While the Tension issue of PLY is already in the works (and it looks like another great one!) we are looking for quality related posts for the blog! Did you have an idea you didn’t submit? Or did you miss the submission window?
The blog process is much simpler than the magazine process (which involves contracts and samples sent in, photographs, tech editing, etc.) Instead, you’ll need to send your own photos, and your post will go through a copy edit but no other part of the magazine article process. If your blog submission is accepted and published, we’ll send you a $50 honorarium via PayPal.
Please submit your blog post proposal by March 15, 2025. If your post proposal is accepted, we’ll need your words and photos by May 1, 2025. We’ll be posting the Tension posts on the blog in June, July, and August 2025.
Find the mood board below! (Note: We’ve changed the colors for the issue from the ones on this mood board to something more “summery” so don’t feel limited to the colors here.)
PLY Summer 2025 – Tension (Blog posts)
Tension is one of those elements we use all the time while we spin. Think about all the ways tension figures into and impacts your spinning. We want to hear about all of them!
Wheel tension and wheel systems: how do they work and which works best for what type of yarn? Is there a reason spinners might like this one over that one? How about drive bands and brake bands? How often should you change them, and what considerations go into the types of materials that are you favorites? What about e-spinners?
It’s often confusing to keep track of the amount of tension while spinning. Do you have great tips on notating and measuring your take-up?
Crosslacing is a fantastic technique for decreasing tension. When do you use it and how do you do it on different wheels. Do you have any other methods to reduce the tension?
Tensile strength is all about how much tension a fiber can be put under before it breaks. Which fibers are the strongest? Which breeds? When prepping fibers, the amount of tension used often results in unwanted neps. Do you have tips for reducing or eliminating them on hand cards, a blending board, or a drum carder?
Can the right amount of tension make or break the consistency while plying yarn? Why do we need tension to ply? What tips do you have to use tension to ply a consistent yarn? Is tension the key to reducing bumps in chain-ply yarns? What can you tell us about the different styles of kates and their tensioning systems and when you might use a particular type for both wheels and spindles? When do you apply more tension; when do you just let your bobbins spin?
What about textured and art yarns? Bouclé, spirals, coils, beehives, core spun, and other textured yarns rely on differential tension while plying. Tell us how you determine how much and how little tension make the best textured yarns. How do you control the mixed tension and still keep a yarn tidy? Is there a yarn that uses no tension?
How about color? Why do some colors seem to vibrate and explode when they are next to each other? Is there a way to make it happen or lessen the visual tension?
What about the release of tension? How do you plan, spin, and weave a structure that collapses on itself? What about knitting? Releasing the tension in high-twist singles can create sculptural effects. Can you teach us about it?
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/PLY_Blog.png383719Meagan Condonhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngMeagan Condon2025-02-06 09:00:002025-02-04 11:19:57Call for Blog Submissions: Tension
Every spinner’s most prized possession is most likely their wheel. Our wheels are what enable us spinners to do the thing we love. However, like all pieces of machinery, they have to be cared for and maintained. Now, this is not necessarily a “how to fix a broken wheel” tutorial because every wheel is different and every scenario is different. Today, I would just like to share with you a few essential tools every spinner should have handy to keep a wheel in working condition and fix solutions to tiny problems.
Why should you keep tools around?
First off, I am not telling you to start carrying around a woodshop’s worth of tools everywhere your wheel goes. That would be unreasonable. However, our wheels can be unpredictable, and a number of things could happen. A drive band could snap, a screw could come out, a spring could become uncoiled, or something simple like your wheel sounding super creaky and annoying. Having the basic tools around is helpful when your wheel decides to stop working out of the blue.
For example, at the Junior Spinning Competition MDSW 2024, a contestant’s drive band’s knot suddenly came loose and we needed a quick fix to make it tight again. We were able to fix it in time for the competition, but events like these remind me how important it is to keep spare parts around!
Of course, not everyone is going to be in a competition every time they spin. However, if you frequently demo, travel with your wheel, or are simply an avid spinner, keeping spare parts to your wheel can be a miracle when your wheel breaks or doesn’t work quite right.
What exactly should you have?
Each spinner will have different needs according to their wheel type. Some of these tools might even depend on individual preference. Not every one of these are extremely important. In fact, some of these only need to be used once in a blue moon. This might seem like a long list, but trust me, everything here has a purpose depending on the situation.
1. Oil
Oil is the one thing all spinners should keep handy (unless your wheel doesn’t require it). A good spinner should oil their wheel at least once every few times they spin if not every time. Oiling your wheel is quick and easy. You simply squirt a drop on the different moving (metal) parts and bearings (check your manufacturer for recommended oil placement). This will keep the bearings spinning smoothly against each other and will reduce friction that will most likely cause a really annoying squeak when you spin. If you spin frequently, oiling your wheel is key to having a smooth spin every time.
