The 'world's cutest sheep', the Valais Blacknose, has made more than one appearance this month; the Davis family have ventured into keeping this endangered Swiss breed and Sue has been using some first-shearing fleece from the breed.
Matters of terminology also appear in the stories this month. Is alpaca wool wool? Is a Turkish spindle Turkish? The spinning police aren't going to pay anyone a visit but sometimes it's helpful to know some of the subtle distinctions.
So without further ado, read on for more news, views and reviews for spinners, knitters, crocheters, dyers and weavers. This is the edited round-up for December 2024.
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Cover photo thanks to: Nikola Johnny Mirkovic on Unsplash.
Pantone have announced a mouth-watering colour of the year for 2025, Mocha Mousse. "An unpretentious classic".
The mellow brown evokes warmth and comfort, to reflect the importance of "little treat culture"
More than a hundred limestone pebbles with holes have been uncovered at one site since 1972. There has been some uncertainty about their purpose because of the irregular shapes.
A recent study set out to test this. Spinners used reproductions of the stones as whorls. They were difficult to use with wool, but still made the process more efficient than manual spinning. Later tests with flax were more successful and led to the conclusion that these are spindle whorls.
They are the earliest known examples of this particular device.
This yarn started as a braid called Pavlopetri from Fossil Fibres.
In this post Spanish Peahen discusses how she aligned the colours to achieve this beautiful gradient from mint to brown. The singles were on the spindles for some years - a process she calls plycrastination.
Sue first spotted an ornament like this but without her wheel in an antique shop.
She didn't buy that one but she has since bought this one from a seller on ebay and is sure that she's from the same mould.
This cardigan was originally a sweater. Dana decided to steek it. She says, "It was the most terrifying and yet satisfying thing I've done".
She even made the buttons herself from polymer clay.
www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/danas-edit-a-steeked-sweater
Fulling transforms woven fabric into a thicker, denser fabric.
This handspun and woven fabric was reluctant to full but perseverance paid off.
We have followed this documentary from its conception, production and release.
It is now being screened in cinemas and is available to rent and watch online. See the website's 'Watch' page for details.
If you're new to spinning then this will be a valuable read.
Anne tries to find the origins of the name Lazy Kate and looks at the many options we have, including home-made and improvised.
Meagan says that the spinning police aren't going to arrest you for calling alpaca 'wool' but that knowing the differences between fur, hair and wool can help your creative process.
Ply magazine has the story of the Davis family's venture into breeding Valais Blacknose sheep which has had some unique challenges.
Peggy has been doing more sampling using paper yarn. She also muses on whether paper yarn should be smooth or slubby.
Josefin made two very different yarns with this shiny black Rya fleece.
One is worsted and pure black, the other is woollen and has sari silk inclusions.
Eileen Hallman uses high-twist singles to create a crepe effect. To avoid wasting precious handspun yarn, she uses the handspun singles in a doubleweave structure with commercial yarn for both warp and weft.
This is an introduction to an article which requires a free login to Interweave.
The terms that we use for yarn thickness may be confusing to new spinners. 4-ply / 8-ply / 10-ply often refers to weight and not the actual number of plies. Terms such as worsted and aran seem to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Hunter has some thoughts on the subject which will be helpful.
I personally advocate a poly drive band for a single-drive wheel. The grippiness means that it works with less tension which makes treadling noticeably easier.
I wouldn't have said that this type of band is suitable for double-drive wheels; 'slip' being an important part of the operation.
However, Meagan Condon says that hers is serving her well, with the caveat that success will depend on the wheel.
The Knit Knack feels that a better name for Turkish spindles is Turkish-style or better, cross-arm. Whatever you call it, she's been using hers while out and about.
ninjabex has made these legwarmers (or armwarmers) for her daughter. She used handspun yarn made from World of Wool neon fibre and knitted it using her vintage CSM.
Her post also contains advice for keeping the colours in this type of blend from becoming muddy.
The recent storms led to cancelled events or lower numbers. Wool-in Garden City went ahead, but workshops were cancelled.
Kath Andrews has blogged about her experiences of the event. She gives us a video 'spin around' the hall which is always very useful if you're considering a particular event for the first time.
We've been keeping an eye on the current location of The Longest Yarn, a depiction of the D-Day landings.
Tansy Forster has agreed to lead the creation of a new installation to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It is to be a centrepiece at next year's Wonderwool Wales.
There are several ways to spin combed top if you want to bring out the colour progressions created by the dyer.
Here is Kate's recipe for creating a soft-self-striping yarn. She wanted to "combine the dapples and overall consistency of marled yarns with the clear stripes we get when spinning singles or chain-plying".
Janet Dawson has three suggestions for unexpected and affordable items that will be useful in the studio.
handweavingacademy.com/weaving-hacks-3-handy-items-for-the-weaving-studio
If you've spun silk then you'll know that it catches on everything. This simple tip will help and it will give your hands a well-deserved treat.
Avoid running out of heddles while threading by counting them before you start, and that's made easier with this little tip.
