Posts

Karen

Book Review: Bog Fashion by Nicole DeRushie

/0 Comments/in /by

Bog Fashion: Recreating Bronze and Iron Age Clothes

by Nicole DeRushie
Publisher: ChronoCopia Publishing
Hardcover, 192 pages
Publication date: April 2025
Find a retailer here
Review by Karen Robinson

I heard about this book from the author, Nicole DeRushie, who has an article on lime bast in our forthcoming Plants issue (Autumn 2025), and as someone who is intrigued by textile history, I had to get my hands on it. (Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of the book for this review.) 

Part history, part experimental archaeology, and part instructions and patterns, this book is a fascinating look at prehistoric textiles and clothing. As the author explains, it is “an introduction to the topic of Bronze and Iron Age fashion, rather than an exhaustive study.” The book sets the scene for textile study of these early periods in Northern and Western Europe (roughly 2500 BCE through 800 CE). In particular, it looks at textiles that have been found in bogs, whose conditions preserve the fabric, and provides specific examples from cloth fragments to entire articles of clothing that have been found, with accompanying photos of the actual items and how they might have been worn. 

After providing the historical information, the book moves into considerations for readers who want to recreate these prehistoric garments, including specific questions to ask for your projects and the level of historical accuracy you desire. It covers fibers used and colors that would have been available, either as natural fibers or through dyeing. You’ll also find information about specific plants used to dye various colors as well as instructions for dyeing with walnuts (no mordant needed). In addition, the book contains instructions for creating pins from blackthorn, making bone needles, and using various stitching techniques. 

The patterns themselves each start with the archaeological evidence for that specific pattern and include a pattern authenticity section with information based upon your chosen time period for appropriate fiber content, colors, and weaving patterns. The instructions cover a list of materials, the shaping or cutting of the fabric, and the stitches to use for seaming and hemming. Illustrations and schematics are included as well as close-up photos of details. 

This book packs a lot of information into its pages, and although the author says it doesn’t need to be read from front to back (you can skip around to whatever interests you), I did start at the beginning and read all the way through to the end. And I do recommend that to other readers as well because you get so many small nuggets of interesting detail that you don’t want to miss out on, whether you are planning to create your own clothing or not. 

The book does not contain any specific spinning or weaving instructions, though it does mention that you can spin and weave the fabric for the clothing. For weavers, the specific weave structure is often mentioned in the examples, so you should be able to use the information provided to create your own cloth. 

Although this book is aimed at crafters who want to reproduce clothing from the Bronze and Iron Ages, readers who are not interested in making these garments themselves will still find a lot of interest in the pages of this book. The book is geared to the enthusiast rather than the expert, so you don’t need any previous knowledge about these textiles or this time period to enjoy it. So if you want to learn about the kinds of historic garments worn during this time as well as the process archaeologists use in textile studies, check out this fascinating book.  

Meagan Condon

Wool in School: Creativity, Heritage, and Hands-on Learning 

/0 Comments/in /by

The Wool in School project, based in Ireland and founded by fiber artist and educator Lorna McCormack, is a fantastic program that brings the story of wool into classrooms. It is all about connecting students to nature, tradition, and wool as a renewable material. 

One of the main offerings of the program is the Wool2Ewe education box. The kit includes a classroom display, educational resources, and ways for teachers to integrate wool education into their curriculum. 

Another element is the Heritage in Schools project, where Lorna visits schools across Ireland and leads workshops on traditional Irish fiber practices. In 2024, over 250 children took part in a five-week series of workshops geared toward learning real skills and an appreciation for their local heritage. 

The Wool in School program also offers FeirmVR, a virtual reality experience that lets students explore farming and wool production in immersive 3D. 

To learn more or bring Wool in School to your classroom, visit www.woolinschool.com. 

Meagan Condon

It’s a Wrap! Tour de Fleece 2025

/0 Comments/in /by

As the 2025 Tour de Fleece (otherwise known as TdF) draws to a close in a few days, spinners from around the world will reflect on the past three weeks of creativity, camaraderie, and craftsmanship. I hope they all have a chance to take a breath! The event, which runs parallel to the Tour de France, has once again proven to be a highlight of the fiber arts calendar. Whether participants met their goals or simply had the chance to spin with friends, the end of the race marks a moment of celebration and community. 

The 2025 TdF saw an even stronger sense of global connection. Fiber artists from diverse backgrounds, locations, and skill levels united over the shared challenges. Simply searching for #tourdefleece2025 on social media will bring up hundreds of photos of finished yarns. 

On a personal note, I love using TdF as a chance to step out of my comfort zone. One year, I challenged myself to spin with a pair of underwear (clean) on my head just to get my teammates to giggle. While this year I haven’t accomplished anything quite so wild, I have managed to spin up about half a pound of low-twist singles as part of a new fiber experiment (more to come). My comfort zone is pretty wide at this point, but singles yarns still confound me. 

