to Your Computer

* Viewing Problems
o If your computer is locking up, you only see a blank white screen, or you see strange symbols instead of regular text and graphics, there may be a problem in how your computer is trying to open the PDF. Try saving the file first and then opening it up directly in Adobe Acrobat, rather than in your web browser.

Saving a PDF File to Your Computer

    * Printing Problems
          o If the file will not print, or prints slowly:
                + If the PDF was slow to download, it will probably be slow to print. You might be able to check the printer status on your computer and make sure that the file is being sent to the printer.
                + Try setting the print quality at normal or economy rather than best quality or reduce dpi to 150 rather than 300 dpi. These settings are selected in the printer setup or printer options.
                + Try closing all other programs on your computer and opening the PDF file directly in Adobe Acrobat and not in your web browser. (Read Saving a PDF File to Your Computer if you're not sure how to do this.)
                + The Adobe website offers an extensive checklist for fixing printing issues: Troubleshooting Printing Problems

Fiber Basics: Bactrian Camel

Spin-Off — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:14:59 GMT

THE FIRST TIME a box of camel fiber arrived in the mail for me, I opened the box, stuck my hand into the middle of the fiber, and thought, “This is so warm and cozy.” I couldn’t wait to spin that fiber. It was not just very nice, but special, because it came from a friend’s camels. She is a spinner and knitter and is careful to remove the fibers at the optimum time and to clean and process them well. Although there is a greater mix of fiber diameters in her raw and processed fibers than in commercially processed batts and top, the variation gives the spinner a better sense of traditionally made camel yarns and products.

Making Dreams Come True: Building a Little Great Wheel by Margaret Heathman

Spin-Off — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:20:52 GMT

For the members of the Peachtree Handspinners Guild, our dreams of owning a great wheel were fulfilled when we had a chance to build our very own Little Great Wheels in a hands-on workshop with master craftsman Gene Lurwig. We love that the Little Great Wheel fits in any room in our homes and was inexpensive to build,
and we’ve already spun skein after skein of beautiful yarns on our little wheels.

The Guild asked Gene to present a woodworking workshop for our annual Plying the Arts event. We thought he would have a small project for us—a niddy-noddy or nøstepinne, perhaps. When he asked if anyone would be interested in building a spinning wheel made from parts from the hardware store, the answer was a resounding “Yes!”

Twists Per Inch by Amanda Berka

Spin-Off — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:03:27 GMT

Twist is what holds fiber together. We use it every time we spin, and still twist perplexes us. Some (or maybe even most) of us don’t pay that much attention to the amount of twist we put into our yarn. We just spin and end up with the amount of twist we end up with. We might know we need more twist for fine wools or silk. Generally short staples need more twist than longer staples, but more is such a relative term. Fat yarns require less twist than thin yarns but how much less? The answers depend. They depend on the fiber being spun, the fiber preparation (carded or combed), the drafting method (short or long draw), and the desired result. We are tactile and feel what is right. But if we ever want to re-create our yarns or describe them to others, it’s important that we can record a yarn’s twist properties in a meaningful way.

Plying Chained Singles by Dodie Rush

Spin-Off — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:43:13 GMT

Commonly known among spinners as “Navajo-plying,” plying chained singles produces a three-ply yarn from a bobbin of singles yarn and is accomplished by “chaining” loops; each new loop is drawn through the previous loop.1 With this technique, you can create three-ply yarn from one bobbin of singles instead of three. You may be familiar with chaining a warp for weaving, creating a crochet chain, or making a chain stitch in embroidery, but you can’t make a stable yarn just chaining a strand of spun singles. The chained singles need sufficient twist in the opposite direction to balance the twist of the singles.

Plying on a Spindle by Maggie Casey

Spin-Off — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:13:05 GMT

Plying on a spindle is easy! In fact, there are many ways to do it: Andean plying, multiple spindles, center-pull ball, etc. I’ve tried them all and find that I make my best yarn when I transfer the yarn from my spindle to a storage device before plying. Small balls and clay flowerpots work well; the balls hold the yarn and the pots hold the ball. It is a trick Rita Buchanan taught at Spin.Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR) one year. You can also use weaving bobbins and a lazy kate to hold your singles, just as you would for plying on a wheel.

To transfer the yarn from my spindle, I use a shoe box with a hole punched in the side as a spindle holder. The box keeps my spindle steady so I have both hands for winding.

What are Roving, Top, and Sliver? by Abby Franquemont

Spin-Off — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:12:21 GMT

It’s common nowadays for a lot of folks in the fiber world to use the word “roving” to refer to any unspun fiber. This isn’t really accurate and doesn’t give a clear sense of what the preparation really is—and the preparation is relevant!

In most European-derived spinning traditions, yarns are categorized as worsted or woolen; worsted
yarns are tightly spun without air trapped between the fibers; they are spun from combed prep with all the fibers parallel, producing a smooth, long-wearing yarn. Woolen yarns are produced from carded prep using more hands-off techniques and resulting in a more heterogeneous fiber alignment with air trapped in the yarn. Woolen yarns are lofty; worsted yarns are dense.

How to Use a McMorran Balance by Amy Clarke Moore

Spin-Off — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:11:19 GMT

Most spinners spin yarn and use it without measuring it—and there is nothing wrong with that. But you may one day find yourself in a situation when you need to describe your yarn to someone else. Or maybe you want to make a similar yarn. It is handy to know the grist of the yarn. Wraps per inch is a good place to start—but it won’t tell you everything you need to know about your yarn.

Yards per pound (ypp) will give you a better idea of how much yarn you need to make for a given project, or how much fiber you need to start with if you want to spin yarn for a particular pattern.

Measure yards per pound by weighing your yarn and counting the yards after you’ve skeined it on a niddy-noddy. Or you can measure a length of yarn on a McMorran balance. Actually, it is a good idea to do both.

Wraps per Inch by Amanda Berka

Spin-Off — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:10:13 GMT

Regardless of how you spin or what equipment you use, wraps per inch (wpi) can be measured for most yarns. Wpi is meant to give a rough idea of yarn weight—not its physical weight but its category such as lace, fingering, bulky, and so on. This number, together with other details about your yarn, can help create a complete picture when describing a yarn to others or for your own future reference, but it is just one piece of the puzzle.

Worsted, Woolen, or Semi-something by Rudy Amann

Spin-Off — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:09:08 GMT

Do you spin worsted or woolen yarn? Don’t worry if you don’t know—many spinners do not know what type of yarn they spin. They just continue spinning the same way they did for their first successful skein of yarn.

The difference between worsted and woolen yarns comes from how the fibers are prepared for spinning, the drafting technique that is used, and how twist is allowed to enter the fibers. There is general agreement among spinners about how to spin true worsted yarns and true woolen yarns. However, most of us spin something between those two types of yarn.

Tying a 2-Yard Skein by Pat Noah

Spin-Off — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:07:54 GMT

I’m often asked, “What is the proper way to tie a skein?” It is a good question—because a properly tied skein helps avoid tangles and frustration when you process the yarn to set the twist.

After you have spun and plied your singles, you need to take your yarn off the bobbin or spindle and make it into a skein. A niddy-noddy simplifies
skein-making. Niddy-noddies are designed to produce different sizes of skeins—the most common size makes a 2-yard skein.