Category: Wool

Spinning-

Spinning History-

Wool-

Yarn

From Fleece to Fabric — An American Tunis Breed Study

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Just as there are many dog breeds that come in different sizes, colors, and coat types — there is a wide variety of sheep breeds. Each sheep breed has been bred throughout history to produce wools with different characteristics. So how do you choose the right breed for your project? Breed studies can be immensely helpful for understanding this. I generously received a gifted sample of some American Tunis wool. So, I am going to walk through a miniature breed study, from raw wool to finished yarn, with American Tunis.Read More

Spinning-

Spinning Wheels-

Wool

Choose Your Tools – How to Start Spinning Wool for Beginners

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As you might have noticed, I talk about all things spinning (products, fibers, techniques, you name it!) on my blog and YouTube channel. With all this information out there, it can seem intimidating to get started spinning. So, people often ask me how to get started if you are a beginner. Getting started doesn’t have to be that complicated or scary. That’s why I want to give you a very bare-bones breakdown of the basic things that you need to get started spinning. I am going to share all my tips for getting started spinning, plus I'm really excited to partner with SkillShare, the sponsor for this post, to help you elevate your spinning education.Read More

Spinning-

Wool-

Yarn

How to Spin Combed Top to Create Self Striping Yarn

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Multicolored combed tops can create really beautiful yarns, but it can be a bit tricky to control how the colors present in the yarn. A beautiful multicolored combed top can turn into a disappointing yarn if the colors become muddy during the spinning. In this blog, I experiment with different methods to control the color in a combed top when spinning. Plus, I’ll show my favorite method to create a self-striping yarn with fantastic, long color repeats from a combed top using rolags.Read More

Historical Textiles-

Spinning-

Wool-

Yarn

How to: Tablet Weaving with Handspun Yarn

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Tablet weaving with handspun yarn can make an absolutely beautiful woolen, card woven band. Having a yarn that is intentionally spun for weaving can make all the difference in how well your pattern will show up, reducing the pilling and fuzzing that can happen with fluffier commercial yarns, and of course, custom dyeing can give you the color pallet you want for your project. Here's how I created a simple tablet woven band that I created with my hand-dyed and handspun yarn.Read More

Spinning-

Spinning History-

Spinning Wheels-

Wool

Canadian Production Wheel (CPW) — History, Spinning, and Long Draw

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Have you ever wondered about the history of Canadian Production Wheels (CPWs)? Why were so many produced in Quebec during the late 1800s and early 1900s? I was inspired to do some research on CPWs after acquiring one myself. The CPW is a beautiful historical spinning wheel and a real workhorse. I like to compare it to a draft horse and adoringly call my wheel Philippe after the draft horse in Beauty and the Beast. Keep reading to learn all about the history, key features, and how to spin on a CPW.Read More

Spinning-

Spinning History-

Tutorial-

Wool

How to Make DIY Spindle Whorls from Polymer Clay

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Spindle whorls have been discovered in the most ancient of archeological sites and are still used today to hand spin yarn by yarn crafters, reenactors, and people working to preserve their cultural heritage and textile traditions, and by YouTubers (like me!). This was a super fun project where I learned how easy it is to make DIY spindle whorls out of polymer clay.Read More

Intentional Wardrobe-

Knitting-

Spinning-

Wool

Handspun Yarn for a Knitting Project and an Interview with Aroha Knits

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When I saw photos of the cowl, I just knew it was a special piece. The Whiria Cowl was designed by the amazing Francoise, who is also the creator of Aroha Knits. I knew that I needed to dig deeper into the story behind this project, so I invited Francoise to chat with me about what this cowl means to her. Then I spun a specific yarn to knit this beautiful cowl.Read More

Spinning-

Spinning Wheels-

Tutorial-

Wool-

Yarn

Does plying from a center pull ball change your twist? — A yarn spinning experiment!

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<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many fiber friends (myself included!) often ply their yarn with a center pull ball. This popular method works especially well if you only have one bobbin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You form your yarn into a center pull ball with a yarn winder, then take the end of your yarn from the inside and the end from the outside and give it twist. This creates a two-ply yarn. I've used this center pull ball plying technique a lot in my projects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But sometimes you'll hear people say, "Don't do that! It will mess up your twist!"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->Read More