Search for a list of articles in published issues of PLY Magazine. You can search by any or all of the options: author, word(s) in the title, word(s) in the description, issue topic, or article topics. Note that the article topics search will show results of articles that fit ALL of the selected topics.
Click the article title to open the single entry for that article (which makes it easier to read the description). Click the issue topic to find that issue in the PLY shop.
Total Records Found: 1329, showing 25 per page
Pattern to weave a wheel care cloth, using twill and plain weave, with a loop so it can hang from your spinning wheel, always ready to swipe off a little dust or blot up some excess oil.
Describes the yarn spun for the following wheel care cloth project, using flax. Provides spinning details as well as finishing instructions and final yarn stats.
The author thought she was allergic to wool and could never use it, but discovered that in some instances, she can use wool. In sharing her own experiences and experiments with finding wool she can work with, she offers tips and advice to other who might be facing a similar sensitivity to wool.
Author uses research on the growing sustainable fashion industry to suggest examples for considerations to make spinning more sustainable.
Readers share their sest self-care tips for a pain-free experience for all aspects of spinning (e.g., washing fleece, standing at the drum carder, working with combs, or spinning for hours).
Pattern for mitts created using a parallelogram shape that wraps around your hand and snakes down your arm.
Explains how the yarn for the following project was spun, with the author explaining the choices not just to create the yarn but also to create the yarn in a way that will help you care for your body.
Explains fiber prep used for a project that accounts for what fibers are easiest to spin, what techniques cause the least amount of fatigue, and what equipment can help ease the amount of work.
Article assesses the environmental impact of natural dyes, acid dyes, and fiber reactive dyes, discussing exhausting and wastewater, water use, and dye production and manufacture.
For a non-Korean-speaking fiber artist, searching the internet for Korean traditional textile crafts can feel like running into a digital brick wall. This article traces the author’s research and experience into these traditional Korean textile crafts such as natural dyeing, hand stitching, bojagi and jogakbo, and nubi.
Discusses how someone in a city environment can participate in a fibershed, which is a regional fiber system to develop a local soil-to-closet pipeline where textiles are grown, processed, dyed, designed, produced, and worn within a set geographic region.
Articles discusses caring for handspun projects, including routine maintenance and what to do when disaster strike: washing, drying, repairing damage, cleaning stains, removing pills, and managing pests.
Cardigan designed to be a visual catalog of your memories of yarns you’ve spun. Add a specific stripe to remember a trip, a friend, a making experience. Written for 10 sizes, with cropped and hip length versions, using 2-ply DK to worsted weight yarn in a variety of colors and fibers.
A little care at the beginning of the spinning process can make it a whole lot easier to care for the finished textile. It can mean the difference between a sweater that lasts two washings and a family heirloom. The author makes samples of various kinds of yarns and abrades them to see how well they hold up: worsted-spun yarn, woolen-spun yarn, underspun and underplied yarn, yarn with neps, yarn made from fiber with different staple lengths, and yarn made from a blend of fibers. The article explains various considerations to make while prepping fiber and spinning yarn to add stability and longevity.
By learning to move well in the studio, your spinning practice can help strengthen your body over time. This article focuses on some aspects to consider when checking in with your body as well as some specific hand stretches you can perform.
Author’s experience in Romania and teaching handspinning and handweaving classes to help preserve their traditions by taking small steps toward rebuilding the knowledge, awareness, and skills required to continue the weaving and spinning traditions in Romania.
Author’s personal journey through chronic pain and finding crochet and other fiber arts. Includes information about how fiber arts provides self-care and encouragement to cultivate self-care practices.
Pattern to knit a pair of socks using Tunis wool, DK weight yarn. These socks are knitting from cuff to toe, with a standard heel flap and heel turn, and with a graduated wedge toe.
Article explaining the spinning choices made and yarn stats for the Keep Your Feel Warm Socks pattern that follows. Tunis wool, 2-ply yarn at 11.5-12 WPI.
This article explains the process of turning Tunis locks into combed top, using a hackle and a hand comb, with dizzing as the final step
This article discusses ways to give your spindles the longest possible life in your possession and covers preventative (storage, preventing falls, transporting, controlling environment, and conditioning) and restorative (hook damage, tip damage, whorl and shaft damage) spindle care.
PLY readers give you tips and tricks on how they spin alpaca.
Describes what to look for when purchasing an alpaca fleece. Topics include primary and secondary fibers, what to look for while layout out the fleece, comparing against black and white paper, and comparing the samples to a standard.
Alpaca can be tricky when trying to find the right balance between not enough twist to make it a stable yarn and too much twist making the yarn stiff and ropey. This article discusses how to find the point where everything is just right to create a soft but sturdy yarn that does this fabulous fiber justice.