Direct and indirect warping have their pros and cons. Amanda advocates this hybrid method as the best of both worlds.
sweetgeorgiayarns.com/the-best-of-both-exploring-hybrid-warping
Accompanying the previous article perfectly, this series from Handwoven is for the beginner weaver, or at least one who is new to winding a warp.
Part one is about setting up your warping board and the porrey cross.
Debbie explores the ways that you can prepare fibre using nothing more than your two hands.
Ashford's Brooklyn loom is a 4-shaft table loom, designed to be an "economic stepping-stone" for rigid heddle weavers. It claims to make weaving multi-shaft patterns simple and easy.
Felicia has had one since its launch in 2023 and now presents a full review.
Schacht have made limited runs of a number of their products from shuttles to looms in cherry wood.
This page lists the items, which are on pre-order and will ship in January.
John Arbon have restocked their popular stash cans.
These tubs are airtight and stylish. The price includes shipping, which is pricey because of the bulk, but if you order other things at the same time then they'll travel for free inside.
Martin has modified an Addi circular knitting machine and written custom software to make a fully-automatic multi-colour knitting machine.
We've previously had a cursory glance at Marilou Schultz' Navajo weaving based on the design of an Intel Pentium microprocessor.
Computer historian Ken Shirriff has written this very detailed article which gives much more information about the Pentium piece, chip manufacturing on Navajo land and its influences in their weaving designs, along with some more microprocessor weavings by Marilou Schultz and Analia Saban.
www.righto.com/2024/08/pentium-navajo-fairchild-shiprock.html
Sometimes just a picture is enough
jstevens369 has finished this Westknits shawl using club fibre from Hilltop Cloud. It's very sparkly thanks to stellina and beads.
The pattern is called Go Go Dynamo and was the subject of a make-a-long hosted by Stephen.
janet_makes has also finished a Stephen West shawl, this time Dotted Rays.
She says, "these are not my normal colours but it's good to go out of your comfort zone sometimes".
Peter Bott has used photographs of his glass vases to make this tufted rug. It's part of his exhibition "Wool and Glass".
Natalie has made these rings and bangles by boiling old plastic knitting needles "with varying degrees of success".
Knit/Wit calls herself an overachiever because she spun much more of the silk-blend yarn than she used in this jumper. The fear of running out led to her spinning 2,000 yards and has almost half of that left.
The pattern is Goldenfern by Jennifer Steingass
Sue was given some first-shearing fleece from the cutest of all breeds, Valais Black Nose. The wooden buttons for this cowl are also handmade.
Rebecca spun a good deal of the yarn for this jumper by spindle during Tour de Fleece 2023. It wasn't intended for a Metamorphic at that point but that's what she felt when she finished the yarn.
She has some tips about making this pattern, in particular, to use a yarn that makes a drapey fabric.
osbornfiber.com/2024/12/04/finishing-party-weekender-metamorphic
HighlandHeffalump decided to spin this "beautifully soft bouncy" Polwarth into seasonal 'candy cane' marled yarn. It'll be interesting to see what it looks like knitted up.
Felicia thinks that this is the first time she's used her own handspun in a sweater. She fractal-spun the BFL+Silk and held that with a mohair laceweight while knitting.
"Use your handspun, be proud, and enjoy it!" she says.
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.
The author says that this is the method she used to create scrunchies back in the '80s.
They're made using DK-weight yarn on a 3.75 mm hook.
This pattern includes instructions for adding beads as you go.
As usual with makeanddocrew, you can fight through the ads on the page or buy a printable ad-free pdf.
This is more of a very simple but effective tip than a pattern.
Covering a wire hanger with yarn makes it non-slip and more attractive.
A sleep mask can facilitate sleep and a knitted version will be easier on the face than a commercial one. They're very quick to make.
Pictured: morganitisss' eye mask using handspun yarn.
This is a simple pattern with texture for warmth.
It uses 190 - 250 yards of Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi) on 4.5mm needles. It can be made as a beanie, or with more repeats, a slouchie.
The author has designed it with handspun yarn in mind.
You may not have thought of using a picture frame as a tapestry loom.
amitsaha's Instructable combines pixel art with tapestry weaving. It is simple enough to use as an activity with kids, or a really neat way to use and then display your handspun yarn.
This pattern contains the instructions for the sunken diamond Zoom Loom square, the three-needle bind-off and the turtleneck closure.
An A-line vest with cables and seed stitch for texture. Looks great closed with a shawl pin.
Nine sizes requiring 735 - 1682 yards of DK-weight yarn.
This pattern teaches you to make a blanket or cushion using Tunisian crochet. The pattern includes four ready-to-make patterns with charts and video tutorials, UK and US terminology.
It uses sport-weight yarn (12wpi) on a 4.5 mm hook.
This is a very popular pattern with many handspun examples.
Thread Head has just finished this handspun Lucy, not her first or last.
This is a 3D rendering of Vincent's famous subject.
Yarn requirement is around 70 yards per flower.
