Description
TOC Plying Issue
Spin It
Smith, Beth: Plying Primer
Moreno, Jillian: Plying for Color
Powell, Gwen: Chain plying
Berry, Mary: Spin. PLY. Cable
Zawistowski, Patsy: Illegal plying
Zawistoski, Patsy: “The Miss America” an alternative to Andean Plying
McFaddon, Carol: The Mendenhall muff spin it
Mullett Bowlsby, Jason: project: Shepherdess Cardi
Mckenna, Kim: Plying with rings
Knit It
Mcfaddon, Carol: The Mendenhall muff
Mullett-Bowlsby, Shannon: Shepherdess Cardi
Extra
Becker, Sylvia: The Law of Diminishing Returns
Casey, Maggie: What went wrong?
Perpelitz, Kara: Plying for stretch
Boyd, Michelle: Plying by numbers
Rodgers, Esther: Matchmaking
Gaustad, Stephenie: The Mystery of elastic cotton
Smith, Beth: The skirt project
Community
Cooper, Kaye: Plying my longest thread
Walker, Katrina: Flock to fashion (Shepherdess Cardi fiber beginnings)
Regulars
Hot button: Lazy Kates
Smith, Beth: use your yarn
Demers, Carson: Ergo Neo: plying
Bazaar
Coming Soon
Tammy Inman –
I love Ply Magazine. I haven’t gotten it for long. The ply issue is the best so far. I received it while I was in the hospital recovering from knee surgery. I learned so much. Now I need to read it again since I am no longer on pain meds and hopefully be able to put into practice some of the great advice.
Sandra Lee Wollin –
There isn’t an issue that goes by that I don’t learn something from. Each issue gets better and better and I can’t wait for them to come. I’ve tried some of the techniques in the articles and my spinning has improved greatly! Thanks for a FANTASTIC magazine!!
Deborah C Thompsen –
Another stellar issue from Ply. I learned an incredible amount from this issue, and have put some of that new knowledge into practice. My plying has improved so much!
Allison Rose –
As a relatively new spinner, the Ply issue was very informative for me! There is always so much great information in Ply magazine. It really taught me all the intricacies of plying your yarn that I had no clue about. This magazine as a whole is essential for spinners!
Jean Watson –
As a 76 year old who has only been spinning for a little over a year, I find Ply magazine an absolute wealth of information. I was at first stunned by the magazine’s price, but then quickly saw that I was indeed buying a book, not a magazine. Every article is full of vital information written by persons who are experts in their fields. I have learned so much!
Vivi –
As a noviçe spinner/knitter, Ply magazine is an incredible tool for me. Love every issue I have so far.
Judy Jackson –
It’s always interesting to see how each person plies. I think it’s an individual thing. Great issue!
Penny B –
Everything in every issue of Ply is informative. I am a relatively new spinner (3 years.) Initially, most of the skills presented and discussed in Ply were well beyond my meager skills. So Ply became my gold standard, the skills I was aiming at as I “matured” and grew as a spinner.
I am very lucky. My LYS is Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins. That’s right (I know at this point you wish to cry in jealousy.) I have been incredibly fortunate to take most of my spinning classes with the amazing Maggie Casey. The two classes I took with another instructor was with Beth Shearer Smith. These women have given me the solid foundation for working with everything from mystery wool through silks and Paco-Vicuna.
Yet for all of my good fortune in teachers, I use Ply as my reference and research library. I have every single issue. When I decided to try a new fiber or technique, the first thing I do is go through every Ply magazine. I know what I will find is a wealth of technique and information, and I am enriched by the different opinions and articles.
I think my favorite thing about ply is the format: that each issue is so incredibly in-depth on one subject. It isn’t a superficial regurgitation of old content. Its vibrantly illustrated with beautiful photography. It has very honest mystery reviews. It supports the indie community of fibernistas and dyers. It gives me a wealth of detailed information. I love Ply, it has helped me to grow as a spinner. Thank you.
Jaya Srikrishnan –
I loved a number of articles in this issue. But my favorite was the Miss America plying technique in Patsy Z’s article. I will definitely make use of this for sampling yarns.
Karen Malcor-Chapman –
This issue is sitting in my spinning basket next to my wheels. When I first started entering my yarns into county fair competitions, I won a lot – in fact, my 2nd year of entries got me 2 different “Best in Show” awards for 2 different items! But, on one particular skein of beautiful black baby alpaca, the judge had written “I don’t get your plying!” Without further explanation, I have wondered for DECADES what exactly he/she meant by that, and what I was doing “wrong” in my plying even though my yarns were winning and useful. Truthfully, I lost confidence in my plying and haven’t entered a competition since!
