Hand Spinning News
Midsummer is almost here, though you wouldn't believe it with the current UK weather.
Still, there are indoor events to take part in such as the Tour de Fleece and Tour de Sock, and lots of light summery projects to make just in case the sun comes out again.
Read on for this month's selection of spinning inspiration, news, blogs, tips, fun, patterns and events.
This is the full paid issue for June 2016.
Photo right: Shawl in sand and blue, windy_ewe. Cover photo, Frigg / Frigga, Norse goddess, spinning the clouds. Unknown painting.
Contents
News / Events
International Back to Back Wool Challenge
This year's International Back to Back challenge took place on 12 June.
Congratulations to the Groenewoud team from Netherlands and Germany who made their jumper from blade shears to finished jumper in a touch over five hours, winning the event and missing the Guinness world record by ten minutes.
I'm linking to the official Facebook page where there are photos, news and videos. It appears that you can view without a facebook account. The picture I've used here may or may not be from 2016, I can't establish.
https://www.facebook.com/woolbacktoback/
Refugee Bhutan women find joy and profit in spinning
This is a good-news story. These refugees aren't part of the recent spate but from an event in the 80's. Some of them have been in refugee camps for 20 years, but are now settled in Lexington, USA.
It emerged that this group of seven women are skilled in hand spinning and have been given help by their hosts to turn a social activity into a business. Initially with spinning wheels and now the charkhas that they're more familiar with.
It's always fun to read a description of our craft written by a journalist with no knowledge of the craft for readers with no knowledge of the craft.
I nearly missed the photo gallery - look for the "1 of 12" below the main picture.
http://www.kentucky.com/living/article82016027.html
Art under the microscope
This amazing picture (trust me, it is amazing if you click through and see the full-size version) was taken using a microscope and shows the warp and weft threads in a 16th century tapestry, 'Triumph of Bacchus'
There are a number of shots, annotated to show various features of this structure. It includes warp threads of undyed wool, weft threads of red silk and metallic thread made from precious metals wrapped around golden-dyed silk.
Pictures like this are made to help conservators understand and preserve such works.
Thanks to Jillian Moreno for sharing.
http://thegetty.tumblr.com/post/144573232206/art-under-the-microscope-threads-how-exactly-was
Tour de Fleece 2016
I believe there's a cycling event happening shortly with a similar name, but the Tour de *Fleece* will be happening from 2 - 24 July.
It's not a competition, but a personal challenge. The idea is to spin every day that the cyclists are pedalling and set yourself goals matching the cycling stages.
Tina tells us (in the form of a fairytale) how a challenge is just what's needed sometimes to get motivated and spin a useful amount of yarn. The link below takes you to her post, at the bottom of that is a link to the main Tour de Fleece Ravelry group where you can find more information and join in.
https://peacefullyknitting.com...once-a-upon-a-time-a-spinning-tale
discuss any of this
From the Blogosphere
Greenbank Mill Sheep Shearing & Herb Festival
I don't usually feature shows outside the UK but I found this collection of pictures so engaging. There's sheep shearing, spinning on wheel and spindle, demonstrations and beginners sessions, natural dyeing; it looks like a great open day.
https://weekendknitter.com/2016/05/14/milling-about/
Maryland sheep and wool festival 2016
Also on non-UK shows, the Maryland show seems remarkably popular.
This may be the largest number of photographs ever in a single blog post, and they're such good quality it almost feels as if you were there.
http://222handspun.com/blog/14216540/mdsw-2016-wrap-up
New home for an old project
This handspun sweater is made from combed corriedale fleece in a natural brown colour. But it's not new; Damselfly made it 16 years ago and has worn it "quite a lot".
It's worn well and she's now given it to her daughter, but she couldn't part with the buttons so had to swop those before passing the garment on.
Click through for more pictures and the full story.
http://damselflys.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/new-home-for-old-project.html
By the skin of her teeth!
Fibre-East is still a few weeks away but the closing date to enter the spinning competition has now passed. But josiekitten just managed to finish her spinning and sent in her entries.
