spinning

[zinniz]

The spinning workshop was really awesome. I learned a ton of different techniques: andean plying, long draw, winding a center pull ball on my thumb, crepe yarn construction, cabled yarns, and probably more i'm not thinking of. It was wonderful

Comments

[kadenza]

I really should take a workshop. Long draw remains a mystery to me. It looks like a magic trick and I just can't seem to get the hang of it on my own. Fortunately I have a spinning instructor living on my street, so maybe I can bribe her to teach me with some baked goods, or something.

[zinniz]

When it works, it feels like a magic trick! I think the main key for me was fiber prep. I get so many combed tops and they just don't work very well for long draw (at least not for me). Carded roving was so incredibly easy to spin that way. I could even do it one-handed.

I also did some long draw spinning from the fold with a yak/silk blend that was not easy to spin because the silk is so long and the yak is so short. That was another great technique I hadn't tried. I'm using it now to try to force myself through some angora/silk blend that i passionately hate.