Did you spin in TdF this year? If so, what did you accomplish? 

Meagan Condon

Dizzing Three Ways

/0 Comments/in /by

I am an incredibly lazy spinner. If I can do it without digging the specialized tool out of storage for it, I will! Sometimes that makes more work for myself, though I don’t like to admit it. For the longest time, I would create roving or top without a diz, just drafting it out with my hands… because it was too much work to find the diz. However, I am a diz convert, especially after seeing how much nicer the preparations behave. 

Photo by Jacqueline Harp in Winter 2022, Neck and Shoulders issue.

What’s a Diz? 

A diz is a simple, useful tool for handspinners. Often made from wood, bone, plastic, or ceramic, it is a small disk, sometimes concave and sometimes flat, with at least one small hole through which fiber can be pulled. It is designed to create a consistent roving. 

Here are three ways you can use a diz with different fiber preparations: 

1. Making True Top from Wool Combs  

Dizzing wool directly from combs is ideal for worsted spinning. Once you have combed the fiber and the fiber is aligned on one of the combs, clamp the comb to a table so that you have both hands free to work the fiber. Bring the fibers on the comb to a point and feed the fibers through the diz. Twisting the tips of the fiber can help it feed through the small hole. Start to draft the fibers from the tip. As your top thins, slide the diz downward toward the comb until it has a firm grip on the next set of fibers. Then draft the fibers some more. Do this until there is minimal waste fiber left on the comb. You can coil your roving in a neat little nest for safekeeping until you are ready to spin. 

2. Creating Roving from Drum-Carded Batts  

Batts from a drum carder can be turned into manageable roving using a diz as well, and it can be done directly from the drum carder. Once all the fiber has been applied to the drum carder and blended, typically we would remove it to create a batt. Instead, find the seam of the drum. From one edge of the seam, slide the doffer about 1 inch along the seam and lift to break the continuous loop. Gather the tips of the fiber from one side and put them through the diz as described above. As you draw off the roving, you’ll slowly move the diz down and around the drum in a spiral until you have removed all of the fiber. 

3. Refining Woolen Prep from Rolags  

Though usually spun directly, rolags can be dizzed to get a more semi-worsted preparation. This technique can also be used to loosen fauxlags, which are very tight rolags made on blending boards. Gently pull the fibers from the tip of the rolag through the diz. As you draw the rolag through the diz, it will straighten and align the fibers somewhat. 

Final Tips: 

  • Choose the right hole size based on fiber and yarn weight.  A small hole will make a small yarn. 
  • Pull slowly to avoid breakage or bunching. 
  • Start with clean, well-prepared fiber for best results. 
wool from different breeds of sheep demonstrating different lengths of fiber
Meagan Condon

The Goldilocks Problem: Staple Length Matters 

/0 Comments/in /by

Staple length—the average length of individual fibers in a fiber preparation—is one of the most important characteristics to consider when preparing and spinning fiber by hand with a worsted technique. Whether you’re spinning Merino or a longwool like Wensleydale, understanding staple length helps you to control your drafting technique and create the yarn you intend. 

I consider this the Goldilocks problem of worsted spinning.  The goal is to position your hands to allow you to draft “just right.”   

Whether you use a forward or backward draw when you spin, your hands draft the fibers out into a narrower strand before or while twist is being added. The distance between your hands creates a drafting zone: if your hands are too close together for the staple length of the fiber, the fibers won’t slide past each other easily.  You are essentially holding both ends of the same fiber and I promise the fiber is stronger than you in this tug-of-war match. 

If your hands are too far apart, you may lose control of the draft, especially with short fibers.  You might find that as you draft, the fiber suddenly comes loose and drifts apart, leaving you holding two separate sections of fiber and a whole lot of frustration. 

The ultimate goal is to set your hands at just about the average staple length, so the fibers can move and draft smoothly without pulling apart.  Not too wide, not too narrow, but just right.     

For short-stapled fibers, like cotton or yak, your hands need to be close together—sometimes only an inch or two apart—to control the drafting and prevent the fibers from slipping apart. One of the reasons we often choose a long draw for these fibers is because of how difficult it can be to maintain such a short draft zone.   

Medium-staple fibers, such as Corriedale or Romney, are more forgiving. You can draft them with your hands 4–6 inches apart.  Many spinners find their comfort zone in this range. 

Long-stapled fibers, like Lincoln or silk, require your hands to be farther apart—sometimes MUCH further apart.  If you hold your hands too close, these long fibers won’t draft well; instead, they’ll resist movement or break under the stress.  

Matching your hand placement to staple length is essential for an efficient, consistent, and ergonomically sound draft and to avoid unnecessary frustration. If you are ever fighting your fiber while spinning, stop and ask yourself if your hands are too far apart, too close together, or just right! 

