When you discover a new dyer with irresistible braids, do you grab a fresh bobbin and start spinning right away, or do you spend a lot of time with that braid to figure out how you’ll combine and recombine the colors to get exactly what you want?
Indie dyers spend so much time and thought coming up with color combinations that it can feel rude to tear apart and recombine their creations. But as someone who used to make and sell hand-dyed braids myself, I can say with all honesty that dyers are happiest when we see spinners using and enjoying our dyed braids—no matter which path you choose!
Still, deciding to open up a braid and start spinning is one thing, and deciding how to do it is another matter entirely!
Luckily, in her 12 Ways to Spin Handpainted Top, Jillian Moreno walks you through some of the obvious and not-so-obvious ways to spin handpainted top.
Four Ways to Keep the Sequence
If you love the braid just as it is, Jillian offers four different ways to keep the sequence of your braid, plus a life-changing tip to make the colors line up perfectly, every time—it’s easier than you think!
Chain-plying is a great way to keep colors in their original order, as Pamela did with this rainbow braid.
Five Ways to Change the Sequence
Once we’ve started to feel comfortable with our options, Jillian offers us five more, including the ever-popular fractal spin. But one of my favorite methods Jillian shares is to create a gradient by separating all the colors in the braid and reorganizing them. This can then be combined with any of the first four options for keeping your new sequence in order.
