As we ramp up for tonight’s PLY Spinners Guild Third Thursday foundational spin-in, we’d like to take a moment to feature some tips from one of our wonderful PLY Guild spin-in leaders, Terri Guerette.
What should I bring to a workshop?
Although not something to bring to a workshop, one of the reminders I often offer to people taking my workshops is to make sure your tetanus shots are up to date. We work with a lot of sharp tools that are sometimes used on raw fleece. So we really need to make sure we protect our health!
There are a lot of factors to consider when taking a workshop. How long is the workshop? Where is it being held? But the most important thing is to pay close attention to the class description for the items you should be bringing to class. If there is anything in the description that you are unsure of, please don’t hesitate to contact the instructor.
My next recommendation is to make sure your items are clearly marked with your name since many of us have the same or similar equipment.
Beyond that, you can consider bringing a myriad of things, including but not limited to a repair kit with the items you may need for your specific wheel; documentation supplies (notebook, pen/pencil, labels, bags); and personal care items (hand sanitizer, snacks, water bottle, throat lozenges).
Last but not least, it’s usually a good idea to have one or more of your shawls/sweaters with you because workshop environments can be quite varied. Besides, it’s so much fun to share the things we’ve made with our friends, old and new!
For a more in-depth discussion of this topic, see:
Season two has begun! The first episode of the second (worsted) season has dropped and is ready for your viewing pleasure!
Four spinning segments
Three teachers: Maggie Casey, Heavenly Bresser, and Jacey
2 hours of spinning content
Jacey has included a new intro to the guild(which you should totally watch, it has lots of new info)
And two teacher teas (from last year) for the teachers in this episode (which if you haven’t seen them yet, they’re delightful)
It’s a great episode filled with lots of worsted drafting, and it will get you ready for everything else we’re going to do this season.
Also a reminder! Sunday, April 20 there will be no guild spin-in!
This is Easter Sunday so we’ve decided to not hold the spin-in, but don’t worry, we’re going to make it up with a fantastic giveaway at the next Sunday spin-in. (Remember when we spent that whole spin-in looking at a fancy new carder? Well…)
I’ve heard lots of people talk about how there are different joins for different kinds of spinning. I’m not even super good at the one join I do (I kind of tease out the fiber at the end of my new yarn and then lay new fiber over it and hope it all gets twisted together when I start treadling again). Is that a good join and are there better ones? Will you cover these in the guild?~Melanie, PA, USA
Dear Melanie,
Joins are something many spinners struggle with, so you are absolutely not alone. There are several different types of joins and lots of ways to do each of them. What you want to learn (and practice) is a good join for the types of yarns you spin (and yes, we’ll cover every join imaginable in the guild).
Before I get too far into different joins and how to do them, I want to say this to newer spinners: Don’t let this get in your head. If you’re new to spinning and you are getting any join to stay together, rejoice and keep spinning. Joining can be hard at first (I promise it will get easier, automatic even). Come back to expanding your joining repertoire later, when you’re comfortable and ready. This is not something you must know right now. Okay, for Melanie and anyone ready to work on joins, here we go.
Different joins for different yarn
I’m not sure what kind of yarns you spin, but maybe you spin enough different types of yarns that one join doesn’t suit them all. If you sometimes spin woolen and sometimes spin worsted (or even sometimes semi-woolen and sometimes semi-worsted), you’ll want a join for each of those. After all, a woolen yarn is fuzzy, airy, and lofty, and you probably don’t want smooth flat spots at each place you had to join new fiber (which you’d get if you use a worsted join on a woolen yarn). Conversely, a worsted yarn is smooth, lustrous, and dense, and you don’t want a fuzzy, airy, matte spot standing out wherever you joined, right?
Things that are true for every join
You are always joining fiber to fiber, never fiber to yarn. If you don’t have a bit of fiber opened at the end of the yarn you’re spinning, stop and tease a bit out.
Your new fiber and old fiber should not act like they are new or old. They should act like the same fiber, as if they’re all from the same fiber source.
