Spring into Spinning with 3 Encouraging Tips from PLY

Feeling stuck in a spinner’s rut? This phenomenon happens to even the most confident of handspinners, so don’t worry! We’ve gathered 3 simple, yet effective tips to reignite your spinning creativity.

1) Examine Your Fiber Stash

Choose a quiet spot with ample lighting. Allocate some time to sort through your fiber stash. You’ll be surprised at what you might rediscover – hidden gems that can spark your imagination.

3) Begin Small, but Start Now

If you feel like spinning up some yarn, don’t wait for the perfect moment. Start now! It may be only few yards at first, but a small project can be less daunting and inspire you to spin your best yarn quickly.

3) Freshen Up Your Finds

Sometimes it’s beneficial to part ways with old, unused fibers. As the old adage goes, clearing out the old makes room for more new, exciting materials that can invigorate your spinning projects.

Extra Tip: Natural fibers are biodegradable! Give your excess stash fiber a second life by using it as garden mulch or place it a bird feeder to provide nesting material for all kinds of wildlife.

This text was originally published in PLY’s March 2024 newsletter.  Want to subscribe to PLY’s newsletter?  It’s free and filled with spin-inspiration!

Jacqueline Harp is a freelance writer and multimedia fiber artist who spins, felts, weaves, crochets, and knits in every spare moment possible. She is also a former, certified Master Sorter of Wool Fibers through the State Univ. of N.Y. (Cobleskill) Sorter-Grader-Classer (SGC) Program. Her Instagram handle is @foreverfiberarts.