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Alpaca Wool: A Misnomer

November 19, 2024/in Frontpage Article /by Meagan Condon

How many times have you heard someone selling their alpaca wool? Or touting their alpaca wool scarf? The only problem is that it isn’t wool. Let me explain!

Fibers can be categorized into a few different classes, including hair, wool, and fur (excluding kemp and guard hair for the moment).

Let’s check out Meagan’s handy chart to get us started.

FIBER TYPE	QUALITIES
FIBER TYPE	CUTICLE	MEDULATION	GROWTH	DENSITY	SEBUM
FUR	Scales overlap, forming as many as 10 layers	Generally present and pronounced	Reaches a maximum length and then sheds	Higher than 60,000 follicles/sq inch	Limited quantity of sebum
HAIR	Scales overlap, forming as many as 10 layers	Generally present and pronounced	Continuous growth, but sheds	500 follicles/sq inch Only 100-200 active follicles at a time	Limited quantity of sebum
WOOL	In fine wools, scales overlap, usually forming 1-2 layers. Scales are barbed	Generally absent or almost absent	Continuous, if not sheared	Up to 60,000 follicles/sq inch	Lanolin in varying quantities

Alpaca is actually a hair fiber, like our own hair. Like us, they shed a small amount of their fiber, but it continues to grow and get longer if we don’t cut it. Because of this continuous growth, alpacas have to be sheared regularly for their health.

Check out this microscopic view of alpaca fibers. The first thing you might notice is the dark line going down the center of each fiber. This is the hollow medulla.

Air = Warmth

Any time there is air trapped in a fiber, it contributes to it being a warmer fiber. Air is an insulator. Wool does not have a hollow center, which is one of the reasons why alpaca is so much warmer than wool.

The keratin structures in alpaca fiber are different than the structures in high-memory wool. As a result, the fiber has almost no memory. That means it will not return to its original shape once it has been stretched out. This is great for drape, but not great for anything that requires stretch, like socks or mittens. We often blend wool with alpaca to compensate for its lack of stretch.

While it may be tempting to call alpaca wool because it is so squishy and wool-like, there are some fundamental differences that mean that the fibers behave differently. Are the spinning police going to come after you if you call alpaca wool? No way! Still, it is sometimes helpful to have that scientific distinction to help guide your creative process.

SCENE: Upcoming in the Community

November 14, 2024/in News, SCENE /by Meagan Condon

PLY strives to bring together the global spinning community and give a voice to spinners everywhere. Is there an upcoming event you’d like to share? Do you have or know of a new product, fiber, or tool you think the community should know about? If so, fill out this form!

Once each month, we’ll feature SCENE content on the blog and social media.

What are you waiting for? Let us know what’s cool, hep, lit, fire in your fiber world!

Submit to SCENE now!

The Secret to Silk Is in Your Hands

November 12, 2024/1 Comment/in Tips /by Meagan Condon

Literally … your hands are the secret to spinning silk on its own.

Hand care is important for all spinners, but special attention needs to be paid when dealing with silk. It will catch on everything. Silk will catch on other fibers. It will catch on clothes. It will catch on every hangnail and every dry patch of skin on your hands. If you think I am joking, try petting a length of silk top or mawata. Individual strands of silk will stick to the most unexpected places on your hand, and I promise, your hands are never quite as silky smooth as you might think.

Before spinning silk, I always treat my hands to a oil and salt scrub. Salt is naturally abrasive, which helps remove dead skin cells and increase circulation. Olive oil, my favorite oil to use, is made mostly of essential fatty acids which can also be found in our skin. A component of our skin is linoleic acid, which allows our skin to easily absorb the fatty acids. As a result, the oil forms a protective barrier that essentially smooths out the surface of our skin.

Spinner’s Handscrub

1 tsp table salt
1 tsp olive oil

Scrub your hands for 30 seconds to a minute with this scrub, paying special attention around your nail beds and the webbing between your fingers. This scrub will also effectively find every papercut you have. If that terrifies you, sub out the salt for sugar for a gentler scrub. I also use this as an opportunity to massage my hand muscles and warm them up for the spinning task ahead.