Karen

Knitting Patterns for Handspun Yarn

/0 Comments/in /by

Although you can use handspun yarn in almost any knitting pattern, sometimes there are patterns that work better than others for handspun. This is especially true if you have limited yardage, have any inconsistencies in the yarn, or aren’t sure about what gauge you should be aiming for. 

With those ideas in mind, finding patterns that allow for variations in gauge and yardage are the most helpful to make something you’ll love that allows your handspun yarn to shine in all its glory. 

Karen’s Musselburgh Hat WIP.
Karen’s Quaker Yarn Stretcher Boomerang Shawl.

Variable gauge 

One of the places to start is to look for patterns that can be adapted based upon your gauge. That way you can find the needle size that creates a fabric you like with your yarn and use that gauge for the pattern. If you’re searching for patterns on Ravelry, for example, in the advanced search options, you can select “any gauge” under Weight to help find these patterns. Here are some of the ones that caught my eye (note: all links are to Ravelry). 

Musselburgh Hat by Isolda Teague: This has been one of my go-to patterns for hats because it’s adaptable to various yarns with tables that give you all the stitch counts based upon your gauge (which you take by casting on the hat and measuring when you have an inch or two of fabric—no gauge swatch needed!). It creates a double-sided hat, which you wear by folding one side into the other, so you’re making two hats in one. This allows for using two different yarns (switching at the halfway point of the knitting), stripes, or even adding in stitch patterns. (Pictured is my in-progress handspun Musselburgh.) 

The Traveler Cowl by Andrea Mowry: This cowl is knit on the bias (flat and seamed), which makes it a great candidate for handspun yarn of any size as you can adjust the final size of the cowl as you go. In fact, the designer had handspun yarn in mind for this pattern. 

Boomerang shawls, various designers: Another great option is to look for boomerang-shaped shawls. These shawls are not quite crescent shawls and not quite triangular shawls but somewhere in between, and the idea is to keep working on them until you run out of yarn. So they’re great both from a variable gauge standpoint as well as from a yardage standpoint. I’m currently working on the Handspun Boomerang Shawl by Natasha Sills and have also made a Quaker Yarn Stretcher Boomerang by Susan Ashcroft (pictured). 

Speaking of Susan Ashcroft, you should check out more of her patterns (Stichnerd Designs) because she has several other “yarn stretcher” or “boomerang” patterns that can work wonderfully with handspun. She has a whole bundle of her patterns that she’s made specifically for those patterns that work well with handspun yarn. 

Tensfield or Langfield by Martina Behm: These two hat patterns (the second is the slouchy version) have a fun construction that will showcase your handspun yarn. Even better, because you adjust the size as you knit, it doesn’t matter what weight of yarn or gauge you use. I haven’t made one of these yet, but I’ve just added the pattern to my queue! 

Aunt Maggie by Shilo Weir: This free knitting pattern was created after the designer received encouragement during a spinning class with Maggie Casey to make sure to knit with their handspun. Written with a variety of yarn weights in mind, from sport to bulky, the pattern information includes a note about how much yarn you’ll need to complete the cowl. 

What if you don’t want an accessory but instead want to make a sweater? Designer Elizabeth Felgate has several sweater and cardigan patterns that can be made using any weight of yarn. Even better – you don’t even have to calculate your gauge! The construction of the garments has you measure your progress as you go (in inches or cm) to get the size you want. 

What other patterns have you found that work well with handspun? Share them in the comments! 

Jillian Moreno

Ask Jillian: How Do I Keep My Colors Clear in Chain Ply?

/0 Comments/in /by

I am so frustrated that the colors in my chain-plied yarn keep combining. I want my yarn to look as close to my hand-dyed braid as possible. Tell me how to keep my colors clear and unmarled. ~Donna, Harrisville, NH

Hi Donna,

I hate when that happens! The number one reason that I chain ply is to keep my hand-dyed braid color clear and unmixed with others. Last month Jacey got us started with chain plying; now let’s fine tune for clearer color.

I want my yarns to look more like the small skein on the right than the one on the left.

I love the motion of chain plying because it’s so relaxing, but I found if I change a couple of things I get clearer colors.

I slow down, pay attention to where the color changes are, and use a variety of loop sizes while I ply.

My usual chain-ply loop is the size of an orange, sometimes bigger. I can happily ply along for an entire bobbin with loops of that size. But when I keep my loops the same, on the bigger side, my colors mix and marl when colors transition.

I taught myself to make loops about the size of a chubby grape, and I use those smaller loops when the colors change in my singles. The yarn will still barber pole, but the length of the marled section is much smaller, the size of the smaller loop.

I do have to slow my roll when I treadle and watch my singles to see when the colors change, but that extra time is worth it to me for the colors I want. I usually use two or three smaller loops right before the color change, one at the color change, and two or three after the color change.

