Simply put, spinning (or handspinning) is the craft of taking a clump of fibers and twisting them into a continuous spiral strand.  This process makes a “singles,” which is then twisted back with another singles in a “ply” to make a much stronger yarn. A variety of tools can be used, but the spinning wheel is the most efficient and easy tool.  Besides, who can resist using something straight out of a fairy tale?

Want to learn how?  Craftsy now has an online class to teach you how to spin your own yarn!  Just click here to see the class!

Foundations of Spinning
from: Craftsy

Most people these days don’t give a second thought to where their clothing came from, or all the steps involved in creating it. The convenience of big department stores and ready made clothing makes it unnecessary to even wonder; but part of living a greener, more eco friendly life is slowing down and thinking about those processes.  Who made your clothes?  How far did they come before you found them at the store?  Were there chemicals involved?  Were the people who worked on them paid enough for their time?  Learning to spin yarn brings the handspinner close to our ancestors, slows down time as a form of meditaion, and brings awareness of the painstaking processes that are really involved in creating a single article of clothing.

If you want to know more, here are some pages you may be interested in:

How to Spin: An Overview

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks!

–Kelley

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