Cilck through for more pictures of the spinning in progress, josiekitten's home-made tensioned lazy kate and the very neat finished 3-ply.
http://theknittingexploitsofjosiekitten...by-skin-of-my-teeth.html
A new fibre arts craze
Tina has noticed a trend for small (lap or tabletop) looms being used to make these artistic pieces.
This one was made by her friend and uses handspun yarn from fibre given to her by Tina.
If the topic grabs you, Tina shows-and-tells the kit that she's bought, and embeds a video demonstrating how to use one of these looms.
https://peacefullyknitting.com...new-fiber-arts-craze-have-you-joined-it-too
Spinner Spotlight :: Robin Wiest
This Handspinner Spotlight is an interview with Robin Wiest.
It's an interesting read, Robin gives this great advice for anyone new to spinning: "Remember this is a hobby and the reason you're trying it is for fun. Ten to fifteen minutes a day and trust me it will eventually click ... If you practice enough there will be that surprise moment and squeal of joy when it clicks."
There are also a bunch of wonderful pictures of yarn and finished projects.
https://welfordpurls.com/2016/05/30/spinner-spotlight-robin-wiest/
Sharing our making is so important because...
I don't often link to articles which are reflections on our craft, but I found this one a compelling read and it had me thinking.
Have you been told "you should sell your work"?
Anyone doing a day job expects a certain level of income in return for their regular visits to their desk. But a similar level of reimbursement for the time and skill involved in making a pair of socks would make them difficult to sell.
Rachel asks why we're intrigued at the moment by the idea of 'slow' clothing, and muses on the true value of the things that have taken us many many hours to make.
I've had a very romantic ideas of the self-sufficiency lifestyle and a time when women spun in order to have warm clothes.The reality of those things may be much harsher than we like to think.
https://welfordpurls.com/2016/06/01/sharing-our-making-is-so-important-because/
Hap stretcher tutorial
The device being used here is a hap stretcher, a very effective and efficient way to block a large shawl. It breaks down for storage when not in use.
Following the release of her new hap book, Kate Davies has been featuring some of the patterns on her blog. In this post she tells some history and gives detailed instructions for making one.
https://katedaviesdesigns.com/2016/06/08/hap-stretcher-tutorial/
Ontario handspinning seminar
There's some lovely photography in this post, and it's interesting to read about Valérie's classes in blending board and spinning cotton. She is "ever smitten with blending now".
But the useful tip here is that she took along some stash fibre that she found too bright to wear, and using the blending board, she's mixed them into "more subtle, wearable shades".
The blending board allows you to 'paint' with colours, but if you don't have a board, this is something you could also achieve with hand carders or a drum carder.
http://incorrigiblecraftster.blogspot.co.uk...ontario-handspinning-seminar-kingston.html
discuss any of this
Tips and tutorials
Undertones, masstones, and picking colours
This isn't light reading but if you know a little colour theory and want to know more then this is for you.
In this very detailed article, Jenn covers how colours are made up and the confusing terminology, then how to identify your own undertone(s) and finally how to choose colours to suit you. There are some 'further reading' links too
http://rovingcrafters.com...undertones-masstones-and-picking-colors
Swatch Maker 3-in-1 Loom
I wish this tool had been available before I started my blanket scarf. I used some stash yarn similar to the stuff I was going to weave, warped the loom and tried 4 different setts before I settled on the one that was right.
The Swatch Maker 3-in-1 Loom would have made that process quicker and used less yarn.
Leslie Ann discusses sett and gives some useful general tips before presenting the Swatch Maker
http://blog.yarn.com/project-planning-ready-set-sett
Mason's Medley Roving Combination Handspun Yarn
This, dear friends, is a 'roving combination handspun yarn' in progress.
Grace is using her 'Mason's Medley' technique, which involves holding small lengths of various fibres together in her hand while spinning. It creates "deeply layered fusions of colour without dyeing or carding". It creates an "Elegant, blendy, almost... tweed effect".
She took at least five kinds of batts and roving and to spin, she pulled out three orange and one other, all at random.
I'd usually link to a blog post with photos if I can but this time I'm linking to the Youtube video because if you bear with the introduction for around three minutes, the speeded-up colour-selection and then spinning is captivating to watch.
