PLY Registration Rocked!

As the clocks clicked over to 10:00, everything went live. I was nervous that I was throwing a party that nobody would come to (highschool was a tough time for everyone, right?) but at 10:01 we had 2 orders! The guides worked! Those first 2 spinners went through there like the wind! Or like somebody posted […]

PLY Away Winners and Registration

It’s coming!  Registration for the first annual PLY Away is only a few short days away (Wednesday, Nov 11th at 10 am, CST).  We’ve made a few guides to help you choose and to get you ready for the registration process, they’re here !  I think they’re really helpful so take a look if your plans […]

A Little More About Consistency

Last month I talked about consistency and gave you a couple of my favorite tips but I left out the one thing I do at the start of every project. I make a sample card. I know that lots of people love those spinner’s control cards with the diffeerent line thicknesses to compare your yarn […]

Castles and Graffiti

By now most of you have received the Autumn 2015 Texture issue of PLY Magazine. This is my favorite issue so far! It is full of unique and inspiring techniques and projects, but I’m here to tell you more about the fantastic location for the shoot and one of the photos in the issue. The […]

Taking my lumps and seeking advice

For the most part I can take critique. I can. In my 20s I was terrible at taking it but somewhere in my 30s I gained an appreciation for good critique — people telling me things that could make whatever it is I’m doing, better. For many people, and for me up until recently, critique […]

Consistency

I love a smooth, consistent yarn. I do. I love how that kind of yarn feels and drapes. I love to spin them too. I love the rhythm of it. I’ve spent almost my entire spinning career working toward getting my yarns to be more consistent and learning what helps to make that happen. The […]

Where Does Spinning Lead You?

I was so excited to interview Diane Varney for this new issue of PLY. Her book, Spinning Designer Yarns, has been such an inspiration to so many spinners. I was excited to hear what inspired her and to find out what she was spinning now. Except she’s not spinning now, not at all. She spun […]

Proper Chairs

Don’t ask me about what chair to sit in when you spin. Don’t ask me about posture. I got nuthin’. I will say that when you are learning to spin it is important to sit in a chair that is a height that allows you to reach the treadles. I think one with a back […]

Thin? It’s All Relative

Our latest issue of PLY is all about spinning thin yarn. When I think about thin yarn I think about that finer-than-fine yarn, that’s really thread, some spinners can spin. I say some spinners because so far I’m not one of them.   As I read through this issue I realized that thin is relative. […]