Smoothing your hands isn’t the only secret to silk success. How you hold it can also be the difference between a fun spin and misery. Silk feels … well, silky smooth, as if it will slip right through your fingers. As a result, many spinners will try to death-grip silk. The problem here is that silk is one of the strongest protein fibers. I promise that in a fight between your hands and silk, the silk will win. Blisters and silk burns are a terrible participation trophy to get.

Depending on how it was processed, it can also have one of the longest staple lengths. If your hands are too close together, it can be nearly impossible to draft. If you find yourself struggling, try moving your hands farther apart and relaxing your grip.

What tips do you have for spinning silk?

Meet the Team: Karen Robinson

November 7, 2024/1 Comment/in Community /by Meagan Condon

In a community like ours, the people are every bit as important as the craft. It may sound cliché, but we aren’t just fiber people. We are fiber people “together.” The team that curates PLY Magazine is small, but mighty. You’ve seen their names at the front of every issue. You may have seen their faces at this or that fiber conference. How much do you really know the magical people who produce PLY?

Over the next few months, we will be interviewing and featuring members of the PLY team here on the blog!

Managing Editor & Copy Editor

Who are you and what is your role with PLY?

I am Karen Robinson, the Managing Editor and Copy Editor for PLY. November will be my 10th anniversary with PLY!

What is your favorite fiber to spin?

BFL, hands down. Though Targhee is awesome, too.

How long have you been a spinner? (or what is your craft of choice?)

Since 2010, so 14 years. I’ve been knitting since 2004, so just hit 20 years at that. Before I learned to spin, I told myself that I’d never be interested in spinning. But then I took a class at a retreat and instantly fell in love with spinning and the rest is history!

What do you do when you aren’t spinning or working on the magazine?

Knitting, of course. Lots of reading (mostly fantasy books). I do other copyediting (mostly fiction) and teach copyediting classes through a university extended studies program. My family and I enjoy playing board games. And our three Boston Terriers and two cats keep us highly entertained.

What is a fun fact about yourself?

I have a PhD in English with a focus on Arthurian literature, so I love all the stories of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. One of my bucket list items was to visit Tintagel, which was the birthplace of Arthur in all the stories. And a couple of years ago, I took a trip to England and was able to make that dream a reality. It’s just ruins now, but that rocky promontory overlooking at sea was one of the most magnificent places I’ve visited. My cheeks hurt so much from all the grinning I did at being at that magical location.

"Feeding Herdwicks, my favorite sheep breed!"

What’s your favorite weird fiber fact?

Herdwick sheep are my favorites because I think their faces are absolutely adorable. And we have Beatrix Potter to thank for their continued thriving population in the Lake District in the UK. Not only did she advocate for the breed when she was alive, she left a number of farms to the National Trust after her passing–with the stipulation that each farm retain a specific minimum of Herdwick sheep.

Anything else you’d like to share with our followers?

I’m always happy to talk about fantasy and speculative fiction books, so if you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear them, and let me know if you want any recommendations.

“Feeding Herdwicks, my favorite sheep breed!”

A Spinner’s Spreadsheet

November 5, 2024/in We couldn't fit it in the print issue! /by Meagan Condon

by Jolie A. Elder

While spinning need not be heavily mathematical, in some situations math can be helpful. If you are math-averse, having these calculations in a reference spreadsheet can be a big help.

Disclosure: I have minimal skills at Excel. While my final spreadsheet is not the most elegant, it works. Also, Excel is very sensitive. When it wants “ (straight quotes), it does not want “ (smart quotes). If you are accustomed to word processing software that autocorrects and anticipates your needs, be forewarned that is not Excel. Excel is specific, accurate, and detailed, and expects the same from its users. Human beware!

Convert between yards and meters

Let’s start with a very simple calculation – converting between yards and meters. The conversion numbers are as follows:

1 yard = 0.9144 meters

1 meter = 1.0936133 yards

I start by writing “Length Converter” in cell A1. I use “Merge and Center” to give me a nice title. Then I write “yards” and “meters” in cells A2 and B2.