2. Extra drive bands
Drive bands can easily and quickly wear out/stretch out if you use your wheel often enough. Synthetic polyurethane can last for a long time, but you never know when the day might come that it will decide it’s served enough time. As for string or cotton bands, knots may easily come loose, and it can be hard to tie them a second time or sometimes they just have to be cut off. Frequent use and friction may also cause abrasion on the string and may cause weak spots, eventually leading to breakage. Your drive band is one of the most important components of your wheel, so ensure that you have a spare lying around your craft room.
A quick note on drive bands:I suggest that you keep both a polyurethane and a string drive band around, especially if you like collecting antique wheels or you own a vintage brand wheel. In some situations, the drive band may or may not affect the speed and rate at which the yarn winds onto the bobbin. A heavier drive band may cause your bobbin/flyer to wind more yarn than you can spin. You may find yourself fighting the wheel to keep the yarn in your hands.
This P.S. may not apply to you if you’ve had a wheel for ages with the same drive band. You already know what works and what doesn’t. However, if you’re trying a new-to-you wheel, and you find yourself struggling to spin at the rate your bobbin intakes yarn, try different drive bands to see if that helps you out.
3. Beeswax
For those of you with antique wheels, or who have string drive bands in general, beeswax is a must. Beeswax can make your drive band stronger and longer lasting. It also serves the purpose of adding a stronger grip to your drive band so it spins and moves the parts it needs to move with ease. You can easily keep a tiny chunk of beeswax with you and run it on the drive band at least once or twice every time you sit down to spin. The wax wears off, so constant application may be your best bet.
4. Screwdrivers
Depending on your wheel, screws might play a key role in certain parts of the wheel. For example, on my wheel, two screws help to keep plastic strips that connect the treadles to the wheel itself. These screws may come loose quickly or need to be removed to access and repair certain parts. For my electric spinners, most of the motors are held in place with screws attaching it to the spinner. Motors can, without a doubt, need replacing as they can be a delicate piece of machinery that can blow out or need to be switched out for a stronger, better one. Screwdrivers are most definitely one of, if not the most, valuable tool to keep on hand.
5. Extra bits and bobs
Everyone has different wheel types and styles. Wheels from different companies and wheelmakers may differ in shape, material, size, and parts. This means some parts for your wheel may be hard to come by because they are made specifically for your wheel. Therefore, if and when possible, buy these spare parts so you can replace them when something breaks.
You never know when a part breaks down or has just served its purpose for long enough. This is why I personally like to keep spare bearings, plastic bits, and screws around for my wheel when possible. Because I often take my wheel out and about for demos, I don’t want to risk not being able to spin any longer because the screw fell out of my right treadle!
Recommendations from other spinners
I asked 57 spinners what they think is the most useful thing they keep around and why. Not entirely surprising, spinning wheel oil and spare drive bands tied, with both items each making up 35 percent of the responses – 70 percent of the responses total.
For James P., oil is most important because “A wheel is a machine which has various bushings and bearings. If the bearings are sealed then that’s easy, no maintenance needed, but invariably most bobbins or flyers sit in either bronze, leather, or plastic bearings. To keep those spinning smoothly, quietly and so as they don’t alter my takeup, they really benefit from very regular oiling. Regular oiling (I oil every 30–45 mins) also cleanses the bearings as well as lubricating them to ensure particulates don’t prematurely wear them down. For me it’s the single most important thing I do to maintain my wheel as I spin.”
Here’s what Karen B. said about her drive bands: “My Majacraft Rose has a plastic drive band. I am not sure how easy it would be to make a temporary one out of cotton. That being said, if my drive band is broken, I can’t spin. To be prepared, I have a little case with all these items that I keep in my spinning travel box. It goes with me to all guild meetings, demos, or just a spinning day in the park.”
Screwdrivers also seemed to be a popular choice among the spinners, and Callie W. provided an excellent explanation as to why: “A screwdriver is the only tool that I have used on my wheel. Sometimes the fasteners holding the wheel together get slightly loose, or the screws on the treadles loosen.”
Conclusion
Wheel maintenance is key to good spinning. Maintenance will keep your wheel running smoothly and will leave you to worry about your yarn and not what your wheel’s issues are. Again, this is just a general list of tools, but everyone has their own unique preferences and wheels. Like so many other aspects of our craft, find what works for you. When you have a wheel and method that works for you, you’ll be on your path to success. Happy spinning!
