Art Yarn Spinning Class Outline

Following is a brief outline of the topics covered in the class. A full handout with more in-depth notes will be provided at the start of the class. An overview of the Art Yarn Spinning Class and cost is at the Classes and Workshop tab; click here to go to that tab: Classes and Workshops

Topics

  • Spiral Plying

  • Supercoils

  • Thick and Thin

  • Core Spinning

Spiral Plying

  • Essentially an uneven plying technique

  • You need two single yarns for spiral plying: usually one thick or thick-and-thin and the other thinner and even

  • The thinner, even singles yarn, can be commercially spun – if so, you will need to consider balance and introducing twist into this yarn

  • The handspun single (thicker) yarn should have enough twist to get a nice ply in the opposite direction      

Supercoils

  • Looks complex; straight forward to accomplish

  • Builds on the spiral plying technique

  • Can be challenging to balance and does not have great drape

  • You need two bobbins of singles; tThe single that will be coiled should not be too thin

  • The other yarn will act like a core

Thick and Thin

  • Thick section needs to be shorter than the staple length of the fiber – so the fiber ends get locked in place

  • Your thick section cannot be thicker than the fiber you are using

  • Use medium to loose tension/take-up

  • Twist goes to thin sections – so twist “jumps” over your thick section

Core Spinning

  • The core is the strength of your corespun yarn so it needs integrity and strength

  • Depending on how you corespin, the core may not be visible

  • Select a core thinner than you want the final yarn to be

  • The core accumulates the twist and this can present a balance challenge

  • You can use a core you handspun (But if you use a single handpsun and then corespin in the opposite direction, the core will be unstable – unless your single is highly twisted); you could use a handspun 2 ply core that is overplied in the opposite direction of your core spinning)

  • You can introduce twist into a commercial yarn/thread that is your core (for balance)

  • Uptake/tension should be enough to pull the corespun fiber onto the core and let you maintain control – considering balance and twist of the core