The area of yarn with the join should be the same diameter as the rest of your yarn. If that’s not possible – and we’re not machines so it’s often not – it should be thinner than the surrounding yarn. Twist goes to and stays in thinner areas of yarn, so if the area with your join is thinner, it’ll hold together better. If it’s thicker and your join isn’t perfect, it won’t hold.
A worsted join
I’ve seen worsted joins done so many different ways, but a few things should be true:
Allow no twist between your hands
Smooth and compress fibers after you make the join
Keep both the old fiber and the new fiber under equal tension
Do a short forward draft during the join, even if you’re otherwise spinning short backwards
As long as you do those things, your worsted join will look just like the rest of your worsted yarn. The key now is making sure your worsted join is secure. That key is mostly in those last two points plus the points that are true for every join – equal tension, using a short forward draft, joining fiber to fiber, treating the new fiber like the old fiber, and making the area of join the same or a thinner diameter. I made a short video to show you what I mean (remember that this is just one type of worsted join; there are others).
A woolen join
I find woolen joins to be a bit easier than worsted joins. Woolen yarns are more grabby than worsted yarns and also not quite as picky. There are several ways to do a woolen join, but they all have a few things in common. Those things they have in common are the things that make these yarns woolen instead of worsted:
Let twist between your hands
Don’t smooth the fibers
Don’t compress the fibers; leave that air in there
As long as you’re doing those three things, you’re making a woolen join that won’t stick out in your woolen yarn. But just like the worsted join, you also want to make sure it’s secure. Since woolen yarns are a little more in chaotic than worsted yarns, the process for making a join is less specific. You just need to get the two fiber sources together, thinking they’re one, and introduce twist to them. My favorite way to do this is to take the new fiber and fold it around the last little bit of yarn I spun (making sure there’s some unspun fiber at the end), draft it forward or backwards just a bit, letting the fibers catch, then continue drafting. It sounds easy because it is! I made a short video of a woolen join here (again, remember that this is just one way to do a woolen join).
Experiment and find your joins
So that’s it! But not really, right? These are just guidelines (and one video example of each join). As long as you follow the guidelines for each type of join, experiment and see what works for you. You can still tease your fiber end out and then lay them together. In fact, that could be the start for either a woolen or a worsted join. Just make sure that the amount of fiber you have teased out won’t twist together and make a bulkier section in your yarn.
From there, you just have to change what you do next to fit the yarn you’re spinning. If it’s woolen, let twist enter those two teased-out sections without straightening them out or aligning the fibers. Resist smoothing your hands over the join (I say resist because I always want to). If it’s a worsted yarn you’re spinning, you do want to straighten out those teased fibers and keep your hands surrounding the fiber, one in front of what will be the join and one behind it. Slowly let twist enter the two fiber sources that are teased together, smoothing and compressing as you also start to draft again.
It might feel like a lot of things happening at once, but that’s the nature of spinning, right? Everything is happening all at once but you’ll get it, and don’t worry if it doesn’t work the first time – it’s only two inches of fiber, so just break it off and start again. That’s the beauty of spinning. We make it inch by inch, and if we’re unhappy with a particular inch, it’s just an inch.
Good luck,
jacey
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Screenshot-2023-10-02-at-7.51.19-AM.png7441672Emily Davis-Halehttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngEmily Davis-Hale2025-04-15 09:00:002025-04-15 14:17:04Ask Jacey: How Do I Improve My Joins?
You may have already received your digital or print copy of the Spring 2025 Hue issue! We aren’t going to lie – we got caught up in staring at all the pretty colors, so this is less of a preview and more of a post-view, since you might already have it in your hands. Still, we wanted to share about it!
This issue marks an important milestone for PLY: it’s the first issue produced by our new editor in chief, Karen Robinson. Love the cover? You can thank Karen! Karen has been with PLY for more than a decade, working her magic behind the scenes. Now it is her time to shine! Don’t worry, Jacey isn’t going away. She is stepping up to produce both PLY and WEFT magazines and the PLY Spinners Guild, huge jobs for her as well!
Are you a fan of natural color? Lee Langstaff, the co-chair of the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, gives us a taste of color genetics. She has spent over twenty years developing a full range of natural colors in her own flock at Shepherd’s Hey Farm and knows a thing or two about what makes a great fleece.
