PLY article index

This article walks through how to spin a silk hanky, from preparing to spinning including thoughts on the amount of twist needed.

This article talks about how to spin the yarn for the mitts project included in this issue, a 2-ply yarn using one single of Cormo wool and another single from silk hankies.

Knitting pattern for pair of fingerless mitts using a lace pattern.

This article discusses what luster is, including the science behind it, and then works through several examples of spinning silk and comparing the resulting luster in the yarn.

The author shares her experience with traveling into the tasar-rearing forests of tropical India to see wild silk caterpillars.

This article talks about the experience of raising a silkworm with children and how to create a space for the silkworm to develop and mature.

This article explains how to spin the yarn used for the skirt project included in this issue.

Knitting pattern for a frilly skirt constructed in two pieces, an underskirt and overskirt, with child sizes ranging from small to extra large.

This article talks about blending silk with other fibers and considers the percentage of silk to include and how that impacts the final yarn.

The three authors discuss the ways in which they consider spinning silk depending on how they plan to use it.

This article talks about the different ways silk yarn can be finished and what choices you might make for finishing decisions.

This article gives a brief overview of the history of the Silk Road and silk production in China and beyond.

This article talks about silk reeling and the process of creating a production model for a silk reel.

This article walks through the author’s process of spinning an art yarn using silk.

Jacey is very excited to introduce you to our next teacher — Deb Robson. Deb will be teaching about the four main types of fiber you’ll encounter as a handspinner. She’s brilliant and you’re bound to learn something.

Deb Robson, brilliant author of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, introduces the major categories of fiber you’ll encounter in your spinning life. You can’t not learn from this amazing woman.

Deb Robson, brilliant author of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, gushes about everyone’s favorite fiber type – -wool. That simple, short description doesn’t do this 20-minute talk justice. You WILL learn something.

Deb Robson, brilliant author of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, discusses the smoothest of all fiber types: silk. She covers different types, various preps, and spinning tips.

Woolen yarns need special finishing and treatment, in this Tip Jar, PLY readers explain how they do it.

Does long draw feel like it’s just beyond your reach? This article should help. It’s not about a particular way of spinning longdraw. It’s not specific to point of contact, assisted, unassisted, from the fold, double draft, etc. It’s about making the leap from spinning with no twist between your hands to letting twist in there. It’s about getting comfortable letting go. Once you get the basics, delve into and fine-tune your longdraw; figure out the differences between the various techniques, and make choices about which and why. This, however, is not that. This is Step One. This is about going from your comfort zone (worsted) to the unknown (woolen).

The way children learn is amazing – they’re like sponges. And they aren’t afraid to mess up – they may get frustrated by it, but they’re not afraid of it. In our adult world, there is little room for trial and error; we’re used to being competent. We forget that making mistakes is part of learning a new skill. Learning is about taking what failed, making changes, and trying again. This article tells the story of how  Yakira’s daughter helped her learn to spin long draw, she might help you too!

The words woolen and worsted are used a lot by spinners and sometimes it can be a bit mystifying. It’s perplexing until you figure out which one means smooth and compact and which one means warm and fluffy. It’s confounding when you encounter one fact about spinning a woolen yarn, only to have another tidbit of information come along to contradict. Confusion abounds – it seems so complicated, especially since there are so many opinions about what it means to spin a worsted or a woolen yarn. This article is about truely woolen yarns, how to prep the fibers, draft, and finish. It’s not the only way to make a woolen yarn but it makes the MOST woolen yarn.

Longdraw means different things to different spinners. This article is about a version that goes by a few names, one of which is “supported point-of-contact longdraw.”

The defining characteristic of supported point-of-contact is that you try to match the rate at which the fibers are drafted to the rate at which twist is inserted.

This article uses this  technique to create lopi-style singles yarns – yarns that are somewhat thick, have very little twist, and are not plied. It includes fiber, fiber prep, drafting, wheel set-up, finishing, and uses.

Although this Bluefaced Leister (BFL) in the form of combed top is better suited to worsted-style drafting, this article talks about spinning it point-of-contact woolen for a head-warming hat. This article covers creating faux-logs, spinning long draw, and finishing the yarn (specifically for the Nicolas Hat in this same issue).