Planting Seeds for Better Spinning Habits

by Kira Dulaney

Historically, spinning was a necessary household chore, but these days for most of us it’s a hobby, a creative outlet, or perhaps even an escape. You might spin yarn sporadically and inconsistently or in concentrated bursts that cause sore muscles the next day, or maybe you are getting bored by using the same old spinning techniques. So let’s plant seeds for better spinning habits, by taking small steps that will gradually grow to become integrated into your process. 

Make time for crafting 

I often hear from crafters that they just don’t have the time they want for their hobbies, including folks who are recently retired and had been looking forward to all that free time for years, only to find it didn’t appear as expected. Taking time for our hobbies is an act of self-care, and as crafters we also end up with useful items, something that, for example, stamp collectors can’t say. 

Still, it can feel like there’s always something more pressing to do, so I suggest you add spinning to your to-do list! Set yourself some homework, even if it’s just ten minutes a day, since regular practice will improve your skills, keep your projects more consistent, lower stress, and add to your happiness. 

Place a wheel or spindle and beautiful fiber in plain sight where you’ll see them and be tempted to do just a little spinning, and if you need to, block out time on your calendar. You might be surprised to see that once you get started, you figure out how to carve more time out of your day so you don’t have to stop.  

Help with consistency 

Lots of spinners are frustrated about a lack of consistency in their yarn, with variations throughout the skein that may not disappear simply with practice. 

Matching your fiber with an appropriate preparation and drafting style makes it easier to spin a consistent yarn than trying to force a fiber in a direction it doesn’t want to go. 

Using sample cards is helpful, especially if you’re a sporadic spinner and it takes a while to get through a project. 

Rewinding your singles from a distance is an easy way to even out the twist with just a few extra minutes of effort – ta da, you’re a better spinner already just by adding this simple step! 

Care for your body 

Spinning can also put a physical strain on your body, and one way to help is to mix up what you’re doing. Rather than spinning a short forward draw for hours on end, switch it up with a different draft on another fiber, a bit of carding or combing, some swatching or sampling, or just a stretch break. 

Try adjusting your chair, propping up tools to get a different angle, or doing some tasks standing up. Lighting is so important, and especially for those longer crafting sessions heading into evening, try turning on or moving your lighting source so you can see your work without hunching over.  

Try something new 

Playing with new techniques is an amazing way to broaden your range and remember what you love about spinning. Try a new-to-you fiber, preparation, draft, or plying technique to rediscover the joy of experimentation. 

Taking a workshop is an ideal way to learn a new technique, and there are options online as well as at shops and fiber festivals. Joining a guild can be so fulfilling, and you’ll get to see other spinners’ processes and products, perhaps inspiring you to try something new or even just a little different from your usual process. The online PLY Spinners Guild is a wonderful way to access lessons, teacher talks, forums, and spin-ins, all from the comfort of home.  

Enter a competition 

Consider entering a spinning competition as a way to get feedback on your work and ideas for improvement. Many county fairs and sheep and wool festivals have competitions for handspun yarn and projects using handspun. Simply planning to enter can be a nice way to help you boost your enthusiasm, carve out time, and work to improve your skills. 

Just looking at the categories may inspire you to start spinning. The judges’ comments will tell you what was successful and give you considerations for future projects, and you may even win a ribbon! 

Create a project 

There’s no better way to learn what you’re doing well and what could be improved than to create a project with your handspun yarn. It’s also so satisfying to use handspun yarn that you’ll be inspired to create more and different yarns for new projects. 

If you have a lot of little bits of yarn from workshops or experiments, make some small projects like amigurumi, incorporate the bits into tapestry weaving, or use them as contrast stripes with a handspun or commercially spun main color – my Wildflower Honey Shawl for the Plants issue was designed with this in mind. 

Decorate your space with bunting or garlands of handspun yarn, frame some in a shadow box, or add it to embroidery with couching stitches. Seeing your work displayed in your studio or home is likely to entice you to spin more, and if you happen to have a wheel or spindle and beautiful fiber in plain sight, it will be so easy to sit down and spin for just a few minutes . . . or maybe more.  

---