Charan Sachar, who specializes in art yarn and fiber-inspired pottery, shares an experiment with color and texture. With the same dye colors and the same structure, he creates several different yarns which each have a different look and feel. These yarns are simply to dye for.
Jessie McKitrick gives us an article about choosing colors for Fair Isle knitting and shares a beautiful pattern called Spring Bloom Mitts.
And there is so much more, but we don’t want to spoil it for you!
If by some strange occurrence (maybe Mercury was in retrograde, we don’t know) you haven’t ordered your issue, you can buy it here.
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0185ae42-f12d-4e51-8a89-0bad5611f879-1.jpg8441495Meagan Condonhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngMeagan Condon2025-04-08 09:00:002025-04-09 15:29:09Sneak Peek: Spring 2025 – Hue!
Rose gray is one of the most mysterious colors present in the alpaca fleece color range. It is a color comprising three shades – light, medium, and dark – which can be imagined as coffee with varying amounts of cream added. The hint of rose is most noticeable in medium rose gray but is a magical characteristic of all three shades. Let’s unravel a bit of this alpaca color mystery with a fiber study!
A light rose gray alpaca named Bo, photo credit: Karen Campbell, Hilltop Splendor Alpacas, Moody, TX. A medium rose gray alpaca named Ruger, photo credit: Camelid Corner, LLCA dark rose gray alpaca named Bandit, photo credit: Camelid Corner, LLC
Light rose gray Gray predominates in light rose gray. It reminds you of fog or of a ghost, with an otherworldly pink hue. On the animal, it looks like a rusty gray cloud until you open the fleece. When spun into yarn it looks slightly darker, but not in a heavy or unpleasant way.
Medium rose gray Jaw-droppingly beautiful, medium rose gray is the pinkest shade of rose gray. The pink blush only becomes more pronounced when spun. Alpacas with medium rose gray fiber often have adorable faces with brown eye patches and gray-white bodies frosted with brown. As a yarn, medium rose gray fiber stands out with an ethereal look.
Dark rose gray Dark rose gray is the moodiest and darkest of the rose grays. It has lots of black fibers with sun-kissed tips. On the alpaca, it reminds you of a chocolate truffle, lightly dusted with powdered chocolate on the outside but a midnight black on the inside. Because of its depth, this fiber likes to be the star of its own show as a yarn.
Raw locks, L-R: Light rose gray, medium rose gray, and dark rose gray. Photo credit: Jacqueline Harp.
Prep tips If you get a whole alpaca fleece, the color is usually not uniform throughout the fleece, and this is especially true of rose gray. Do not be afraid to lay out the entire fleece and break it apart according to like colors. You then have more options on blending those portions for your desired outcome. Furthermore, it should be noted that any of the rose grays are easily confused with dark silver gray, but a true rose gray will have brown, white, and black fibers. Dark silver gray will have gray, black, and white, but no brown fibers.
Can you determine softness by color? Unfortunately, color does not determine softness. Softness comes from age, genetics, feed, and environmental factors. You cannot trust your eyes when evaluating a fleece for softness. When in doubt, spin a small sample. Test that sample against tender areas of skin, such as wrists or neck. Keep in mind that what may be soft and comfortable for you as yarn may strike someone else differently.
Handspun yarn samples, L-R: Dark rose gray, medium rose gray, and light rose gray. Photo credit: Jacqueline Harp.
Blending tips Not only can you blend any or all of the three shades of rose gray together, you can also blend in any other alpaca fiber color to lighten or darken the shade. Because rose grays are so rare, think twice before shifting colors by blending. To brighten your rose gray, add white or brown. To achieve the opposite effect, add gray or black. I always recommend blending in small increments before committing to making a large batch.
Dyeing tips Of the three shades of rose gray, light and medium are the most suitable for dyeing. The higher percentage of black fibers in dark rose gray causes colors to be absorbed rather than highlighted. The results are dull, muddy shades. In contrast, light and medium rose gray pop with color and richness when dyed due to the presence of white and brown fibers. Imagine jewel tones, and you will understand how dyeing medium rose gray will look.
