When I was a new spinner, I limited myself to spinning for small projects. I have more handspun hats and scarves than any one person could ever use, and even more unused balls of yarn, all in small yardages. This limitation wasn't any sort of conscious constraint, yet somehow I always decided to move on to something new after making only a couple hundred yards of yarn with whatever was on my wheel. This pattern may have begun as a natural desire to try out many different types and preparations of fiber, but after a while I realized something more complicated was happening. On some unconscious level, I was limiting myself because I wasn't confident in my ability to produce the larger amounts of consistent yarn needed for a bigger project. I suspect this plateau may exist for many new spinners, whether consciously or unconsciously: there's a leap of faith that must take place to push out of the comfort of small projects into the more committed territory of spinning large yardages. Luckily, as Abby illustrates in her new video, there's no reason to feel daunted, and even new spinners can create yarn that's perfect for large projects. Using a sweater as an example, Abby walks through the tools, tips, and techniques necessary for preparing fiber and spinning large amounts of yarn with her typical calm and easy-to-follow teaching style. Perhaps most importantly, Abby also illustrates that a great finished product can result even from yarn that's not perfectly consistent. So if you've been holding back, have no fear! Move some of those gorgeous sweater patterns you've been eyeing off the back burner and get spinning!
Editor’s note: What better opportunity to spin for a large project than Spinzilla? You have until Friday, October 2 to sign up for the 2015 competition. Don’t wait! --Anne
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