It is always a bit of challenge to find/spin a background or main colour yarn that works well with yarn spun from handpainted braids. On the left is the handpainted braid used to spin the five different skeins seen below and on the right is my solution; a construction method… Read More »Background/Main Colour Yarn Design
The handspun textural accents in this scarf were spindle spun from hand-painted eri sliver. The fibre preparation had a silky soft hand and a satiny sheen. Quite a contrast to my first experience spinning eri fibre from India in the early 1980’s. At that time, the traditional degumming process subjected… Read More »Eri Silk, Part I
I recently purchased a new nøstepinne designed and turned by woodturner, Ed Pretty. The nøstepinne is both exquisite and thoughtfully designed. Here are a few answers to some questions you may have. WHAT is a Nøstepinne? A nøstepinne is a tool used to wind yarn into a center-pull ball. Unlike… Read More »NØSTEPINNE
February 15, 2024 the School of SweetGeorgia launches my new course, “Spin a Hand-dyed Braid 5 Ways. In this course I demonstrate how you can achieve five distinct colour effects in your 2-ply handspun from a single colourway. I will also be demonstrating how I use my equipment in non-traditional… Read More »Spin A Hand-dyed Braid 5 Ways
Some photos of recent works have been posted to my photo gallery. You will also find an updated list of all 2024 workshops as well as a retreat in August on Salt Spring Island. Below is a photo of six different colour effects spun from one Sweet Georgia Yarns colourway,… Read More »Photo Gallery and Workshops
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