It’s not 100 percent perfect; a lot of the time colors will marl while drafting singles and those will marl in the ply. Comparing the yarn on the left that has large loops and a long stretch of marled colors to the yarn on the right, where I used a combination of loop sizes, I like the flow of the smaller amounts of marled yarn much more.

I try not to fet too much about the small parts that do marl. I can see them when I look closely, but when I look at my yarn as a whole skein, the overall look is clear, beautiful color.

Want Jillian or Jacey to take a stab at your question? Tell us what you want to know:

Ask Jacey and Jillian!

Jacey Faulkner

PLY Guild: Second Season Drop – Episode 3

/0 Comments/in /by

I am thrilled to report that the third episode of the second (worsted) season of the PLY Guild has dropped and is almost ready for your viewing pleasure! It’ll be up on July 18th (we had a little family emergency and so it’s running behind 2-3 days).

This episode is all about combs! You’ll learn how to choose combs and use combs from some great teachers including: Maggie Casey, Laura Linneman, Michelle Boyd, and Jacey Boggs Faulkner. We’ll cover 2-pitch Viking combs, 4-pitch English combs, 3-d printed combs, combing with clamped combs, combing with unclamped combs, combing with a hackle, dizzing, and planking! It’s a long episode so set aside some time, get out whatever combs you have (or some fiber and a wheel/spindle) and enjoy! If you don’t have combs, don’t worry, the next episode is all about creating worsted preparations without combs! 

Watch the episode now!

We’ll see you again with a new episode in six weeks (but in the meantime, come see us in a spin-in)! If you haven’t already gotten your membership, this is an episode you won’t want to miss! 

Join the PLY Spinners Guild here 

If you’d like to learn more from your favorite fiber instructors, make sure your membership is active! Each month is jam packed with new instructional videos and virtual spin-ins. Membership is cumulative, meaning you get access not only to the current episode, but also to every previous episode and recorded spin-in as well. 

The PLY Spinners Guild (PSG) hosts three 90 minute spin-ins every month: 

  • On the first Sunday of every month, guild members meet and spin at 5 p.m. Pacific.   
  • On the third Sunday of every month, guild members meet and spin at 10 a.m. Pacific. 
  • On the third Thursday of every month, guild members meet and spin at 5 p.m. Pacific. (This is the Building Skills Spin-in for spinners who want a less technical experience than our other spin-ins!)

The guild is priced at $85/year or $12/month. This is a very good deal for the amount of information and community you will get, especially since new video lessons are added every six weeks! This fee allows us to pay for the substantial hosting required by so many high-def videos and the charge per member to access the site, along with fairly compensating the teachers, editors, and everyone involved in making the guild work. 

If you aren’t already a member, we think you’d definitely enjoy it! 

The PLY Spinners Guild is a space for spinners at all levels of spinning. We are an inclusive and diverse community that embraces all spinners and welcomes everyone to create a brave space to question, challenge, and support one another. We strongly believe that the more diverse our community is, the stronger our community is. Our core beliefs of kindness, diversity, and inclusivity inform everything we do. Racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to remove anyone who meaningfully and purposefully disrupts the community or makes other members feel unsafe. 

Meagan Condon

Breed Development through Upgrading

/0 Comments/in /by

Many of the sheep breeds found in the United States are being developed through a technique called upgrading. The United States (like many European countries) has strict regulations on the importation and exportation of live animals and particular breeds. As a result, there are many wonderful sheep breeds that can’t be brought into the United States, like Gotland, Teeswater, Herdwick, Bluefaced Leicester, and Black Welsh Mountain. And yet there are American flocks of all these breeds! 

While we can’t import these sheep, we can import semen. A breeder will choose a breed that is close to the breed they want. For example, if a breeder wants Teeswater, they might choose another longwool breed like Leicester Longwool. A Leicester Longwool ewe is inseminated with semen from a Teeswater sheep. The result is a 50/50 genetic blend. This second-generation sheep is then inseminated with Teeswater semen. The resulting lamb is 75/25 Teeswater.  

This process is continued until the sheep being bred have primarily Teeswater genes. An upgraded flock will never be 100 percent genetically the same as the original breed. American Teeswater may be 95–99 percent Teeswater. But chances are you or I would not be able to tell the difference unless one population or the other were heavily modified. 

At this time, Valais Blacknose – the cutest sheep in the world – are being introduced to the United States via upgrading. 

Upgrading is one way we can help preserve breeds and populations that are rare or threatened. Sometimes there aren’t enough sheep left in a population to have sustainable genetic diversity. Upgrading offers a solution for saving threatened breeds. 

Have you ever spun a fleece from an upgraded sheep? If so, what genetic percentages did it have? What qualities did the fleece have? 

A small flock of Teeswater sheep. © Copyright Paul Buckingham and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 2.0.