Luckily, I worked in an office surrounded by spinners who could easily answer my questions and help me when things went wrong (in that case, I had completely thrown off my wheel's tension). What I didn't realize at the time is that there's so much more to successful spinning than just understanding how to add twist to fiber. What I really needed was to take the time to get to know my wheel and how it works, and to understand that my relationship with my wheel is crucial to producing good yarn. For those who find themselves in a similar situation to mine, there's help! Enter Abby Franquemont's new video The New Spinner's Guide to Troubleshooting Your Yarn. I've had the good fortune to meet Abby and I'm so glad she made this video. She's warm, funny, and boy does she know her stuff. If this video had existed when I was first learning to spin, it would have saved my coworkers so many hours of lunchtime help sessions. Among other things, you'll find:
There's so much more beyond that, including a wealth of simple tips and tricks sprinkled into the main lessons. (Need an orifice hook in a pinch? Just grab a paperclip!) If you're a beginning spinner and you're ready for a deeper and more satisfying relationship with your wheel and your yarn, I highly recommend checking out this video. --Stefanie
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