I was recently asked if I could share how I maintain grist, a consistent thickness in my handspun. First, I think it is important for me to stress that my spinning does contain inconsistencies but those inconsistencies are not nearly as noticeable once turned into woven or knitted fabric. Here… Read More »The gist of grist
As mentioned in Part II, my hands get quite warm and sometimes moist when I spin silk. Not a good combination at all. As the silk starts to stick to my hands, the fibre source becomes disheveled causing the fibre to draft poorly. Several years ago, I decided to see… Read More »Eri Silk, Part III
HYDRATING ERI SLIVER The night prior to preparing rolags, I place a length of sliver in a baggie along with a damp cotton ball, which has been gently squeezed to prevent dripping. After tucking the damp cotton ball into a corner of the baggie away from the sliver, the baggie is… Read More »Eri Silk, Part II
The handspun textural accents in this scarf were 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 cocoons… 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
First, why load the sliver onto a distaff in the first place? There are several good reasons actually: It gives you a chance to slightly attenuate the sliver if it is compacted from packaging or dyeing. Eri silk is almost as fine as Bombyx. Even the slightest breeze can blow… Read More »Eri Silk, spinning on a top whorl spindle
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
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