Single topic issues
Single topic issues allow us to deeply explore a spinning topic from every angle. Collecting issues of PLY is like building your own comprehensive spinning library that you’ll refer to often.
Beginner to Advanced
We don’t just cover the basics, we explore and experiment. Whether you need to build skills and be inspired or advance the skills you have and step out of your comfort zone, PLY is for you.
Look and Feel
PLY is an indie magazine that looks and feels different than other magazines. With 121-128 archival-quality pages and only 15% ads, you get more information and gorgeous photography.
In the Current Issue
Summer 2025: The Tension Issue
Tension might seem like something we want to avoid, but we use tension all the time when we spin, from our wheel systems to how we manage the yarns we create. The Tension issue will help you remove tension in your body and head by explaining and exploring all the ways tension is useful when you are spinning.
- What material should you use for your drive band and your brake band?
- How do you know when you might want to increase the take-up or decrease the take-up when creating a specific yarn?
- How does adjusting the tension and angle while plying affect the yarn and how can you use that to create different textured and art yarns?
- How do you make sure your tension is right when using various long draw techniques?
You’ll find some answers to these questions and more inside these pages. For projects, we have a gorgeous cowl created by linking chains together, socks using opposing-ply yarn, and a crochet scarf from a fine laceweight yarn. You’ll also find specific hand exercises you can perform daily to help with keeping your hands flexible and injury-free as well as suggestions for using spinning as a meditation to help reduce mental stress. This is an issue you don’t want to miss!
In the Blog
Third Thursdays Guild Tip
Time to ramp up for tonight’s PLY Spinners Guild Third Thursday foundational spin-in! We’d like to take a moment to feature some tips from one of our wonderful PLY Guild spin-in leaders, Donita Westman. The old saying is that “practice makes perfect”; over twenty years ago, my music education mentor challenged me to consider if […]
Don’t miss out on everything happening with PLY!
What our Subscribers are Saying
This is the only magazine that I use and keep like a book. When it arrives, I drop everything and read PLY cover to cover. I indulge in all of the well-written content, beautiful photography, as well as the pertinent topics, discussions, instruction, patterns, tips, thought-provoking articles and product reviews. I look carefully at all of the ads as well for new tools and fiber sources! As a spinner and fiber artist, PLY is an invaluable resource that I refer back to often when dreaming up new projects. Thank you PLY for playing a vital role in my fiber arts journey!
I look forward to receiving my issue of PLY each quarter. I spend the next few weeks poring over every article and project and review. I then shelve the issue right next to my fibre reference books. I have gone back to past issues many times. This magazine is so very inspiring. Not only is there a great deal of information from many different spinners there is also a general spirit of enthusiasm and curiosity that is evident in this magazine. The contributors try so many different approaches and it really opens my eyes to all kinds of possibilities that I want to work on myself. I don’t subscribe to any other publications. I’ve never come across another magazine that is so consistently worth every penny.
PLY magazine has filled a void in the magazine publishing world. Many of the magazines have gone to less in-depth articles or in some cases, no articles; just patterns. I enjoy a magazine that I actually have to take time to read and that makes me want to pull out fiber and try some of the techniques. There is enough information and pictures in the articles that that is possible. It also doesn’t seem like a rehash of the same information presented in a different format. The limited advertising space is also a big plus. Keep up the good work. I look forward to each issue.
PLY Magazine is hands down the best money I spend on my spinning every year. I get so excited about every topic covered and the quality of the articles is not to be beat! But the best compliment I can give it is actually not mine at all. I recently had some houseguests (friends of my partner) staying in the house. While hanging out in the living room one morning, one of these fellows picked up the Cotton issue of PLY, which was hanging out on the coffee table. A non-spinner, I was surprised to see him reading the whole issue, cover to cover, and ask me questions. Fiber craft is not something he’s into, but he got so engrossed in the magazine topic that he asked if I could show him how a spindle worked. I was so happy to see that not only is it a beautiful coffee table magazine, but it does the same thing to non-spinners as it does to me – makes them excited about things they didn’t think they liked!
