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A love letter to linen Spinning flax into linen isn't something that I do very often—but I've often dreamed of the things I could make with this age-old fiber. I love the qualities of linen. I love that it starts as a spindly, delicate flower that is stronger than it looks; I love that...
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How an issue of Spin-Off is created Falkland wool, in the Hello Yarn September 2012 club colorway, Critter. We start planning each issue of Spin-Off over a year in advance. Many parts and pieces must come together to make a successful issue and it is always fascinating to see how the initial idea changes...
Posted to
Liz's Blog
by
Liz Good
on
Apr 3, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: Dyeing, Spin-Off Magazine, Handspun, Spinning Wheels, Natural Fiber, Spindle Spinning, Drop Spindle, Handwoven, Natural Dyes, Dyeing Yarn, Spinning, Processing Fiber
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We invited Lory Widmer Hess of Chestnut Ridge, New York, to share her insights as she learned to spin on her second attempt. Lory is the Managing Editor for the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America . Realizing the potential of spinning Lory Widmer Hess My first attempt to learn to spin...
Posted to
Guest Blog
by
Amy Clarke Moore
on
Feb 27, 2013
Filed under:
Filed under: How To Spin, Wool Processing, Natural Fiber, Handspun, Spindle Spinning, Drop Spindle, Dyeing, Carding and Combing, Natural Dyes, Dyeing Yarn
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The future blooms in warm soapy water What spinning treasure does the year ahead hold for you? I so enjoy this time of year—it holds so much promise. As the New Year starts, I embrace it as chance to start fresh and experience renewal after working hard. The end of the year is always busy around...
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Please don't squish the sheep Liz Good under the yarn-bombed deer form at the Fancy Tiger in Denver. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I enjoyed some time off. I played with my kids (puzzles, reading, and science experiments were high on the list), spun some beautifully dyed Polwarth, knitted on my Barton...
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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Wool is probably the most popular fiber to spin, largely because of its versatility. It is also the easiest fiber for beginners to spin. With so many different sheep breeds, comes numerous types of wool. Part of becoming an expert handspinner is being familiar...
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Wool processing involves many steps to produce a desired fiber preparation from raw wool: shearing, washing, combing, carding, all before it’s ready for spinning.
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Carding removes tangles in wool fibers but does not fully align the fibers so they are all going in exactly the same direction. Carding is a process of brushing clean fibers over opposing sets of short wire teeth to open and separate the fibers into a uniform mass to open, separate, and straighten the...
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The students spin up alpaca yarn that was sheared from the two school alpacas, Manny and Dotsero, last spring. A first skein from Manny. I asked Carol Rhoades to help me get the wheels up and running when she was visiting last December. Bekah, the teacher, is also learning how to spin. Why it is good...
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Northwest Pennsylvania Spinners and Weavers Guild worked with Camp Stone, an Orthodox Jewish summer camp, to introduce 680 campers to an array of fiber arts. Campers saw a sheep shearing demonstration and learned to card and spin wool using either a drop spindle or a wheel. The newly created yarns were...
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The Spring 2012 issue takes a look at Lincoln Longwool that includes how to make this dog leash and market bag. In the Spring 2012 issue Jacey Boggs shares her very thoughtful exploration of the question, where does twist stop? Photo: Kitten Adventure Boggs. What are we excited about? Now that the New...
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The fabric of our lives Most spinners learn how to spin with wool—it is easy to learn with and is widely available as a spinning fiber. Sometimes not knowing that something is challenging can be a good thing. For instance, I learned how to spin by spinning cotton. I was a college student studying...
Posted to
Amy's Blog
by
Amy Clarke Moore
on
Dec 29, 2011
Filed under:
Filed under: Natural Fiber, Handspun, Spinning Cotton, Spindle Spinning, Drop Spindle, How To Spin, Spinning Wool, Merino Wool, Handwoven, Spinning Fiber, Wool Processing, Types of Yarn, Spinning
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Merino fiber that has about twelve crimps per inch. Romney fiber that has about six crimps per inch. Lincoln fiber that has about three crimps per inch. Locks of Potential What is it that brings you to spinning? I imagine we come to spinning for a whole host of reasons—as diverse as we are as spinners...
Posted to
Amy's Blog
by
Amy Clarke Moore
on
Dec 7, 2011
Filed under:
Filed under: Natural Fiber, How To Spin, Spin-Off Magazine, Spinning Wool, Merino Wool, Wool Processing, Your Yarn, Types of Yarn, Spinning, Processing Fiber
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What better way to say "thanks" than with handspun silk? I love this time of year—I love crisp air, frosty window panes, and steaming cups of tea. I love rolling out dough and cutting out cookies with my girls. I love taking a bit of time to relax, make things, and be thankful. And I'm...
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The Annual Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival is hosted by The Genesee Valley Handspinners Guild (New York) at the Hemlock Fairgrounds in September each year. The festival includes on-the-hoof shearing demonstrations of sheep, goats, llamas, and alpacas. Ready-to-spin fiber is available from a number of...