Since I want to convert from yards to meters, in cell B3 I type

=A3*0.9144

then tap the <return> key. I’ve told Excel to multiply the number in cell A3 by 0.9144, the conversion factor from yards to meters.

Type a number in cell A3 and tap <return>. Success! We can convert yards to meters.

For a double-check, I type “1” in cell A3. I should get “0.9144” in cell B3.

Upon further investigation, I discovered Excel has a convert function already in it! Sweet! The formula is:

=CONVERT(number,”yd”,”m”)

As an alternative, into cell B3 I can type the formula:

=CONVERT(A3,”yd”,”m”)

Then hit <return>. I don’t even need to know or understand the conversion factor.

If you are accustomed to translation software, you might expect to type a number into cell B3 and have Excel translate meters to yards in cell A3. Sadly, Excel does not work this way, unless you know how to program it in VBA. Since we would rather spin than write spreadsheets, let’s not go there. This is why we have friends who are professional engineers. (Thank you to my friend Larry Acuff for confirming that yes, you can upgrade this spreadsheet with VBA code.)

Since I’d like to convert in either direction, I’ll add a few more cells to my spreadsheet. Into cell A5 I write

=CONVERT(B5,”m”,”yd”)

Now I can put a measurement in meters into cell B5 and get the yard equivalent in cell A5.

You may notice rows 3 and 5 are not equivalent numbers. They are two completely separate equations. It would be nice to type either yards or meters into row 3 and have row 5 give me both answers. Can I do that?

This is where we go a wee bit past Excel basics. Time to use the IF function.

I delete all the data in cells A3, B3, A5, and B5. Bye, bye, formulas!

Here’s my thought process. If I enter yards in cell A3, then I want cell A5 to copy that information. But if I left cell A3 blank and instead entered meters in cell B3, then I want Excel to convert those meters to yards. Similarly, I want cell B5 to have meters, whether copied directly from cell B3 or calculated from yards entered in cell A3.

The magic formula for cell A5 is

=IF(TRUE=ISBLANK(A3),CONVERT(B3,”m”,”yd”),A3)

In human-speak that sentence means the following: If it is true that cell A3 is blank, then convert the number in cell B3 from meters to yards; otherwise, copy the number from cell A3.

A rewrite of that formula goes into cell B5

=IF(TRUE=ISBLANK(B3),CONVERT(A3,”yd”,”m”),B3)

Give it a try. I know 6 yards is a little less than 6 meters. What happens when I put 6 in cell A3 and tap <return>?

Cell B3 stays empty. But cell B5 now says 5.4864. That would be a little less than 6. The yard and meter equivalents are both on row 5. More success!

Try clearing A3 and putting a number in B3 instead. I still get yards and meters, but this time the yards were converted and the meters were copied.

Convert between ounces and grams

Wouldn’t it be nice to convert ounces and grams the same way?

I’ll repeat what I just did. I copy cells A1 through B5 and paste them over cells C1 through D5. I change the text to “Mass Converter,” “Ounces,” and “Grams.” Then I change the formulas. All I have to do is put “g” and “ozm” in place of “m” and “yd”. The formulas for C5 and D5 are as follows:

=IF(TRUE=ISBLANK(C3),CONVERT(D3,”g”,”ozm”),C3)

=IF(TRUE=ISBLANK(D3),CONVERT(C3,”ozm”,”g”),D3)

Try playing with it. In my example, I know it is typical for me to spin 100 grams but measure length in yards.

Grist

Since I now have both length and weight on row 5, I could do another calculation – grist.

Grist is a length of yarn per mass of yarn. It is usually expressed as yards per pound, but you could use meters per kilogram, or even bastard units such as yards per gram or meters per ounce. You could even try furlongs per stone or parsecs per solar mass. 😉

For my spreadsheet, I’ll make a grist calculator that gives me yards per pound, yards per kilogram, meters per pound, and meters per kilogram.