Spinning tips It is worth diving into all three of the rose gray shades. As with any handspinning colorway, be sure to buy enough for your project. Even if the rose gray comes from the same farm, the shade will vary from animal to animal and year to year.
Jacqueline Harp is a freelance writer and multimedia fiber artist who spins, felts, weaves, crochets, and knits in every spare moment possible. She is also a former certified Master Sorter of Wool Fibers through the SUNY Cobleskill Sorter-Grader-Classer program. Her Instagram is @foreverfiberarts.
Sending a special thank you to the folks at Camelid Corner, LLC (https://camelidcorner.etsy.com) for providing fiber samples and beautiful rose gray alpaca pictures for this article. Their dedication and care for alpacas is incredible.
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/fiber-10-scaled.jpg19282560Guest Bloggerhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngGuest Blogger2025-04-03 09:00:002025-03-27 12:22:20Rose Gray Alpaca Fiber Study
The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible: From Woolen to (Nearly!) Worsted and Everything in Between
by Deborah Held Stackpole Books $32.95, hardcover 8.2 x 10.1 with 136 pages Published: April 1, 2025 Buy now at Bookshop.org Review by Jillian Moreno
I’ve noticed that spinners are more interested in fiber preparation lately, both working from fleece and the fiber fun of creating batts and rolags.
The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible has come out at a perfect time, and it fills a gap in the spinning book world, since there are few blending board specific resources.
You might know Debbie Held from her articles in PLY, Spin Off, her classes via The School of Sweet Georgia, or her in person classes. She’s been teaching and writing about fiber for many years.
This book is most suited to spinners who have never used a blending board through intermediate blenders. Though there are plenty of tips and tricks, and just good reminders for advanced blending board folk.
Debbie covers the nuts and bolts of blending boards, how they are made, carding cloth, the tools needed, and the tools that just make everything easier, step by step directions on how to use a blending board at its most basic, even has instructions for a DIY blending board, and shows ways to use your board that you may not have thought of.
Tools in hand, the next step is to make excellent preparations. She makes a clear distinction between rolled preparations (rolags, punis, etc), the ones most spinners think of when using a blending board, and batts and pulled preparations (roving, sliver, and cloud).
The technique of each style is covered in detail – best practices, tools, fibers, blends, more woolen or worsted leaning, and troubleshooting. Debbie’s teaching style is encouraging and she works in a practical step by step method. A complete novice could pick up this book and make beautiful preparations to spin in no time.
Tools and techniques mastered; the fun begins. The delight of this book lies in all of the ways to make beautiful color combinations. Debbie presents a myriad of ways to work with color, tweed, heather, fractals, stripes, color blocking, smooth vs textured color, garneting, layering, flecks, vertical and horizonal gradients, add-ins, plus variations on most.
This book is full of inspiration, creativity, and good instruction, so much so I couldn’t read it all the way through in one sitting. I had to stop, get out my blending board to play with the techniques.
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Spinners-blending-board-bible-cover.jpg15001200Jillian Morenohttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngJillian Moreno2025-04-01 09:00:002025-03-28 15:28:33Book Review: The Spinner’s Blending Board Bible by Debbie Held
I have been spinning for a year on my Ashford Traditional, and I want to buy a second wheel. What should I consider before I buy one? ~Margaret
Getting a new wheel is exciting, but it can be overwhelming. Here are factors to consider before adding to your flock. Note: I’m specifically addressing treadle wheels here; e-spinners will be discussed in an upcoming month.
Your budget
Wheels can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, so it’s good to know the range of your budget before you start hunting. It’s also good to know that if you fall hard for a wheel, your budget may get tossed out the window. Groceries, who needs them?
Your current wheel
Have a good thinking spin with your current wheel. What do you like about it, and what do you want to be different about your new wheel? It always helps me to make a handwritten list when I’m puzzling through wheel ideas.
Your future wheel’s setup
After your thinking spin, make a list of the attributes you want for your new wheel, such as the number of treadles, the drive system(s), wood or 3-D printed, new or used, antique or modern, upright or saxony, and the range of yarns it can spin.