So, having read through the articles a couple of times, I plan to reference them and try some new things as I spin in the future, with great hopes that I shall conquer my trepidation about plying and just get on with enjoying making more yarns than singles!
Isa –
I recently started ordering this and other back issues, I loved it!! It’s super comprehensive and goes into detail into anything you might need to know for plying.
Sara Flickinger (verified owner) –
I loved this issue! So much knowledge! I really loved the article on plying by the numbers and NOT plying to U. I have been preaching this very aspect of plying in my spinning groups and it’s nice to have professional back up! Thank you for such an amazing wealth of information each issue!
Sandy –
I was so glad to see this topic covered in PLY magazine. It is almost as if plying is an afterthought sometimes, considering how little attention is paid to it in the planning stages of a project. And yet, it will affect everything about the project and what the yarn grows up to be. I was also happy to see my favourite technique, cabling, covered.
Jan –
Every issue continues to stretch my spinning abilities. It’s great that experienced spinners are so willing to share their knowledge with the rest of us. Thanks for going to all the trouble of putting out such a fine magazine.
Mary –
Borrowed this issue from a friend…and fell smack in love! Will have to subscribe soon! Not sure how long she will let me borrow her issues. *grin*
sue –
Ply is great! I have been spinning for a few years, and I am always looking for help in improving my efforts. Ply provides that help.
Deana –
This issue has helped improve my plying skills. I’m not very good at plying in general. Having my lazy kate more behind me than to the side made my plying much more even.
sue –
I love Ply – I am the only hand spinner in my county, as far as I know, so I am happy to have a resource available that can help me learn, and can make me feel like a part of a fantastic community of spinners. Plying not my greatest skill – but I was glad to see articles that will help me improve – and have the courage to try new techniques.
Helga –
I’m sometimes surprised at how plying can bewilder and up-end an otherwise capable spinner. It truly is the step where the magic takes place and those strings on your bobbins becomes…YARN. Enjoyed all the articles and different techniques. I learn something new with every issue.
kathleen a blake –
I read Ply cover to cover. Even after spinning for years, there is something to learn. Patsy is always amazing at how she can simplify making samples with Miss America way of hand plying. Also how many of us have plenty of 4 oz braids in our stash. Jillian does a fine job of showing ways to ply them for color work. Why wouldn’t you subscribe to PLY It is an encyclopedia of information written by spinners for spinners!!!!
Laura Kanemori –
Ply is one of the few magazines I read cover-to-cover and more than once. This particular issue is excellent (as usual) for its range of articles, from beginner information to more advanced topics. I also appreciate that while the focus is largely on the process, many articles also look ahead to the end product.
Martha W –
Excellent issue, as always! Especially liked the elasticity article. Ply is the one magazine I keep and refer to again and again.
Karin Wallgren –
Ply is my favorite piece of mail. It is so beautifully put together and the articles are always informative. I learn something new with every issue.
Taevia –
This issue covered everything from tradition plying to advanced techniques like boucle. The plying trapeze was particularly interesting!
Christine Dunlap –
This issue really got my creative juices flowing. I have almost finished spinning enough chunky yarn for a rustic vest. Both from a technical and artistic point of view, this issue was a great success!
Michele B –
Lots of super useful information and glad I can go back again and again and learn more each time!
karen powell –
Love the knowledge you share with the readers, there is so much in the fiber world to learn and it all comes at you so fast when you start…but your issues break down the topics and spread the word of great artists and how they do what they do to get the results. Plying has never really made sense to me but after this issue it makes much more sense.
Margaret –
This is my first issue of my Ply Magazine subscription. Why hadn’t I heard of this before? (Maybe it’s because I’m from Down Under?) It’s amazing!!! As soon as it arrived I read it from cover to cover and have learnt so much. I’m glad I subscribed. Thank you for a wonderful spinning resource
Jessie McKitrick –
I have been subscribing to PLY for about a year now, and I must say that the issue on plying has been tremendously useful. It arrived at a very good time for me, as I have been wanting to improve my consistency in my spinning, and this issue will continue to be an important reference source for me for a very long time to come. I was glad to be able to read great articles on various types of plying, but more than that, the emphasis on sampling and experimenting has given me the confidence needed to explore what I want to get out of my plying, and to get to work on learning what works for me when making a variety of different yarns.