Third Thursdays Guild Tip

Time to ramp up for tonight’s PLY Spinners Guild Third Thursday foundational spin-in!   

Here’s a tip to tide you over until the spin-in starts!  This is something I’ve observed time and again during my years of teaching spinners. 

When we first begin spinning with a short forward draw, many of us struggle to get a thin, even yarn. Much like a toddler who needs to master the chunky crayons before they can move on to the pencils, new spinners will spin lumpy, bumpy, chunky yarn until they master the fine motor control needed to get those lovely, even singles.  Then comes the second part of this problem. 

Once spinners master the thin, even single… it becomes really difficult for them to spin a thick yarn again.  It is a skill they have to learn all over again and is often a shock when they realize they’ve lost the ability.   

To work toward getting that thicker yarn again, pay attention to what each of your hands is doing as your spin.  One hand manages the fiber supply (the fiber hand), while the other hand forms a pinch point and controls the twist (the working hand).   

When you spin a fine single, you might notice that your pinch point stays near the very tips of the fibers and draws only a few fibers at a time into the twisted yarn.  While not always the case, you might also notice that your fiber hand holds the fiber supply with a somewhat firm pressure. 

To get a thicker yarn, move your pinch point deeper into the drafting triangle so that you are drawing up more fibers into the twist zone.  To complement this new motion, your fiber hand should have a very loose grip on your fiber.  If you hold your supply tightly, fewer fibers can be drawn into the twist zone.      

Test this out at the spin-in, tonight!  Make sure that you have joined the guild to get the Zoom link!