Article Info

Article Title
Spin It! Frost Scarf
Author
Diane Palme
Issue date
Winter 2013
Issue number
3
Description
Many spinners are also knitters – and yarn that’s meant to be knitted is very forgiving. Almost any yarn that’s stable can be knitted up without too much finagling. Weaving, on the other hand, puts different, and arguably more demanding, requirements on a yarn, particularly yarn that’s meant to be used as warp. Weft yarns can be just about anything, even unspun roving, but warp yarns are under constant tension, and abraded/ abused with each beat. The movement of the reed along the length of the warp yarns can invite wear and breakage, and the relentless tension finds and exploits any weak spot. Both problems have driven many a weaver to hang little film canisters off the back of a loom to tension loosening warp threads; and, worse yet, left some with the notion that “You can’t use handspun for warp.” Not true, and this article walks you through how to spin woolen and semi-woolen yarn for both warp and weft (specifically for the Frost Scarf project in this same issue).
Article topic list
long draw, technical spinning, woolen, spin it, weaving