PLY article index

Cashmere has 4 characteristics that make it challenging to spin: it is a hair fiber, super fine, slick, and short-stapled. This article addresses each trait individually to help you manage your cashmere for spinning success.

While some consider it sacrilegious to overdye a colored fleece, it can create exquisite surprises. This article explores using natural dyes on cashmere for a delightful distribution of color effects.

Knitting pattern for subtly textured fingerless mitts in 2-ply fingering weight cashmere yarn.

A profile of cashmere fiber and how to use it.

If you can’t get ahold of Orenburg down, substitute the finest cashmere you can, ply it with fine cotton, and knit this cowl and mitt set to tolerate cold winter days. Knitting pattern for a cowl and mitts with subtle lace accents in laceweight cashmere/cotton yarn.

In the view of westerners, Russia has long been shrouded in a certain amount of mystery. We still have little information about, let alone physical access to, the fibers unique to the region. This article introduces the down-producing Orenburg and Don goats, their development, and their fiber.

We asked 3 newer spinners to spin some yarn for a project, and this is what happened! Dania Guido tries out treadle wheel spinning, Anne Champney explores a more traditional direction, and Liam Hartle practices.

Everybody starts somewhere, and most of us probably made all the same mistakes when we started out spinning. Here are some things to make working with beginner yarns a bit easier—because yarn is for using.

Don’t be afraid to use your first not-quite-perfect yarns. Use this hat and mitts “recipe” to showcase your handspun creations.

Stripe effects are one of the most time-consuming batts to card, but using this prep on a smaller project like a hat or mitts will still create a big impact on your finished goods. This article walks you through planning and creating a batt for stunning self-striping yarn.

Careful planning is your friend when it comes to multi-part projects. Here, read about spinning 7 different batches of dyed fiber into cohesive materials for knitting.

Double drafting is a wild control, tangible chaos. Learn to work this quick draft using a fiber prep that works for you and your most comfortable spinning device, either spindle or wheel.

How much difference can drafting make? This article compares finished yarns from a single prep, spun woolen vs. worsted.

Knitting pattern for a warm toque with symmetrical cable patterning in DK or light fingering weight yarn.

How can we improve tuque warmth and comfort for weathering Canadian winter while bald? One word: intention. This article presents pros and cons of both fiber and prep/technique for a cozy and comfortable final product.

In the spirit of using your samples, odds and ends, and all the strange little balls of yarn you have rolling around, we asked several spinners to create a small amount of textured yarn and asked a designer to take a crack at something cool with the whole mismatched lot.

Every spinner ends up with piles of little bits of precious handspun treasure, and most of us hate to just throw them away. This hat is designed to highlight these small bits as fun inserts within a solid background, to unify them and also let them shine. Crochet pattern for an adult sized hat.

A number of factors need to be considered in designing a bulky yarn that is warm and also provides stitch definition for texture and cabling. This article walks through making those decisions.

This slouchy hat showcases round, bulky yarns with garter ridges contrasted next to stockinette cables. Knitting pattern for an adult sized hat in bulky weight yarn.

Widen your thinking about what forms a swatch can take and the questions it can answer! Mitts are an excellent candidate for exploring spinning and knitting techniques and new fiber and color blends. Let this article convince you to expand your swatch practice.

A profile of Gotland sheep, a Northern European short-tailed breed native to the Swedish island of Gotland. Learn about their history and using their wool in this article.

Turning obstacles into optimism: the qualities that can make Gotland a challenging fiber to prep and spin are what make it such a unique and wonderful finished yarn. Follow this spinner’s experience of working with Gotland wool.

Knitting pattern for mosaic-knit mittens with extra-long cuffs to protect chilly wrists.

There are endless needs for fantastic fibre fashions for this spinner in Saskatchewan, and we all deserve a treat—why not make that treat some gorgeous luxury fibres to spin and knit or crochet? Learn how to incorporate a little extra joy into your creations year-round with blending.