This project is published in Easy Weaving with Little Looms Winter 2024, and the pattern is available with an all-access subscription at Long Thread Media. Yes, I'd prefer that it was simply possible to buy the pattern or just that issue too.
Sarah named this design after a fish-related punfest on a forum. The lace has a fishtail-like design.
She thinks that it'll be possible to get a pair from 100g of sock yarn, or more for wider or longer feet.
It has four sizes and provides written and charted lace pattern.
This pattern has colourwork that would suit handspun and sizes from baby to large adult. There's also a choice of yarn weights, sport or worsted.
This is a new pattern from Hunter. She calls them snowballs and gives you permission to throw them at a wall when you need to vent, or to hang them on your tree.
Emma Pannel combines metalwork and embroidery. "In my work, a piece of old metal or material can become something fantastical like a scarab beetle or a bejewelled body part", she says.
Sila Gur dresses her subjects in contemporary styles that feature luscious, embroidered textures. She says that when you hide or obscure a face, the imagination takes over.
Sangmin Oh's lighting is made from reclaimed industrial fibre and resembles fungi or coral.
Andrea's work is intricate and meticulous. She embroiders paper and carefully cuts and places fabric, playing with perspective, light and colour.
www.textileartist.org/andrea-barrios-aguilar-colour-alchemist
Yumi Okita creates lifelike moths, butterflies, and flowers from embroidery thread.
www.thisiscolossal.com...yumi-okita-butterflies-and-botanicals
Victoria Rose Richards has recently been exploring geometry in the form of crop circles, classical gardens, and rice terrace steps.
www.thisiscolossal.com...victoria-rose-richards-aerial-symmetry
Sun 19 Jan 2025 10am-4pm, Marriott Hotel, Old Shire Lane, Waltham Abbey
All-day and timed tickets available.
Chosen charity since 2017 is Knit for Peace. Workshops range from beginner to intermediate.
50 exhibitors, a selection of crochet, knitting, spinning and other craft workshops at a variety of levels.
The theme for the 2025 Competition is hats!
Sat 15 - Sun 16 February 2025, The Burgess Hall, St Ives, PE27 6WU
Aims to provide a dynamic, active platform for textile artists to exhibit and retailers to showcase their beautiful products for purchase.
Fri 14 - Sun 16 Feb 2025, Farnham Maltings, Hampshire
At the core of unravel's three day in-person festival is the curated marketplace which showcases independent producers, well established makers alongside first-time yarn show exhibitors from around the UK. In addition, on each day of the festival, there is an inspiring programme of bookable workshops.
farnhammaltings.com/artists-and-makers/craft/festivals/unravel
15 - 16 Feb 2025, Imperial Hotel Blackpool
A gathering dedicated to the rich traditions of knitting, crocheting, weaving, and spinning. Created by an indie yarn dyer in response to the increasing call for more fibre arts events in the North West, this festival offers a warm, welcoming space for creativity and community.
15 - 16 Mar 2025, Norfolk Showground Arena
East Anglia's premier fibre festival, bringing amazing exhibitors to Norwich for the second year. Classes, crochet and knit-a-long, The Big Stitch Night, podcaster meet-up.
26 - 27 April 2025, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells
First held in 2006 to promote the market for Welsh wool and add value to product for small wool & fibre producers in Wales, the festival celebrates the green credentials of Welsh wool and its versatility as a material for creative crafts, designer clothes, home furnishings and more.
Wonderwool Wales has grown year on year. It covers everything from the start to the end of the creative process.
A list of accommodation and camping in the surrounding area is available on the Wonderwool website.
Fri 4 - Sat 5 April 2025
Since 2019 Edinburgh been missing an important festival: a yarn festival!
A new event to celebrate knitters, crocheters, weavers, spinners and fibre lovers with a festival of crafts, workshops, talks, food, music and good company.
12 - 13 April 2025 - The Grammar School, Leeds
90 stalls, food, free parking, workshops, demos.
The perfect event for all lovers of knitting, crochet, feltmaking, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and all things woolly!
12 - 13 April 2025, venue tbc
Yarns, fibres, weaving, crochet, knitting, spinning, accessories and workshops and more.
I'm Shiela Dixon, I've been doing this for almost fifteen years in order to promote and encourage spinning and related crafts.
It's made possible by a number of readers who contribute financially. You can join them with a regular contribution (pay what you like, no matter how small) and in return receive a longer version of HSN delivered to your email inbox earlier in the month than the free edition appears.
All that remains is for me to thank everyone who blogs, writes articles or posts pictures on the subject of spinning, knitting, crochet or weaving. This newsletter wouldn't exist without them.
Nor would it exist without your support, so thank you for that.
And to send you the warmest wishes of the season.
Please share a link to hand-spinning-news.com with anyone who may be interested.
It's always good to hear from readers for any reason and I'd particularly like tip-offs about about any relevant stories, websites or social media accounts that I should be following.
Happy spinning!
Shiela Dixon - Editor / curator
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