I write “Grist Calculator” in cell A6, then I merge and center cells A6 through D6. I write “yards” in cells A8 and B8, “meters” in cells C8 and D8, “pounds” in cells A10 and C10, and “kilograms” in cells B10 and D10.

I want to copy the appropriate measurements into my grist calculator. My yards measurement is in cell A5. I enter

=A5

into cells A7 and B7. For meters I enter

=B5

into cells C7 and D7.

I’ll need to do some conversions for pounds and kilograms. The pound cells are A9 and C9. I’m back to using the convert function:

=CONVERT(C5,”ozm”,”lbm”)

Finally, cells B9 and D9 convert grams to kilograms:

=CONVERT(D5,”g”,”kg”)

I have all the numbers where I need them. I just need to do some division.

Cell A11 is going to be yards per pound. I enter

=A7/A9

That gives me a number representing yards per pound. If I copy and paste cell A11 into cells B11, C11, and D11, Excel thoughtfully realizes the division I want. I now have grist expressed four different ways in row 11.

I could use row 12 to write “yds/lb,” “yds/kg,” “m/lb,” and “m/kg.” But if I want to be fancy, there are a couple things I can do. First, grist is rarely expressed in decimals. It is nearly always rounded to a whole number. Second, it would be nice to have the units in the box right next to the answer. I highlight A11. In the Format menu I choose “Cells…” or hit ⌘1. From “Number” I go to the bottom and choose “Custom”. In the box I type

0 “yds/lb”

and click <OK>.

Now A11 gives me a whole number in yds/lb!

Repeat this approach for cells B12, C12, and D12, giving each the correct units.

Other notes

At the end, I draw thick box borders around each section of the spreadsheet. I haven’t added background color to any cells, but I could do that if I wanted to clarify where to input data or to highlight the answers.

To use this spreadsheet, I merely empty all the cells in row 3.

There are some error messages. Excel does not like to divide by 0. And this spreadsheet is not idiot-proof. I should enter only one number in either A3 or B3, not both. Similarly, I enter only one number in C3 or D3, not both.

There are ways to refine this spreadsheet using more advanced skills in Excel. For example, there are ways to hide the zeros or prevent Excel from attempting to divide by zero. But for most of us, saving this as a spinner’s spreadsheet or a grist calculator will work just fine.

Jolie Elder has explored a wide range of needle arts after learning to cross stitch at age four. Her cleverest unvention is a method for working stockinette-based laces reversibly. You can view her experiments at jolieaelder.blogspot.com and the YouTube channel Jolie knits.

Spooky Spins & Handspun Horror

October 31, 2024/in Fun /by Meagan Condon

Enjoy these 3 creepy and fibery micro-stories that will strike fear into any spinner’s heart. Happy Halloween!

And Then There Was None

MaryAnn wanted nothing more than to create a sweater from her own handspun yarn. She had challenged herself to complete it by the end of October so she could wear it to her family’s Thanksgiving celebration. She had carefully calculated the amount of fiber needed for the sweater project and added an extra 10 percent to make sure she had enough yarn.

She carefully selected a gorgeous Cormo fleece for its bounce and squish-factor. She lovingly scoured it lock by lock and carded it by hand into beautiful, lofty rolags. It had taken her weeks to spin the singles and nearly as long to ply and finish it.

Now, as October 31st loomed, she did not experience the joy of completing her sweater. Instead, she felt only dread. Despite her calculations, she didn’t account for the stretch or shrinkage of the crimpy Cormo. She ran out of yarn 6 inches short of completing the second sleeve.

Scared Skeinless

The frog hair lace slipped through her fingers and buried itself in the nearly full bobbin.

The Tell-Tale Wheel

It was a dark and stormy night. All was quiet in the house, except for the sound of rain pattering against the roof and windows. Kevin rolled over in bed. He found it difficult to fall asleep to the sounds of the storm. As he stared at the ceiling, he heard a creaking, almost like footsteps on the old hardwood floors.