Kai Solon is a young fiber artist who enjoys spending his free time spinning, weaving, and natural dyeing and has also recently dabbled in kilt making. Kai shares his fiber journey on Instagram and YouTube as @FiberByNature. Outside fiber, you’ll find Kai playing his heart out in his high school drumline.
Marking Time with Fabric and Thread: Calendars, Diaries, and Journals within Your Fiber Craft
by: Tommye McClure Scanlin Schiffer Craft $34.99, Hardback, 198 pages with 100 color images Published: October 28, 2024 Buy now at Bookshop.org Reviewed by: Karen Robinson
PLY had the pleasure of sharing an article by Sarah Swett in the Cloth (Autumn 2019) issue. I remember being fascinated while reading about her practices of creation. She writes the foreword in this book, and her words about marking time using crafting made me want to dive right into the book.
The author, Tommye McClure Scanlin, is a tapestry weaver and finds tapestry weaving to be a slow process, which allows for a lot of time to think about that process. She decided to try making a project a daily practice and thus was born her “tapestry diaries.” She shared her craft with others, in person and online, and those weavers and fiber artists began their own version of tapestry diaries.
This book is an exploration of various ways that Scanlin and other fiber artists have used their crafts to “mark time.” She asked many individuals to share their work and asked them the same three questions: what is their daily practice, why did they start and why do they continue it, and what medium they use for it. The practices of those fiber artists are included in this book, in their own words, along with many color photos.
The chapters cover various types of daily practices from data visualization (think temperature blankets) and diaries to adding codes within fiber arts projects. One of the last chapters gives some specific ideas for how you might start your own daily fiber practice and blank templates are included in the back of the book.
Because of the author’s background with tapestry weaving, many of the fiber artists and projects in this book involve that medium. I would have liked to see a bit more variety in the types of mediums being used in this book, though we do get some examples from quilting, embroidery and other stitching, mixed media, knitting and crochet, and even one using plastic packaging.
This is a gorgeous book, full of inspiring projects. Whether you want simply to read about and see the work of others or get an idea of the types of projects you could do for your own daily practice, even if you’re not a tapestry weaver, this book would be a fabulous addition to your fiber arts library.
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/91PhcLUHR4L.jpg25602048Karenhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngKaren2025-01-28 09:00:002025-01-21 09:12:47Book Review: Marking Time with Fabric and Thread by Tommye McClure Scanlin
Excerpt from “Spinning Sustainably” by Diana Hawthorne, PLY Issue 47, Winter 2024
Prioritize natural fibers
As a spinner you are likely already spinning wool, silk, cotton, or linen. Natural fiber is a more climate-friendly choice than synthetic fibers like acrylic and polyester, which are made from petroleum. Washing and working with fibers causes microscopic pieces to break off and end up in our waterways. With synthetic fibers, these microplastics create problems that natural microfibers do not. If you are spinning yarn with synthetic fibers (like Angelina), consider using that yarn for a finished object that requires minimal washing, such as a shawl as opposed to a sweater. This can help prevent some microplastics from entering our waterways.
Bio-nylon, which is made in a closed loop system (minimizing chemical waste and pollution), is becoming more available to spinners now. It is biodegradable like natural fibers. Numerous labmade naturally derived fibers are available to spinners as well. In general, fibers called lyocell, modal, and the brand Tencel are made in a closed loop system and are less harmful to the environment than fibers like rayon and viscose. All of these regenerated fibers are processed in a way that uses more energy to get to the same starting point as the natural fibers.
Not all natural fibers are created equal: flax and hemp production requires much less water and chemicals than cotton. Organic cotton has a significantly different impact than conventionally grown cotton for the same reason. The process of raising fiber animals contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Some practices can minimize or offset the emissions, and sheep often thrive on land that is otherwise not ideal for farming plants, so wool can still be a good choice!
Would you like to learn more about sustainable spinning?
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/e13519b9-4d73-45de-845d-c2e84c168939.png5621818Meagan Condonhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngMeagan Condon2025-01-23 09:00:002025-01-21 09:48:39Tip for Spinning Sustainably: an Excerpt from the Care Issue
We are excited to announce that PLY will be joining in on the Spin Together festivities this year!
What is Spin Together?
Spin Together is about the joy of spinning and the opportunity to share that joy with other spinners. It’s also a fun competition that will take place beginning at noon on February 22, 2025, and ending at noon on March 1, 2025 (noon in your time zone). It all takes place online in Facebook groups, and you can participate from anywhere in the world.
Does PLY have a team?
