Spin Big & Lofty Yarns with Maggie Casey

When we first start spinning, our clumsy fingers aren’t yet sure where to draft our fibers, or how much fiber to draft. We often end up with thick, overspun yarn. As we progress and learn new skills, many of us—myself included—start to draft finer and finer, until a think yarn becomes our default. This is all well and good—plying up to meet the desired thickness is a valid strategy—but many of us find we want a big, thick, lofty yarn and don’t know how to get there.

Why Spin Big & Lofty?

Big and lofty yarns are bold and fun. They’re quick to spin, and fast to knit, crochet and weave. Best of all, because they’re lightweight, big and lofty yarns use less fiber than dense, ropy yarns of a similar thickness. All that lofty fiber will trap air to keep you warm without making a garment that’s too heavy. Big and lofty yarns also have lots of elasticity, both from the fibers and the spinning method. Many knitters find these springy yarns easier to work with, plus they have great memory for helping your garment keep its shape. What’s not to love?

In Maggie Casey’s course, Big and Lofty Yarns, you’ll learn how to maximize the airiness of your yarns while spinning for bulk. I think of this as quick-win spinning—it would take me forever to spin my default singles to ply up to a thicker yarn for that chunky-knit sweater. But with Maggie’s techniques, a quick project and fun project is within reach. If you want to spin yarns that knit up quickly and don’t drag you down, this is the course for you! Read on to discover more tips for spinning thick, lofty yarns.

My plyback sample for my default woolen-spun yarn sits around 18–20 wraps per inch, while the big and lofty plyback is an amazing 4–6 wraps per inch!