Ask Jillian: Parallel Drafting Tips

Dear Jillian,  I am having the worst time parallel drafting! My fibers don’t draft well, there’s clumping, and one color frequently falls away. Can you give me some tips to make it easier?  ~Tess (and others) in Jillian’s class at Maryland Sheep and Wool Hi Tess,  Parallel drafting may be my favorite color spinning technique, […]

Genesee Valley Handspinners Guild: Preserving the Ancient Art of Handspinning 

In 1985 a small group of like-minded individuals formed the Genesee Valley Handspinners Guild. They had the tenacity and skill to develop their craft.

By the Books: Using Older Texts to Inform Our Modern Understanding of Fiber 

There seems to be a lot of crossover between book people and fiber people. It is part of why I spend so much time researching fiber arts.

Third Thursdays Guild Tips

As we 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, Terri Guerette.  What should I bring to a workshop?  Although not something to bring to a workshop, one of the reminders I often […]

Ask Jacey: How Do I Improve My Joins?

I’ve heard lots of people talk about how there are different joins for different kinds of spinning. I’m not even super good at the one join I do (I kind of tease out the fiber at the end of my new yarn and then lay new fiber over it and hope it all gets twisted […]

Mood Board: Summer 2026 – Purpose

Mood Board: Summer 2026 – Purpose Proposals due by: June 1, 2025 Final work due by: December 1, 2025 Although spinning up a gorgeous skein of yarn seems like a project in and of itself, ultimately most handspun yarn is used to create something else. So how do you spin with a purpose in mind? […]

Sneak Peek: Spring 2025 – Hue!

You may have already received your digital or print copy of the Spring 2025 Hue issue! We aren’t going to lie – we got caught up in staring at all the pretty colors, so this is less of a preview and more of a post-view, since you might already have it in your hands. Still, we […]

Rose Gray Alpaca Fiber Study

Rose gray is one of the most mysterious colors present in the alpaca fleece color range. It is a color comprising three shades – light, medium, and dark – which can be imagined as coffee with varying amounts of cream added. The hint of rose is most noticeable in medium rose gray but is a […]

Book Review: The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible by Debbie Held

The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible: From Woolen to (Nearly!) Worsted and Everything in Between by Deborah HeldStackpole Books$32.95, hardcover 8.2 x 10.1 with 136 pagesPublished: April 1, 2025Buy now at Bookshop.orgReview by Jillian Moreno I’ve noticed that spinners are more interested in fiber preparation lately, both working from fleece and the fiber fun of creating […]