Ply has TWO teams! Each team maxes out at 25 people and we said, well, one team just isn’t enough! Our teams are called PLY Magazine Z-Twist and PLY Magazine S-Twist. While both of these teams will be full of cool people who read and contribute to the magazine, only one twist direction can reign supreme. Or, you know, each will serve its purpose in its own time or something like that.
How do I join one of the PLY teams?
Between January 28 and February 15, 2025, you will be able to go to this page and sign up to be on a team. The fee is $15 per person, paid directly to Spin Together when you sign up. They also encourage a donation to Habitat for Humanity. Remember, there is a limited number of spaces on each team, so signing up early gives you the best chance of getting on the team you want.
Where will all this happen?
We will host two groups on Facebook for participants to chat and see each others’ progress. We will also host a Zoom spin-in for both teams together at some point during the week! Spin Together also has a Facebook group for everyone participating in the event.
Are the prizes?
Of course there are prizes. On top of the generous contests and prizes offered by the Spin Together organizers, our PLY teams will also have our own challenges! A few lucky winners will win a year-long subscription to PLY magazine! (Either a new subscription or extending your current subscription).
PLY has had a full and fulfilling year! We can hardly believe how much we’ve done!
Firsts
PLY had its first booth at a fiber festival! No, really! In September, we attended DFW Fiber Fest and had a blast!
We also had our first full season of the PLY Spinners Guild. That means we produced 13 episodes featuring 8 different instructors. Our more than 1400 guild members have collectively watched 9,743 hours of guild video content. We’ve also hosted 24 Zoom spin-ins!
We also offered our first ever Holiday Guide! We were pleased to present a variety of new products and top-of-the-line small businesses in this fresh format.
A New Magazine
In 2024, we committed to producing a sister magazine to PLY. With the help of smart and passionate weaver Lisa Graves and the PLY team’s 11 years of experience, WEFT was born! In July, the Kickstarter was a success with more than $100k pledged from 1348 backers. The first issue is slated for Spring 2025!
A New Book
We are excited to announce the release of our third book on December 20: Twist by Michelle Boyd. Twist is destined to be one of the “those” books — the ones that earn a permanent spot on every spinner’s bookshelf. It’s a deep dive into every aspect of Twist and how it affects spinning and yarn. It’s also our first hardback book!
Added 2 New Amazing Team Members
In 2024, PLY brought on two new team members: Jeannie Sanke and Meagan Condon. Jeannie has been with PLY since summer and handles advertising for both PLY and WEFT. Beside being a prolific spinner of chiengora, she has more than twenty years of experience in marketing and advertising in the publishing industry. Meagan joined PLY in October as the technical editor and blog coordinator. Meagan has been teaching and writing for PLY almost since the beginning. She has a background in library & information sciences and social media marketing. We are excited to have their combined experience leaning into the new year!
Worked with Some Amazing Contributors
In 2024, PLY worked with a total of 56 authors and designers to produce four issues (91 published articles!): the Growth Issue, the Reference Issue, the Alpaca Issue, and most recently, the Care Issue. Supporting our vision and goal to give voice to our diverse community, of those 56 contributors, we brought in 17 new-to-PLY authors.
Going Forward
Thank you for joining us on this journey! We look forward to a prosperous year full fiber, creativity, community and fun.
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/460723989_18477134443013173_601320091806108933_n.jpg16251440Meagan Condonhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngMeagan Condon2024-12-31 09:00:002024-12-19 10:13:23PLY: 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
The giving season is upon us, and we want to include everyone we can in the PLY Spinners Guild. If you are in a crunch looking for a very last-minute holiday gift for the spinner or soon-to-be-spinner in your life, a guild membership is the perfect answer!
The guild is priced at $85/year or $12/month. We think this is a very good deal for the amount of information and community you will get. It’s also the amount we need to make the guild financially viable with 1500-2500 members (we are currently at the lower end of that). This allows us to pay for the substantial hosting required by so many high-def videos, the charge per member to access the site, along with fairly compensating the teachers, editors, and everyone involved in making the guild work.
However, in the giving spirit, we do not want the guild’s membership dues to be a barrier to anyone who would like to be a part of the guild. We want everyone, and the more diverse and full our community is, the better we all are. To that end, we are making available 100 free guild memberships every 3-month period for spinners (or potential spinners) who are part of an underserved community, are on a fixed income, or just plain can’t currently afford the regular dues. Please sign up here and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Whether you get a membership for yourself or a loved one, the PLY Spinners Guild looks forward to sharing a new year of community, education, and fun with you.
