PLY article index

This article describes Wool Circle, a group that aims to create “fully traceable Yorkshire [UK] yarn from rare breed sheep.” It describes several people involved in the group: Zoe Fletcher, researcher of sheep breeds; Edward and Laura Sutcliffe, shepherds of Lonk and some Whiteface Woodland sheep; and Nic Corrigan, knitwear designer and machine knitter.

The author describes spinning a gradient yarn that incorporates the colors of a favorite sunset picture using BFL/silk fiber from Neighborhood Fiber Company.

This article explores the history behind Neighborhood Fiber Co in Baltimore, Maryland, and how important community is to the company.

The author juxtaposes living in Brooklyn with the slow craft of spinning, including considerations of mindfulness, community, and environment. The article also describes the yarn the author created to define his place in his world.

This article describes the development of the sheep breeds that were designed and bred by Agriculture Canada in the second half of the twentieth century: Rideau Arcott, Canadian Arcott, Outaouais Arcott. The author then experiments with spinning each of these breeds.

The author shares the history of the Estes Park Wool Market (in Colorado) and personal reflection on the event.

Visiting a fleece auction for the first time can be intimidating for the anxious spinner. This article is meant to help make that first visit to a fleece market a little easier by helping you know what to expect.

The author describes her experience using the Harvest Hosts community to find overnight stays during a road trip, including a cotton farm, and alpaca farm and mill, and a pecan farm with sheep and alpaca.

Pattern for crochet top in 14 sizes, easily customizable with a simple construction and no seams.

This article describes how to spin the yarn used in the crochet top project (pattern in this issue). First, it explores blend options for a top to wear in a warm environment (flax, hemp/cotton blend) and explains what fiber was chosen.

This article provides tips and tricks for spinning in an environment with hot temperatures.

This infographic provides information on the various countries where plants fibers are grown (both fibers for spinning and for dyeing).

Twist should never be in your fiber supply. Instead, it should be either in between your hands or not in between your hands. This article explains the difference between the two and how they relate to spinning worsted and woolen yarns. It also describes how to spin each way and how it affects your yarn.

Weaving pattern for a table runner using a gradient yarn for the warp and a twill structure to highlight the gradient.

The most technologically advanced material on the planet wasn’t created in a lab; it was made by a sheep. Learn all about wool’s incredible natural properties in this article.

The introduction of spinning wheels gave spinners the opportunity to better control the rate of twist they were making. In this article, get more familiar with these numbers and how to make them work for you.

Does rewinding bobbins before plying make a difference? This experimental article aims to find out.

Plying from a center-pull ball seems like a convenient solution to a variety of logistical spinning obstacles—but how might it affect your final yarn? Find out in this experiment.

We often work from garbled, meager, incomplete information when trying to achieve a target yarn. This article introduces how you can get more (and more accurate!) data on your yarn.

Why do some sheep shed? This article dives into the details of what shedding looks like on an Icelandic flock.

There are a whole host of fibers available on the modern market, including some from unexpected sources. Dive in to the science behind them in the following articles.

Regenerated fibers are formed when some form of biomass is chemically processed and spun. Learn about regenerated cellulose and protein fibers here.

Learn about the spinning, dyeing, blending, and weaving behaviors of the science fibers SeaCell and pearl.

What is Tencel, and how does it behave as a fiber? Find out in this exploratory article.