What you spin and what you want to spin
Keep in mind the types of yarns you like to spin and the types of yarns you want to learn to spin. Are you moving into art yarn spinning? You’ll need a bigger orifice. Interested in spinning very fine or cotton yarns? You’ll need a wheel that can impart lots of twist.
New vs. used
A used wheel may save you some money, but it may need a bit of adjustment, parts replacement, or at least a day at the wheel spa. A new wheel comes with support from the manufacturer and usually a warranty.
Interested in an antique wheel? Are you handy or do you know someone who is?
If you are considering an antique wheel, chances are you will have to do some repairs. Some spinners buy antique wheels because they like how they look and they are usually inexpensive. A $200 flax wheel may be lovely and quite they deal, but you may end up spending several hundred more getting repairs done and more bobbins made.
Adjustability and accessories
Some wheels can be set up in multiple drive systems, and some have a wide selection of ratios. These wheels might be more expensive, but you will be able to spin a wider range of yarns. As part of your investigative work, check out the accessories available and their cost. I am always surprised at how expensive bobbins are, for example.
The aesthetics
This is not a small thing: you have to like how your wheel looks and how it fits with your home, lifestyle, and general vibe, or you won’t use it.
Your body
Do you have any disabilities you need to consider in regards to your wheel? Are you developing arthritis in your joints (me!)? Are you tall or short? Think about your body and choose accordingly.
For example, I have a spinning friend over six feet tall, who was spinning on an Ashford Joy, a very short wheel. She had almost given up on spinning because it was so uncomfortable for her. When I watched her spin, hunched over with her knees nearly hitting her chest, I could understand why. I convinced her to buy a Matchless, and she’s been comfortably spinning ever since.
Will you travel with your wheel?
An Ashford Traditional only travels easily in a car. Do you want to travel with your wheel? If so, you might consider a travel-specific folding wheel or an electric wheel. (Don’t forget to add in a carrying bag to the accessories options.)
Your spinning friends
Your spinning friends are the angels and devils sitting on your shoulders. They might try to convince you to buy a certain wheel because they love it, or you might want the wheel everyone in your spinning group has. Our friends’ smiling faces are so persuasive (even enabling). Ask them questions about why they like their wheels, but try to make your own decision.
The good news is if they have a particular wheel you are interested in, you likely can borrow it to help your decision.
There is even better news. If you decide to search for a used wheel, tell your friends, far and wide. They can help you hunt for your wheel and can even arrange a spinning wheel train to get your wheel to you from across the country.
Can you try the wheels you are considering?
This may be the most important factor along with budget. I wouldn’t buy a wheel I haven’t tried. Even a quick spin, at a shop or in a booth at a fiber event, will tell you a lot.
When you try the wheel, have whoever is helping you give you a tour of the wheel, and try to spin with fiber that you like.
Have I ever bought a wheel without trying it? Yes. I have made every stumble on this list when it comes to wheels, more than once, but I end up selling those wheels pretty quickly.
Have fun researching and hunting your next favorite wheel!
Jillian
Want Jillian or Jacey to take a stab at your question? Tell us what you want to know:
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.png00Jillian Morenohttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngJillian Moreno2025-03-27 09:00:002025-03-19 14:44:24Ask Jillian: What Should I Consider Before Buying a Wheel?
We’ve just released our 48th issue, which is really exciting as there’s lots of great new content to share with you. Sometimes, though, you might want to return to previous issues to look up something you remember reading or a new interest you’ve developed. But that can be challenging with so many back issues and articles to look through. So we’ve put together an index to make searching those back issues much easier.
You’ll find the index on the PLY website. If you’re using a tablet or mobile device, there’s a link on that page for a mobile-friendly version of the index.
You can search for articles in several ways: by author, by title (or words in the title), by words from the description, by issue topic, and from a list of keywords (article topics). We’ve put together a video showing how to use the various search options to find articles.
Once you’ve found the article you want to learn more about, click the link on the article title to open up the entry for that article. There you’ll find the article description and a link to the issue in our shop.
Guess what? Not only does this index include all articles from the issues of PLY, it also includes all the episodes in the PLY Spinners Guild! And if you’re a guild member, there’s a link directly to that episode so you can jump right in and watch the segment. (If you’re not a guild member, you can sign up for a 3-day free trial.)
