Is it worsted? Is it woolen? Is it something in between?
You start spinning in earnest and suddenly you are making yarn! It's a great feeling—that fiber magically transforming right before your eyes in your hands. As you gain confidence in your ability to make a yarn that both sticks together and is reasonably consistent, you may decide that you'd like to try making different types of yarn.
You may have heard terms bandied around by other spinners to describe the yarn they are making and the techniques they use to achieve those yarns. Whether you're just beginning spinning or have been spinning for decades, the terminology for different types of yarn can sometimes get confusing—are you spinning a semiworsted or a semiwoolen yarn, and does it really matter? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Here's a handy guide for sorting it all out.
We've compiled articles from past issues of Spin-Off to create our newest free eBook, A Guide to Handspun Yarn: Types of Yarn and How to Spin Them, to bring descriptions of some of those terms together in one place to give you a good foundation and understanding of the words used to describe yarns.
Happy spinning,