Proposals due: March 1, 2025 Final work due by: September 1, 2025
Let’s break out those lab coats and safety goggles and try out all those spinning “what ifs” you’ve always wondered about. This issue is about experimentation, and we want you to explore the possibilities within fiber and spinning that you’ve always wanted to examine. This isn’t a time for writing about what you already know – it’s a time to test hypotheses and see what happens.
What parts of spinning have you always wanted to delve into? Maybe you’ve wondered how much ply twist can go into a yarn before it starts to bias or when a singles yarn biases. Or maybe you want to test the strength or abrasion of woolen vs worsted yarns or between different numbers of or types of plies.
Does pre-drafting really make your yarn less consistent? If you tear a batt into rolags, does that have the same effect as making individual rolags? Is it possible to card really long fibers? What’s the minimal length of fiber that makes sense for combing? How far gone can a braid of fiber be before it can’t be spun?
Is spinning woolen yarn really faster than spinning worsted yarn? Does the length of the fiber impact chainplying? Is there a difference in spinning from the tip or the butt of a lock? Does the weight of the spindle actually impact the diameter of the yarn you spin? Is EZ Spin cotton actually easier to spin? How much difference does it make for a worsted yarn if you spin short backward vs short forward? How does plying from both ends of a ball impact the yarn?
Do cabled yarns really make cables pop? Does 2-ply yarn really make more lacey lace? Do chain-plied yarns really abrade quicker because one ply is going in the opposite direction? Is tension setting your yarn actually bad when using it for knitting, crochet, or weaving? Is a hard finish really better for woolen yarn? Does steaming your top actually reactivate the crimp? Does steaming yarns work as well as wet-finishing?
We can’t wait to hear what experiments you want to try out! Proposals are due by March 1, 2025. You’ll hear back from us in April 2025, and final articles are due September 1, 2025.
When we think about fiber tools, we think about tens of thousands of years of progress and the history of innovation. We imagine the slow roll of progress bringing us to today, where we’ve obviously got everything figured out, right? This is as good as it gets! After all, we’re working in the slow arts, and we don’t need more than a stick to make some yarn. Some of us take joy in being able to prove that all we need is a stick!
Well, sometimes we like to make it a little easier on ourselves. Sometimes it isn’t about proving we can so much as getting the work done. The truth is innovation is happening every day in our fiber world. We have a strong community of toolmakers who are constantly looking to improve the tools we use. One of those toolmakers is Baruch with Bam Fiber Works.
Bam Fiber Works has designed an incredible new feature for a workshop staple and is now offering a self-cleaning drum carder. You read that right! SELF-CLEANING. This patent-pending device is already on backorder through January 2025 as of the writing of this article.
The project to develop an improved drum carder started in 2016. “We wanted to create a drum carder that offered cool features that weren’t already offered in another drum carder on the market. We couldn’t quite put a finger on it, though,” Baruch told me. “The feedback we got again and again was to make the carder easier to clean.”
I personally felt that feedback in my soul. It had recently taken over an hour to deconstruct and deep clean the drum carder in my own workshop; work that needed to be done but that I took no pleasure from. I could have spent that time spinning… or at least catching up on some good television.
Baruch began by testing the concept of some sort of doffing cloth that could be used to remove fiber from the drum. Following many prototypes, he still wasn’t happy with how it performed. Then the magic happened. After a brainstorming session with his brother, Baruch discovered that a drum mounted on two pieces of scrap wood did a superior job. And he didn’t stop there. He wanted to make sure that his tool wouldn’t cause additional wear and tear on the carder itself. “We did over 1000 test cleanings. We filmed as we did it,” he said.
On top of the self-cleaning drum, the Bam Fiber Works drum carder features a number of unique features. Everything – clamps, doffing hook, cleaning brush – all store conveniently in the front tray of the drum carder. It has a magnetic pin lock system that allows pulleys, drums, and handle to be quickly removed, making it “crazy easy to clean.” And parts are designed to be used interchangeable amongst their entire product line.
“We wanted to take the unenjoyable parts out of carding,” Baruch added. “Take away the ‘I dread this’ part so that carding becomes more enjoyable on its own.”
That’s not all. While it is not yet available, Baruch and his team have a patent pending on a handheld version of the drum cleaner that could work with any drum carder. “There’s still a lot of testing to do,” he said. “Other brands have a variety of types of carding cloth in different weights. We want to make sure it works well and doesn’t damage people’s existing equipment.”
We in the fiber community have that to look forward to! In the meantime, readers can get on the pre-order list for this self-cleaning drum carder through the Bam Fiber Works website.
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/thumbnail_Main-Photo-Zoomed-In.png19201920Meagan Condonhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngMeagan Condon2024-12-12 09:00:002024-12-09 19:44:55Innovation at Bam Fiber Works
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