With thanks to Rachel of Welfordpurls for the tip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYQLoyz3LyA
Darn Sock
Handspun socks are precious, but they will get holes after a certain amount of wear.
Here, Rebecca gives an outline of how to knit this kind of invisible patch. She was lucky enough to find some of the same yarn, so there's another tip - keep a 'mending' jar of ball-ends.
http://needleandspindle.com/?p=4097
Kettle dyeing braided roving
In this video Rebecca started by making a crochet chain of fibre before dying. She was hoping to get some tonal variation and the experiment was a success.
She gives thorough details of her whole process and she has also done something that I think should be compulsory for any video - a breakdown of the video contents with times, which gives you some context before you start and allows you to easily skip through.
http://www.chemknits.com/2016/06/kettle-dyeing-braided-roving.html
discuss any of this
Yvonne
"D'oh, this is your 'grass intolerance' all over again."
If you like Yvonne, click the image to find her page, you can use next and previous to explore more cartoons, and join the mailing list for a fortnightly digest email.
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Gallery
Sometimes just a picture is enough
The journey from roving to yarn to shawl
This is Roving Crafter Jenn (who sometimes tells stories while spinning in cowgirl boots) looking suitably pleased with her Pi Are Square shawl.
It took 18 months to spin and knit the alpaca / corriedale, starting during Spinzilla 2014.
Jenn has gathered together the information and pictures from previous blog posts, an exercise that she says is an "eye-opening experience and not for the feint of heart".
http://rovingcrafters.com...the-journey-from-roving-to-yarn-to-shawl
Handspun scarf
At first glance I assumed that the thick and thin nature of this yarn was intentional, but on delving deeper I found that Tina was losing her groove while spinning this yarn.
She has nevertheless used the yarn in this scarf of her own design, which features a lace diamond pattern and silver decorations.
I like the extra texture that the uneven yarn gives.
https://peacefullyknitting.com/2016/05/24/my-handspun-scarf/
Blanket scarf in real Shetland
I'm cheekily sneaking one of my own projects here (Editor's prerogative!)
Partly inspired during Team HSN's visit to the scouring mill earlier in the year, and partly by a couple of projects I've featured here in HSN in the past few months, I used combed top from the Real Shetland Co to spin and weave this blanket scarf.
Click through for more details and more pictures.
http://blog.handspinner.co.uk/2016/06/blanket-scarf-in-real-shetland.html
Bond and Manx Loagthtan
This is a nice pairing of two different fibres / dyers.
Both are club fibres, one from Spunky Eclectic and the other from Southern Cross Fibre. They appear to have been spun as singles.
As a bonus, there's a picture of the Final Frontier with its own write-up here. Simone has spun 'across the top' for long colour changes, and she'll leave it as singles. I look forward to seeing this knitted into a finished object.
Simone has the new Hap book from Kate Davies and Jen Arnall-Culliford and thinks that both yarns would suit hap shawls.
http://sandandskycreations.com...bond-and-manx-loagthtan
The engineer's socks
It's so good to spot a follow-up finished project after featuring the handspun yarn in a previous issue.
These are the finished socks from Goldilox's 'Engineered sock yarn'. She made an 'opposing twist' three ply, one of her plies being spun in the opposite direction so that it gains more twist in the plying, adding reinforcement. She also blended mohair with wool for strength.
http://goldyspinner.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/the-engineers-socks.html
Woven shawl
A handspun and woven shawl by sue.felt, who "really enjoyed it and can't wait to start [her] next project"
The wool is from her own sheep, and I love the bobbly effect from the slubby yarn.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGOg42_Fjyg/
A dozen spindles
A great photo of a dozen spindles used to spin 200g of merino.
The discussion is worth a look, meilindis answers a question about switching to a new spindle and maintaining thickness.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGNI6m4KCPK/
Handspun in baby vest
Some beautiful colourwork here in this baby vest.
All wool, and some of the colour is handspun yarn.
Explore auntybuzzy's pictures for the front of this vest and more of her colourwork projects.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGLXd16Rson/
discuss any of this
Free patterns
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.
