PLY article index

Spinning improves when the spinner takes charge rather than relying on the brake to take the yarn out of their hands. Check this article for tips and troubleshooting on customizing your brake system.

The perfect quick-reference for yarn planning! This article includes tips for spinning warm bulky plied yarn, warm bulky singles yarn, cool yarn, drapey yarn, and shiny yarn from various fibers.

Electric spinners can spin (with your guidance) a wide variety of yarn! Here are your first three lessons on e-spinning: how an e-spinner works, how to make it work for you, and how to ply.

Why double treadle when one works just as well? This article tackles the question and how to evaluate the answers for yourself.

Working backwards from the vision of a finished cloth, this article ends up with a strong but light and drapey 2-ply cotton/silk yarn for weaving.

Weaving draft for a light cotton/silk wrap, requiring a 4-harness loom with 20-inch weaving width and a 10-dent reed.

One of the most disappointing things in the life of a spinner is to finish a yarn and find it’s not right for the intended use. Learning to control twist and uptake on your wheel will go a long way to getting the yarn you want: here are some common issues and potential solutions.

A broad experiment on spinning CVM/Romeldale, Leicester Longwool, Jacob, Hog Island, cotton, and bamboo on a Schacht Ladybug wheel to test its versatility.

A tote bag is a perfect year-round project. Learn how to spin a strong, quick-drying, easy-care yarn from a blend of linen, nylon, rayon, and viscose.

Crochet pattern for a net-patterned tote bag.

Three spinners discuss the ideal wheel setup for spinning large quantities of consistent yarn, and whether a flyer-led wheel is up to the task of production spinning.

Drive bands are something most spinners take for granted, but what impact does the drive band have on the functioning of the wheel? This article experiments with 13 different drive bands to give thorough feedback.

Miniature profiles of 6 wheel makers: Bluebonnet Wheels, JMS Wheels, Kromski, Lendrum, Majacraft, and Schact.

The Hand Spinning Trifecta is when your twist, your drafting, and your tension come together to give you exactly the yarn you’re after. This article introduces you to some exercises for achieving that coveted spin.

You can absolutely spin a fine yarn by only making small adjustments to your existing wheel setup. Try these tips before you go wild over extra attachments!

Spinning 50/50 merino/bamboo fiber from gradient braids into 2-ply fingering weight yarn.

Knitting pattern for a tank top in 2-ply, fingering weight merino/bamboo yarn.

Leicester Longwool sheep have pleasant personalities, long lustrous locks, and deep history in the British Isles, North America, Australia, and New Zealand, but they are also on several endangered lists. Learn about their history and current status in this breed profile.

A short profile of Deborah Robson, prominent fiber artist, researcher, and educator.

Does spinning flax make you nervous, PLY readers give you tips to break through the fear and tackle this skill.

The language of spinning is sometimes confusing. That’s even more true when it comes to linen. This article covers all the terms associated with flax and spinning it into linen.

Steph loves spinning flax. This article covers how to spin flax but also tips and tricks from Steph’s decades of flax spinning. It covers hackling, distaves, the drafting line, spinning, line, and so many nuggets of knowledge.

Once your flax is pulled and dried, it needs to be separated and then retted. This article gives several ways of retting and tools you can improvise if you don’t have the traditional tools.

If you don’t have the traditional tools for rippling, breaking, scrutching, and hackling, this article explains how things you might already have around could be improvised.