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The Web Site For Handspinners & Fiber Artists
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  • Home
    • How I Started Handspinning
  • Drop Spindle
    • How To Make A Drop Spindle
    • Types of Drop Spindles
    • How to Use a Drop Spindle
  • Spinning Wheel
    • Selecting the Right Spinning Wheel
    • Styles of the Spinning Wheel
    • How The Spinning Wheel Works
    • Parts of the Spinning Wheel
    • Adjusting The Spinning Wheel’s Tension
    • Drive Ratios & Twist Per Inch
    • Spinning Wheel Maintenance
  • Techniques
    • Handspinning Woollen and Worsted Yarn
    • Preparing to Handspin Yarn on the Spinning Wheel
    • Basic Handpinning Techniques
    • Adding More Fiber When Handspinning Yarn
    • Plying Yarn with a Spinning Wheel
    • Navajo Plying
    • Making A Skein of Yarn With A Niddy Noddy
    • “Setting In The Twist” Of Handspun Yarn
    • What do I do if? …
  • Fiber Prep
    • Selecting a Fleece for Handspinning
    • How to Wash Your Fleece
    • Types of Fiber Preparations for Spinning
    • How to Prepare Fiber with Hand Carders
    • How to Prepare Fiber With a Drum Carder
    • How to Prepare Fiber With Dutch Combs
    • How To Prepare Fiber With a Flicker Carder
    • How to Use a Diz
  • Fiber
    • Alpaca
    • Angora
      • How to Care For Your Angora Rabbit
      • Angora Rabbit Breeds
    • Flax
    • Llama
    • Mohair
    • Silk
    • Wool
  • Dyeing
  • Books – Handspinning


  • Yarn
    Basic Yarn Design & Dyeing
  • Drop Spindle
    Types & Techniques
  • Spinning Wheel
    Styles, Mechanics & Care
  • Spinning Techniques
    Drafting & Draws
  • Fiber
    Preparation & Fiber Sources

WELCOME

spinner

Handspinning is the art of twisting fiber, fleece, or roving of wool, silk, alpaca, angora, mohair, flax, etc. into a continuous thread by using a spinning wheel or drop spindle. The thread is spun thick or thin, plied or un-plied, and can later be dyed or left natural. Handspun yarn is used for knitting, and weaving projects. You can also use unspun fiber for knitting, weaving and felting.

Here you will find all the information you need to teach yourself the art of handspinning yarn. Our web site includes several video demonstrations to assist you in learning various handspinning techniques, along with articles of helpful information. Like many art forms, handspinning is done in a variety of ways, which makes it so exciting. What you learn from our site is our approach and what we’ve learned along the way. It is so refreshing to see handspinning beginning to break away from tradition and move into a more contemporary direction. Therefore, we also include these contemporary approaches on the site.

Whether you take the traditional or contemporary approach, our goal is to share with you the joy in handspinning fiber into yarn.



Feature Articles

  • How to Make a Drop Spindle

    drop spindle parts If you would like to learn how to spin, but buying a wheel just isn’t in your budget. Then here’s an easy and economical way to make you own drop spindle. Go to a craft shop that sells wooden products and buy a wooden car wheel about 2-3 inches in diameter, this will be the whorl part of the spindle. The wheel has already been drilled with a hole in the exact center which will keep the spindle from wobbling when it spins. Next you need to find a dowel rod that will fit snugly in the center hole of the wheel. This will be the shaft of your spindle. The dowel rods are 3 feet long when you purchase them. I cut my shaft at 9 or 12 inches, so 3 or 4 spindles can be made with one dowel rod. Read more...
  • Styles of Spinning Wheels

    There are several brands of spinning wheel on the market today. Although they have different names, they basically follow the traditional styles of spinning wheel from the past. The Saxony wheel is the most popular style of wheel for beginners, while the Great Wheel is generating new interest from advanced handspinners. Read more...
  • Selecting a Fleece for Handspinning

    Choosing a good fleece for handspinning can be tricky for a beginner. Many breeders are willing to sell you their fleeces, in some cases, even give it away. But not all fleeces are suitable for handspinning, and you may lose your enthusiasm for handspinning raw fleece if your first fleece is a bad one. Read more...
  • Angora Rabbit Care

    German Hybrid Angora Rabbit Angora rabbits are relatively easy to care for. They don’t require vaccinations, and it doesn’t cost much to feed them. Keeping them well groomed is the biggest chore in order to maintain a coat of fur that is matt-free and clean. I wouldn’t recommend adopting an Angora rabbit if you are not willing to take the time to thoroughly brush or blow out their coats at least twice a week. Although, I have found that my German angoras require less grooming, which is why they are my favorite breed. Read more...
  • How to Prepare Fiber With a Drum Carder

    loading the drum carder Using a drum carder is another way of preparing your fiber for spinning. Its more efficient than hand-carding, allowing you to card larger amounts at one time. It is best to use fleece that has been pre-washed, because it cards easier and puts less wear on the machine. The drum carder can also be used for making fiber blends and working with colored fibers. Read more...

    Photo courtesy of Louet N.A.

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“TIE DYEING Yarn & Fiber” is a fiber artist’s dream come true. Everything you need to know to produce high quality multicolored fiber and yarn for your own fiber projects or to sell. This easy to follow guide will have you producing beautiful yarns instantly.

Tie Dyeing Yarn & Fiber


A collection of paintings, drawings, and prints from Western art illustrating the occupation of spinning fiber into yarn on a spinning wheel and drop spindle. Includes the evolution of handspinning between 1500-1900 and a brief description about the art work and additional comments about handspinning methods and techniques.

The History of Handspinning in Art


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