Rasta Holiday from dianelaugustin
The pattern calls for yarn which is obviously designed to resemble handspun, so why not do things right and use the real deal. You'll need yarn and needles to give you around two stitches to the inch.
There's a choice of infinity (loop) or moebius (loop with a twist)
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/knitting/accessory/rasta-holiday/123636
discuss any of this
Not-so-free patterns
All Dressed Up Stole by Susan Villas Lewis
At first glance I assumed that this is crochet but it's a deceptive knit stitch pattern.
It's a stole with a collar that can be worn various ways including as a belted cardigan.
The suggested yarn is a cotton/silk mix, so I suggest a wool that's reasonably soft and drapey, spun to aran weight (8 wpi)
The example shown here is in a solid colour, but I'm sure this would look great in semi-solid or something more colourful.
http://www.yarn.com/product/valley-yarns-712-all-dressed-up-stole-pattern
Prismatic by Tabetha Hedrick
I'm not sure about the very bright yellow but I love this new pattern and have added it to my queue. Oh for more hours in the day!
Top-down with a flap and gusset heel and a wonderful lace pattern.
https://sweetgeorgiayarns.com/shop/prismatic/
Contour crochet shawl by Joanne Scrace
At first glance it looks as if Sarah of Crafts from the Cwtch is using handspun singles here, in fact it's a commercial yarn that looks remarkably like handspun.
Designer Joanne Scrace says that the pattern "..works perfectly with those tricky to crochet variegated skeins, with the bold lines drawing the colour splashes along", so I'm treating all of that as a recommendation.
The picture and link are from Sara's Contour Shawl in progress, look for the link to the pattern in her post.
As a bonus, Sarah gives some very useful tips which will come in useful if you're nearing the end of your yarn before the end of the pattern.
http://www.craftsfromthecwtch.co.uk...how-to-win-at-yarn-chicken.html
Pixie Purses are true quick knits
Not only is this a paid-for pattern, but it requires you to buy a 'sew in purse frame' too. But all of that should only cost a fiver, and I find this purse really pretty.
Spinners often wax lyrical about the soft and squooshy, but of course the more robust fibres have their place too, and this is one of those places.
Jenn says that the 'quick knit' promise isn't a lie. Hers took two hours.
http://rovingcrafters.com/2016/06/04/pixie-purses-are-true-quick-knits/
discuss any of this
2016 events
Woolly Worstead
18 & 19 June, 10am - 4pm, Village Hall, The Street, Dilham, Norfolk
The Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers of historic Worstead have asked me to list their family fun day (note the slightly different spelling of Worstead village and the worsted yarn; I'm assured that the one is named after the other.)
https://worsteadweavers.org.uk/woolly-worstead-2016-2/
Woolfest
Friday 24 June and Saturday 25 June, Cockermouth, Cumbria
Woolfest was founded to provide a showcase and a celebration of the best of wool and wool crafts.
The event is all about creativity and design with beautiful quality, amazing colours and skilled craftsmanship.
www.woolfest.co.uk
British Wool Show (formerly British Wool Weekend Show)
Friday 5 and Saturday 5 August, York Auction Mart
Supporting the Campaign for Wool.
Exciting treasures to discover; wool from fleece to finished items and other items you will need to spin, weave, knit, crochet, hand dye, cross stitch, embroider or make felt.
www.britishwool.net
Yarndale
24 and 25 September Skipton Auction Mart, North Yorkshire
For you if you love yarn and are passionate about all things woolly. It aims to celebrate the beauty and diversity of wool, cotton, linen and silk fibres in all their forms
yarndale.co.uk
Shetland Wool Week
24 September - 2 October 2016
A busy weekend dedicated to celebrating Shetland wool and textile heritage.
Events programme to be announced in April.
shetlandwoolweek.com
Bakewell Wool Gathering
Bakewell Agricultural Centre Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October
This year sees the fouth year of the Bakewell Wool Gathering, an event for wool lovers in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales.
There will be exhibitors, demonstrations of fibre crafts, workshops plus a knitting and crochet help desk to help novice and expert alike.
bakewellwool.co.uk/
Happy spinning and don't be a stranger!
Shiela Dixon - Editor / curator
shiela@hand-spinning-news.com
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