We are still working on adding in the descriptions and list of article topics for some of the issues (although all the articles and authors are already there) and should have that finished by the end of April, if not sooner!
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/index1.png8171673Emily Davis-Halehttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngEmily Davis-Hale2025-03-25 09:00:002025-03-19 14:44:43PLY has an index!
We encourage you to check out our new spin-in at 5 pm pacific today, March 20th. These third Thursday spin-ins are dedicated to helping you develop the foundational spinning skills and fiber confidence you want. So, if you’re looking for something a little more foundational in addition to, or instead of, Sunday spin-ins, we’d love to see you.
All of the spin-ins are put on by the PSG. Third Thursday spin-ins will be hosted by one or two of our PSG hosts – Lori Paterson, Donita Westman, Terri Guerette, and Heavenly Besser – while Sunday spin-ins will still be hosted by Laura Linneman and Jacey.
If you aren’t already a member of the guild, make sure you are signed up so you can participate! You’ll have full access to all our incredible video tutorials as well as the spin-ins, where you can ask questions and get real feedback from other spinners.
We can’t wait to see you there! Please remember that 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.
For those of us who are spinners, fiber is joy. And when we create something beyond our expectations, it’s even better. During the summer of 2023 I did just that with the help of others who knew exactly how to make my work come to life.
As a visual artist I often seek out opportunities to travel and attend artist residencies. These are vibrant places where artists tend to gather as a group and make art alongside one another. Artist residencies usually conjure inspiration, and creatives come from a variety of backgrounds to rest and create. Throughout the month of June 2023, I attended one of these residencies facilitated by the Ora Lerman foundation in Laceyville, Pennsylvania.
At the beginning of June, I packed my small Nissan Versa full of materials and tools that I wished to use over the course of the coming month. The most important item in my car was the giant bag of Shetland wool which originated from my parents’ family farm. On this farm, my father cares for between eighty to one hundred angus cattle each year. My contribution to this operation is my six Shetland sheep: Mary Brown, Lily, Danny, Francis, Ramses, and Sirius. These sweet animals, because they are a smaller breed, remind me of dogs. They love being greeted with pets and treats and amazingly enough also wag their little tails when they are happy. Each time I use their wool I am reminded of my fiber pets in Zanesville and how they give me a great deal of joy.
With my precious wool and sheepy thoughts, I arrived in Laceyville, where I worked alongside six other creatives; these people were writers, painters, and actors who were pursuing their own passions. At this residency we shared the original house of Ora Lerman, a successful artist in her own right. When she passed away, she left her estate in the form of a trust where others can take full advantage of the resources she collected throughout her life. Her home became a shared space for creatives to work and react to one another’s process. There we found inspiration from the energy and work ethic each of us brought to the space. Residents even had communal meals where we could speak openly about our ideas.
Throughout my stay I had unlimited time to work, rest, and connect with others. My most memorable moments were spent in the studio discussing a fellow artist’s landscape paintings and the beautiful weather we were having. Or meeting with a former fiber artist who found a love for metal sculpture years ago. I met a fellow spinner who was the estate’s longtime volunteer gardener. We enjoyed talking all things spinning and fiber. Excitingly enough, we had the opportunity to do a fiber trade before I left.
These budding friendships provided a nice contract to the solitude I felt while working. As most spinners know, our process typically allows time for a great deal of silent reflection. While I listened to a book at times, other moments were filled with quiet thoughts and peaceful admiration for the nature which surrounded me. The studio I spent much of my time inhabiting had large windows which overlooked a beautiful garden. When I would sit on the second story porch, I was also graced by a small hummingbird who came to see me at random moments throughout my day. During times of peace, my sheep flooded my thoughts. I thought about where this fiber came from and the historical significance of what I was doing. My hope and belief are that handspinning will never die because of all of us who are keeping it alive within our own communities. In doing so, we are educating others and sharing our passion for something that is ancient and important.
