Devin Helmen


Natural Dyeing Safely at Home

Devin shares safety tips for dyeing at home.

Plying Balls: How I Ply on Spindles

Learn why plying balls and spindles make a perfect match for on-the-go plying.

Get to Know Your Spinning Fiber: Sampling

Sampling a new-to-you spinning fiber provides valuable information about what your finished handspun yarn will look like. Devin shares why this extra step is worth the effort.

Bast Basics: Get to Know Flax and Hemp Fibers

Curious about spinning bast fibers, such as flax and hemp, but don’t know where to begin? Devin offers tips for getting started.

Talking Handspinning Tools

Spinners know that having the right tool for the job is a must. Can you ever have too many wheels? No way! One handspinner shares their thoughts on their growing collection.

Stash Dividends: The Creative Payoff of Collecting Fiber

I often hear people talking, half proudly and half guiltily, about their stashes of spinning fiber, but I celebrate my stash. To borrow a phrase from a global phenomenon, my stash sparks joy!

Make Space for Spinning

Devin offers tips for making space for spinning to suit any living situation, from a single spindle and a few ounces of fiber in a basket to a room filled with tools, a wheel, and fiber.

Sizing Handspun Singles for Weaving

Sizing your singles yarn will not make a weak yarn stronger, but it will prevent some of the fuzzing due to abrasion, which is inevitable in all yarns as they are being woven.

Get Mobile! 5 Tips for Spinning Yarn While You Walk

In “On-the-Go Spinning” from the Spin Off Fall 2016 issue, Devin Helmen shares his tips for spinning yarn while you walk.

In Praise of Making Handspun Yarn by the Basketful

Devin Helmen sings the praises of making handspun yarn with a purpose—or what he jokingly refers to as “chore spinning.”