He rolled over and found his wife, Janet, was not in bed. Maybe she had gotten up to use the restroom. He waited but didn’t hear the bathroom door open. He just heard the rhythmic creak continue on, becoming louder.

If she wasn’t in the bathroom, maybe she was grabbing a midnight snack in the kitchen. She was known to raid the kitchen at 3 a.m. to snack on shredded cheese. He threw his legs over the edge of the bed and placed his bare feet on the cold floor. As he made his way to the kitchen, he thought, I need to remind Janet that I need her to knit me a new pair of alpaca socks.

The kitchen was dark and plagued with shadows. The warm, welcoming glow of the refrigerator light was nowhere to be found. And neither was Janet. The creaking grew louder. It seemed to be coming from the living room.

As he inched down the corridor toward the living room, the creaking got louder and shriller. He turned the corner. Beneath the lamplight sat his wife, her eyes fixed in the distance as if in some sort of trance. Her feet treadled faster . . . and faster . . . and her spinning wheel squealed ever louder. It was maddening.

“Your wheel needs oil,” he said, but got no response. “Babe?”

“I’ve never oiled my wheel before,” she said, devoid of emotion.

“Babe, that’s not a Louët, it isn’t self-lubricating,” he replied.

She slowly turned her head toward him. “It will be fine. Come, look closer.”

He felt unease as he leaned forward. . . He edged closer to see the mechanism in action.

He leaned closer . . . and closer. . .

And that was when the drive band snapped.

wool from different breeds of sheep demonstrating different lengths of fiber

Three Tips for Making Consistent Yarn

October 29, 2024/in Frontpage Article, News, Spinning /by Meagan Condon

Maybe you’ve just learned how to spin and now you are struggling to create consistent yarn. Or perhaps you’ve been spinning for a long time and are ready to refine your technique. These tips will help you create a more consistent yarn.

Tip One: Know Your Staple

examples of different breeds of wool showing different lengths of locks from short to long

If you are experiencing problems with inconsistent yarn, it is often related to drafting. Whether you’re a new spinner or an old hand, it is always valuable to go back and check the staple of your fiber and adjust your hands. For newer spinners, it is a question of building up muscle memory. For experienced spinners, it is easy to fall into hand habits and default movements.

Remember, aim to hold your hands roughly 1 to 1.5x the staple length. If your hands are too far apart, you will wind up with thin spots where your fiber drafted too much. If your hands are too close together, you might be wearing out your hands by fighting to draft your fiber from both ends. This can result in thick sections in your yarn.

Also try to reach the same distance into your fiber supply each time you draw fibers into the draft zone. The deeper into your fiber supply you pull from, the more fibers in your drafting zone and the thicker yarn you will make.

Tip Two: Rhythm, Rhythm, Rhythm

Rhythm is everything in spinning. Consistent yarn requires the same number of twists in a particular length of yarn, throughout an entire skein. If you’re like me, rhythm doesn’t come naturally.

First, try to practice treadling your wheel with nothing on it; no fiber, no yarn. Treadle while watching a movie. Treadle while having a conversation. The more you practice treadling, the more regular you will become, even if you don’t have a strong internal sense of rhythm. When you practice treadling, you are increasing your muscle memory and reinforcing the neural network. The less you have to consciously think about treadling, the easier it is to find rhythm.

If all else fails and you can’t find a natural rhythm, don’t give up. You can always count. You read that right. Count your treadles for each time you draft. Even if you can’t keep a steady treadle, you can make sure you’re still getting the same amount of twist each time you draft. A funny thing happens when you manually count treadles; often, your rhythm and your muscle memory kick in when you least expect it.

Tip Three: Sleep on It

All this practice sounds fantastic, but there’s one more thing you need to bring it all together – a good night’s sleep. Research has shown that sleep is necessary for the consolidation of information. Basically, during sleep, the brain retraces the neural pathways used for a particular task and determines which pathways are the most efficient. By reinforcing certain pathways, the same information is more likely to travel along those pathways, saving the brain resources. If you’re feeling frustrated after a spinning session, set your work aside and come back to it the next day. You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make.