So, with my beautiful bag of wool, I took full advantage of my residency experience by spinning on my Electric EEL Wheel 6.0. Throughout that time, I spun five skeins of DK weight yarn that I had intended to make art with in the future. My fiber, being very important to me, begged to be twisted and made into something special. I had looked forward to dyeing the yarn using a natural dye process when I arrived back home. However, while researching natural dyes, I stumbled upon an organization which was offering classes close to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A “dye day” just happened to be not only on the way home but the day following my residency.
I jumped at the opportunity to sign up. On the last day of my residency, I hopped in my car and drove off toward Lancaster. There I found lovely quilt and yarn shops within miles of where I was to take my class. Lancaster is known for its deeply rooted Amish community. It has largely become a tourist destination with hidden gems.
At Green Matter Dye Co I had the pleasure of meeting Winona, the instructor of the class. She was kind, and I quickly learned that she is also very knowledgeable in the field of fashion and fiber. Like myself, she has a degree in Fashion Design, but uniquely she focuses on sustainability. Winona’s company originated as a dye house that provided services for garment companies to send products to be dyed in a sustainable manner.
I am thankful that she also focuses on helping artists and fashion enthusiasts learn the process of natural dying. Green Matter Dye Co opens their doors to novice and new dyers who wish to learn and explore the process. Not only do they have an indigo vat always at the ready, but Winona’s staff makes dye baths out of other plants such as madder root, avocado pits, and marigolds.
The beginning of the course focused on the technical aspects of natural dye, like the pH of the water and how to test this water for batches of dye. The learning curve involved in this type of process is steep; however, we learned through hands-on experimentation in the coming hours. Over the course of the morning our small group listened to and discussed this topic, trying to understand the process we were about to explore. Even better, each student came from a different background, thus enhancing our already rich discussion.
We finally ended our conversation and moved forward with the hands-on portion of the day. Students had prepared a variety of items they wished to dye. These ranged from upcycled garments purchased in thrift stores to the handspun yarn I had brought along.
Over the coming hours we took our chosen materials and dipped them in the dye. Though I must say, the best part of my day was bonding with a group of women who had struggled through similar life experiences. We were all ages and from all walks of life. Throughout the afternoon, our small group shared about our lives, our joys and challenges: divorces, dating, and raising children, all the while creating beautiful things in our free time.
The hours ahead involved immersing our fiber into the dye baths that Winona had prepared for us. This was the first time I had ever dipped anything in an indigo vat. The experience was magical. Indigo has a deep and long history around the world but is best known in the western world as the color used to dye our blue jeans and denim.
The most eco-friendly method of indigo dyeing involves a fermentation process using the leaves of the indigo plant. During this process, the plant matter is broken down, creating bacteria and lactic acid. The pH level must be monitored.
I was instructed to dip the fiber into an indigo dye vat. Once submerged, I removed my skein, exposing it to oxygen. The yarn was hung and allowed to turn blue over time. Initially it is an acidic green color; however, after a few minutes it turns a beautiful blue hue. Afterward, my yarn was rinsed using cold water, which removed any dye matter that may have lingered. To achieve a deep blue, my handspun yarn was dipped twice. Finally, the yarn was washed gently in Dawn soap to rinse it and take away the dye that had not been bonded. In the end, I took home some beautiful blue yarn that could be used for a future project.
Over the course of a month, I traveled from my home of Columbus, Ohio to Pennsylvania. I left with a bag of Shetland wool and returned with beautiful yarn. I also departed with great memories and a new knowledge of how to dye my yarn. This time away with others inspired me to continue making yarn and to use natural materials to add color to my work. My lesson over the past couple of years is to find your people and your passion. Surround yourself with those who love the same things you do, and you will find expertise and love. What a grand combination and a beautiful gift!
Jenn Lander is an educator residing in Columbus, Ohio. Jenn’s expertise shines through in their efforts to educate others about the traditions of spinning and knitting. They possess a background in the subject, including two BFAs and a Masters degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in Studio Art.
https://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20230730_181926-1.jpg5481216Guest Bloggerhttps://plymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/plylogo-condensed-pnk-300x164.pngGuest Blogger2025-03-18 09:00:002025-03-12 15:00:46Dyed and Went to Pennsylvania
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