PLY article index

Jacey introduces the episode and Roy Clemes.

Roy Clemes, maker of Clemes & Clemes tools, introduces you to a carder, its parts, and how it works.

There are a lot of tools you can use with a drum carder. Roy, Clemes & Clemes tool maker, explains each one and when you use it including burnishing brush, packing brush, flicker, cleaning brush, lock pop, diz, dowels, doffer, batt lifter, etc.

Roy teaches how to feed fiber into a drum carder, how to find each carder’s capacity, using a flicker and lock pop, and why to feed your locks in tip first. You might think you know how to drum card, but you’ll learn more than one new thing from Roy!

There is a craft and a project for every yarn. Two creators share their process of spinning, weaving, designing, and sewing a garment using handspun singles.

Heavenly Bresser and Jacey drink and spill the tea as they chat about spinning, wheels, family, and life.

Are you new to working with fleece? Here’s a place to start… Jacey introduces good clean fiber and what we’re going to do with it!

Maggie Casey, the woman who has taught more people to spin than anyone we know, talks about the best fiber to start with if you’re new to working with fleece. Spoiler, it’s a medium wool!

Maggie Casey, author of Start Spinning, walks us through the first step when you’ve got good clean fiber — teasing! It’s slow and meditative and she gives you the best method she’s found after working her way through thousands of fleeces.

Learn to make light and fluffy rolags with fiber expert, Maggie Casey.

Based on your fabric choice, fabric-corespun yarns can vary from soft and slinky to wild and crazy, but making them has some tricks that are covered in this article.

A comic by Franklin Habit.

The idea of creating interestingly structured yarns became Diane Varney’s book Spinning Designer Yarns, which continues to influence and educate spinners today.

A creator’s adventure spinning yarn in a medieval castle during an artist-in-residence program at Castello di Casamassella in Otranto, Italy.

SAORI weaving embraces the concept of the perfectly imperfect: the idea that everything has its own intrinsic beauty, including your less-than-stellar handspinning results.

What do you do with yarns that aren’t smooth? Here are some ideas from PLY readers.

One of the easiest ways to spin a textured yarn is to start with the fiber preparation! This quick overview directs you to articles that will get you on the path to texture.

Sometimes a little goes a long way to show off texture in a beautiful, well-spun yarn. This article explores using tweed to add pops of color and texture to any project.

Three anonymous reviewers share their thoughts on the Majacraft Fusion Engine Carder, an attempt to create a better carder.

Corespun is different. Be kind and patient with yourself while learning, and use this article as reference for the basics.

Preparation is the key to successfully corespin over wire. Get started with this introductory article.

Creating a yarn from a concept is a fun and challenging way to build a yarn. Follow these tips for planning and executing a conceptual yarn at any level of complexity!

Who would have predicted that a sleepy southwest Florida town could become a mecca for art yarn spinners and fiber enthusiasts? Learn about the SWAY Guild of Sarasota, Florida in this profile.