I am so excited to finally share this project—a fully handspun, handknit sweater! This project took me a full year to complete—from spinning the yarn to knitting the sweater.
Fiber Friends, don’t be fooled by the short blog post. This project took me many many many hours to complete. I did my best to clearly but quickly explain the whole process in this post and on YouTube—from planning to spinning and finally to knitting. I also give some tips for planning a large knitting project and keeping your colors organized.Read More
Category: Yarn
Spinning-
Spinning History-
Wool-
Yarn
From Fleece to Fabric — An American Tunis Breed Study
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
Evie Gets Dressed-
Intentional Wardrobe-
Spinning-
Yarn
How to Prevent Wool Moths and Other Pests from Getting in Spinning Fibers and Hand Knits
I have a lot of wool in my home, including things like my spinning fibers, rugs, and hand knits. With all that wool, it is important that I store it properly to avoid any pest problems.
It can be kind of gross or scary to talk about (I truly hate moths!), but pests are a real risk.
So, let's walk through the different possible kinds of pests to watch out for, how to store your fibers and wool to prevent any pest problems, and how to deal with them if you do get an infestation.Read More
Historical Textiles-
Spinning-
Spinning History-
Yarn
Using Medieval Spindles to Ply Historically Inspired Yarn
I love spinning yarn with my medieval-style spindles but I struggle to ply from them since they don't fit in my Lazy Kate. So, I investigated what tools medieval people could have used to ply their yarn. I also provide some thoughts on historical accuracy.Read More
Spinning-
Yarn
8-Ply Handspun Yarn — A Cabled Crepe Adventure
While I love spinning large batches of consistent yarn for specific projects, I also really love pushing my skills and trying different yarn constructions and textures. So, for this project, I wanted to experiment with creating a fun, structured, and technical yarn.
I started this project by creating a chain ply, which became a crepe yarn, then a cable ply, and finally it ended up as an 8-ply handspun yarn made from a merino and yak blend. It was quite a journey, so let's get spinning!Read More
Spinning-
Wool-
Yarn
How to Spin Combed Top to Create Self Striping Yarn
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
Knitting-
Spinning-
Yarn
Blending Alpaca with Wool
I've heard people say that blending alpaca and wool is essential to having an alpaca yarn that will keep its shape in a garment. But is it truth or myth that alpaca must be blended with wool? I wanted to test some alpaca wool blends to see what the difference is for knitting. So, I did an experiment where I carded four batts using my Brother drum carder. Keep reading to see the results!Read More
Historical Textiles-
Spinning-
Wool-
Yarn
How to: Tablet Weaving with Handspun Yarn
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-
Yarn
Should I Let My Bobbins Rest Before I Ply My Yarn?
Should I let my bobbins rest before plying my yarn? This is one of the most commonly asked questions in the spinning community! Some people swear by it, and others prefer to just charge ahead on their project.
Personally, I tend to go right ahead and ply my yarn without waiting. But I was really curious to see what difference letting the bobbins rest has on the final yarn. And I wondered about questions like: How do we know how much twist the ply needs if the energy is rested out of it? Does it make tangled yarn less likely?
Let's find out!Read More
Spinning-
Tutorial-
Yarn
New Fiber Alert! How to Spin Yarn from Eco Nylon and Weave a Cute Notions Bag
When Paradise Fibers sent me their Eco Soul Nylon for spinning, I was so intrigued. And when you spin as much as I do, it is not every day that you find a totally new type of fiber that surprises you!
Nylon is known for its strength and durability, so I thought that a notions bag project would be perfect!
Keep reading to learn more about this cool new fiber and fun spinning challenge!Read More