Handpainted rovings are seductive. Plain and simple. I know I am not alone when it comes to purchasing a handpainted braid or two with complete disregard to breed, staple length, etc. Sometimes my purchases are based solely on the yearning to work with the bewitching colours before me. But unlike… Read More »Wool Cake for Beginner Spinners
In my world a Tussie Mussie is a fibre preparation method I developed for Eri silk sliver. No special equipment is required, just my hands. At first glance you would think a Tussie Mussie would result in an awful tangled mess. Surprisingly it doesn’t. Instead it helps you to keep… Read More »What is a Tussie Mussie?
This post is precipitated by a higher than normal number of inquiries over the past few months from people interested in learning to spin. So, for others out there who are wondering where to start, how to find an instructor, what equipment you will need in the beginning, etc. this… Read More »Spinning, Where to Start
In workshops I often observe students who attach the end of the singles to a piece of velcro while they take a pause in their spinning. This more often than not makes a bit of a mess in their singles and causes a “fluffy” spot. In my own practice, I… Read More »Spinning tip…
In my silk workshops I often meet spinners who have tried spinning silk at some point along the way but, after struggling with the fibre, they have written it off as being just too difficult. I did the same with cotton a few decades ago. In fact I was so… Read More »Revisiting a Fibre or Technique, Defining Moment #8
Shameless self-promotion……In May 2021 I had the pleasure of working with Felicia Lo and her team at the School of SweetGeorgia (SOS) The result is an online video where I share techniques and thoughts regarding how to spin a better yarn. https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/courses/nuances-to-spinning-better-yarns/ Some of the learning includes: the need to… Read More »Nuances to Spinning a Better Yarn
When I first began woolcombing I did not appreciate how much the act of dizzing would improve my spinning skills. Not only did dizzing reveal the best draft length for the fibre at hand, learning to draft out a consistent tape of fibre trained my hands in how to work… Read More »Skillful Dizzing, Defining Moment #7
On my wheel… I just love this watery blue. The colour is reminiscent of some of the rivers we have seen on our travels throughout this beautiful province of ours. It is a Merino Alpaca blend from Chaotic Fibres and is spinning up like a dream. Will share photos of… Read More »On my wheel….
Fibre Prep: This post is a nod to my friend Marjorie, who nudged me to present this topic sooner rather than later. Yet another defining moment for me was when I realized I did not need to spin from a fibre preparation just the way it came. Many spinners tout… Read More »Defining Moment #5
My ability to spin a consistent yarn took a huge leap forward when I recognized how to change the grist of my yarn without making changes to either the fibre prep or spinning ratio. I could spin a thicker yarn by simply working closer to the orifice and a thinner… Read More »Defining Moment #4