get spun: the step-by-step guide to spinning art yarns

8/9/2019 get Spun: The Step-by-Step Guide to Spinning Art Yarns

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The Step-by-Step Guideto Spinning Art Yarns

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Symeon North


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introduction

What Makes an Art Yarn?

MaterialS

Fiber Traditional & Nontraditional

Other Materials Beads, Cocoons, Hardware

Dyeing & Blending

BaSic techniqueS

High-Twist Worsted

Bulky Singles

Slubby Thick-and-Thin

core Spinning

Elastic CoreCoils & Partial Coils

Wool Chrysalis

lockS

Adding Locks

Spinning All Locks

Plying in Locks

adding in

Strung Beads on Binder

Strung Beads on Yarn

Cocoons

unSpinnaBleS

Plastic BagsFabric

plying

High and Low Twist4Worms

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Spinning a bulky yarn requires different control and rhythm than

spinning a smooth, fine yarnsynchronizing the body (hands and feet)

with the senses (sight and touch). When all of these elements are in

tune, good spinning happens. Spinning slubby and bulky yarn is a good

but less traditional technique, ideal to cut your art-yarn teeth on. There

isnt too much juggling of fibers and feet going on, so it can be a great

confidence booster.

The first step in spinning thick-and-thin is the same as for every yarn:

fiber selection and preparation. Use a combed top for two reasons:

the shorter and weaker fibers are eliminated, and the sideby-side,

parallel alignment of the fibers helps to create slubs. The more you

predraft, the less you will need to draft while spinning, giving you more

opportunity to concentrate on the twist entering your yarn. When you

are attenuating the fibers, allow some unevenness; thicker and thinnerpotions of fiber supply will help create variety in the yarn.

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f ss m ,

s m f m v s s. B,

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s b, sbb sff s s

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S SbsStart out by spinning up to a yard of worsted-weight

yarn, drafting the fiber evenly. This ensures thatyour fibers are connected to your leader and helps

to establish your natural rhythm. Soon you will

come to an area where your predrafting and the

staple length of the fibers have created a slub. To

create a slub, relax your twist-control pinching hand

and steadily slow the treadling speed. Allow the

twist to glide over the slub. (A bulky yarn requires

far fewer twists per inch to hold together, as little asone twist per inch.)

Continue adding slubs as you like. The staple

of the fiber and your natural drafting rhythm will

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spinning slubby and bulky

1 To begin, spin a length of worsted-weight yarn.

2 Relax your twist-control hand while slowing your treadling.

3 The twist will glide over the slub, holding it together.

4 The slub requires less twist to hold together than the thinner portions.

sbb -- s

dictate the frequency of the slubs. Each persons hands have

their own drafting rhythm. Your arms and hands will develop

a particular distance that they draft out the fibers, andeventually they will draft almost exactly the same distance

each time.

S tPart of the drama of a slubby yarn is adding thin parts

between the thick parts for contrast. As with any yarn, the

amount of drafting dictates the size of the yarn, and draftingsmaller and finer will produce a thinner section of yarn.

When you were attenuating the fibers (the second step of

predrafting), the midpoint of the fiber between your hands


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spinning thin1 When predrafting,thinner areas of fiber may

have developed between your

hands. These are ideal for

spinning thin sections between

slubs.

2 When you come to a thinspot in the fiber, speed up your

treadling.

3 The thinner portion needsmore twist to hold together

than the slubby portions.

4 Alternate thick and thinportions for richly textured

yarn.

1

3 4

2

probably created a thinner section where one fibers

staple ended and another began.)

Just as you slowed your treadling to add less twist overthe bulky slub, speed up the treadling to create a stable

fine section. You will need to practice finding the balance

between overspinning the slubs (treadling too fast) and

adding enough twist to the finer sections.

A good way to judge is to measure and weigh your

finished yarn. Bulky yarn should weigh around 600800

yards per pound. If your yarn has significantly more

yards per pound but still measures about 10 wpi, youmay want to practice your predrafting. You can also try

just treadling slowlyeven painfully slowly!without any

fiber. (This can be a helpful exercise for any spinner).

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inSide you will learn:

4Art-yarn spinning fundamentals and techniques with clear step-by-step photographs

4Techniques for wool, silk, and beyond, including nontraditional materials (fabric,plastic bags, silk cocoons), glitz, sari silk, and add-ins

4Instructions for dyeing and blending fiber and yarn

Want to learn how to spin the cool, funky art yarns that you find in knitting boutiques

(at boutique prices) or make your fiber art project unique? This is the book for you!

PAPERBACK, 8 X 9, 120 PAGES

100 PHOTOGRAPHS

ISBN 978-1-59668-064-7

$22.95

AVAILABLE MARCH 2010

Symeon Northis an independent fiber artist, spinner, and dyer who works

under the moniker Pippi Kneesocks. Her articles and designs have

appeared on Knitty, and she is a contributor to the book Spin to Knit.

s fandf!

Looking for ways to jazz up your handspun? Want to create yarns as

individual as you are, that express your artistic vision, but are still

useful? Get Spunteaches spinners to create art yarns with structure.By combining traditional skills, unconventional techniques, and an

unlimited range of fiber possibilities, readers can not only create the

yarn of their dreams, they can make it strong enough to last.

get spun: the step-by-step guide to spinning art yarns

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