PLY article index
Search for 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.
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| Author | Article Title | Issue date | Issue number | Issue topic | Article topic list | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christina Pappas | Ancient Texture | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | historical, textured/art yarn | Texture adds visual and sensory interest so we can create items that are works of art as well as warm and fun to wear. We see this drive for exploration extending far back into the past, as this article investigates. |
| Linda Scharf | Spin It! 21st Century Metal-wrapped Yarn | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | expanding skills, textured/art yarn, corespinning, spin it, add ins |
Whether for historic recreation, embroidery, goldwork, lacemaking, embellishment, weaving, crochet, knitting, art, or pure exploration, there are lots of ways and reasons to play with metal and thread or yarn. Explore some of your metal-spinning options in this article. |
| Lexi Boeger | Spin It! 21st Century Feather Yarn | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | expanding skills, textured/art yarn, thick and thin, spin it, add ins |
Inspired by pre-Columbian feather yarns from Craig Mound at Spiro, Oklahoma, learn how to spin a 21st-century version. |
| Vithard Villumsen | Spin It! Growing Yarn | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | experimenting, textured/art yarn, fiber prep, add ins |
How do you describe change in a textile? What if it comes from within the fabric? This spinner experiments with a unique add-in to his yarn: cress seeds. |
| Jacey Boggs Faulkner | Texture Through Plying | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | expanding skills, textured/art yarn, plying, spiral ply, coils |
A staple of the textured spinner’s arsenal is differential-tension plying: explore this foundational technique in this article. |
| Suzy Brown | Microtexture | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | textured/art yarn, coils, cabled |
Must a yarn be bulky, curly, and packed with add-ins to be textured? This article looks at something a bit more subtle. |
| Carson Demers | Ergo Neo: Texture Therapy | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | ergonomics, textured/art yarn |
Long durations of repetition enhance the likelihood of injury, but textured yarns are the perfect antidote to the repetitiveness of traditional spinning. Check out these tips for mixing up your practice and taking care of your body. |
| Tracy Hudson | Texture on a Spindle | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | textured/art yarn, terminology, expanding skills, suspended spindles |
Anything is possible with a spindle, including expressive and experimental textured yarns! |
| Cirilia Rose | Texture in Knitting: Swatch Theory | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | textured/art yarn, knitting, swatches |
Textured yarns present unique design challenges: what do you make with them?! Experiment along with this knitter as she explores the personality of art yarns in fabric. |
| Cirilia Rose | Knit It! Medulla Pullover | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | knit it, sweater, textured/art yarn |
Knitting pattern for a textured pullover sweater. |
| Maja Siska | Spin It! Thelatog Hoodie | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | spin it, fiber prep, wool, Icelandic, intuitive spinning |
This yarn is not so much about adding texture but about creating a yarn while not losing the original texture and character of the fleece. |
| Maja Siska | Knit It! Thelatog Hoodie | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | knit it, sweater, textured/art yarn |
Knitting pattern for a hooded cardigan in bulky, textured wool yarn. |
| Melissa Ricks | Texture in Weaving: Weaving in a Circle | Autumn 2015 | 10 | Texture | weaving, textured/art yarn |
Weaving is a wonderful way to show off textured handspun yarns, and circular weaving is easy but offers creative potential to appeal to a seasoned fiber artist. |
| Tip Jar: How do you find the end after it's broken off and buried itself in the bobbin? | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine |
It happens to all of us, our yarn end gets buried in the yarn on our bobbin. Here are the best ways that PLY readers have found to recover it. |
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| Susan Glinert Stevens | Spinning for Lace | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | fine, lace |
Aside from having to add more twist to keep the fibers snugly entwined, spinning thin is no more difficult than spinning thick. Tension and mechanial ratio adjustments can produce lovely laceweight with some practice. This article outlines some key considerations for spinning ultra-fine yarns. |
| Sylvia Becker | Beadlizard Chimes In | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | fine, personal reflection |
A personal perspective on spinning ultra-fine yarns. |
| Christina Pappas | Old Lace | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | lace, historical |
Lace textiles extend far back into prehistory and were highly prized and valued—including in the New World. This article profiles the creation of fine yarn and lace in the ancient Americas, particularly Mississippian lace. |
| Beth Abbott | Why Spin Thin? | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | fine, consistency |
Why do we seek the challenge of spinning fine? This short piece considers the spinner’s drive for greater control and consistency, balanced with the practicality of less fine yarns. |
| Jill Graham | The Wool Is Fine | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | fine, wool, Bond, Merino, Corriedale, Cormo, Rambouillet, CVM, Romeldale, Targhee, Polwarth, breed-specific |
This article explores the suitability of eight different sheep breeds (Australian Bond, CVM, Cormo, Corriedale, Merino, Polwarth, Rambouillet, and Targhee) for fine spinning and lace knitting. |
| Bitsy Cohen | Spin It! Fine from the Lock | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | spin it, fine, fleece, Cormo, Romney, Merino, teasing, flicking, combing |
If you desire to spin a fine yarn, a fine fleece is the place to start. This article will guide you through preparing and spinning fine locks. |
| Natasha Sills | Spin It! Chunky to Thin | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | spin it, bulky, fine, tension, expanding skills |
Switching from art yarns to ultra-fine yarns is a drastic shift in spinning style, but it can be done! This collection of tips is aimed at bulky spinners trying to overcome the hurdle of slimming down. |
| Beth Smith | Fine Tune Your Wheel | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | fine, tension, brake band, drive band, bobbin-led (Irish tension), crosslacing, flyer led (scotch tension) |
You can do many things to make the fine-yarn spinning process easier on your wheel. In this article, explore the specifics of adjusting tension, bobbins, and lacing for optimal fine spinning. |
| Stephenie Gaustad | Ready for a Charkha | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | charkha, fine |
Have you already tried the usual adjustments for spinning fine yarn on a treadle wheel, but you still avoid it? Maybe it’s time for a charkha. This article makes the case for switching wheels in the right circumstances. |
| Alden Amos, Julitha Barber, Jessie Driscoll | Hot Button: Best Drive for Fine | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | fine, flyer-led (scotch tension), double drive |
Three spinners give their best advice on which wheel drive configuration makes fine spinning the easiest. |
| Caroline Foty | The Canadian Production Wheel | Summer 2015 | 9 | Fine | fine, CPW |
A profile of the Canadian Production Wheel (CPW), a wheel engineered to spin fine yarn and do it fast. |
