Hand Spinning News
Finishing touches are in focus this month; Carly has written about finishing handwoven cloth with a sewing machine and Laura Fry says that when weaving you're not limited to hems and fringes.
If you're knitting, you could use a picot folded hem in place of your ribbing or other decorative border.
When you've made your finishing touches you'll want to wash with care, Larissa Gibson and Kate Atherley both have advice this month on the subject.
So without further ado, read on for more news, views and reviews for spinners, knitters, crocheters, dyers and weavers. This is the full round-up for June 2025.
Cover photo by Caroline Legg, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Contents
In the media

Schoolchildren create loom for turning old clothes into new textiles
Design students from Cambridgeshire have won a competition with this lasercut 'loopy loom'.
It doesn't seem to be commercially available yet and I haven't found anything very similar in the open-source world. If you know better then please let me know. Using loops rather than a continuous thread is an interesting and unusual idea.
www.dezeen.com..loopy-loom-design...

Walking on wool
Footfall on the Snowdon national park's footpaths is higher than ever. Combined with changing weather, this is bad news for its footpaths.
A Roman technique using local fleeces has been used to rebuild a path up a boggy side of Snowdon. It's labour-intensive work but is more eco-friendly than plastic membrane.
www.dailypost.co.uk...sheeps-wool-used-make-floating...

Farmer urges consumers to pick high-quality fibres
This is rare-breed farmer Caz Rimmer with some of her dyed and raw fleece. She has her fleeces spun at a local mill and then dyes the yarn herself. She's encouraging people to move from synthetics to real wool.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8jgkm7741go
Handspun stories

New video: at the fulling mill
In June last year, Josefin wrote an article with pictures about a grand day out she had at a fulling mill, where she and members of her group took handwoven fabric to be fulled.
I hadn't appreciated exactly how the fulling was performed, imagining that it was being churned around in water rather than a 'stomping action'. The magic of video gives us a view of exactly how this vintage machinery works.
waltin.se/josefinwaltinspinner/new-video-at-the-fulling-mill

The resurgence in Harris tweed production - in pictures
This is a collection of beautiful images which tell an optimistic story of Harris Tweed production, which is enjoying a resurgence with more than 580,000 metres of tweed produced in 2024.
www.theguardian.com...harris-tweed-production...

My mother / my sweater
Claudia has written about her feelings after discovering a jumper that she believes that she made her mother in a bag of clothes destined for charity.
She didn't mind at all and feels that it's a good thing to be more practical than sentimental.
She was happy to be able to take the jumper and recycle it into a new one for herself.
www.moderndailyknitting.com...my-mother-my-sweater

Tape? For knitting?
I'm not familiar with the stuff that ewespecial has unearthed from her closet. It appears to be woven, possibly on the bias and is sold as 'knitting tape'.
She has cast on a hat.
ewespecial.blogspot.com...tape-for-knitting.html

Should you buy that fleece at the fibre festival?
Pamela advocates spinning fleece that you've processed yourself because you'll learn - sometimes the hard way - about how the breeds differ and what characteristics suit you as a spinner.
spinoffmagazine.com/should-you-buy...

Transition at Schacht
There has been a change of ownership at Schacht Spindle Company. The new owner and CEO is Paul Vervoorn who recently also became the owner and CEO of Louët and Venne.
The statement from Schacht says that all three companies will retain their own identities, and Schacht will continue with employees in place at the same facilities. Barry Schacht has retired but family members will keep minority ownership. it's mentioned that Schacht will benefit from 'updates to systems' from Louët.
schachtspindle.com...schacht-and-louet

Tour de Fleece and Tour de Fleece Femmes 2025
Tour de Fleece is open for sign-ups. The purpose is to challenge yourself and have fun.
Spinners will be spinning each day that the cyclists ride, resting when they rest and spinning something challenging on the challenge days.
This year the the Tour de France starts on Saturday, July 05, 2025 and runs until Sunday, July 27, 2025 and the Tour's women's race, Tour de France Femmes starts on Saturday, July 26, 2025 and runs until Sunday, August 3, 2025.
If you've not taken part before, there is an FAQ page here.
www.ravelry.com/groups/tour-de-fleece

Weaving while traveling
You're unlikely to be able to take a floor loom with you when you travel but you may still want to remain engaged with weaving or other fibre crafts.
Tien Chiu has some tips.
handweavingacademy.com/weaving-while-traveling

Weaving a throw using handspun art yarns
This is a fascinating look at the 2.5 end-per-inch heddle and how it can be used to weave art yarn into a large and cosy throw,
saorisantacruz used her 48" ashford loom fitted with freedom roller. This post has many pictures of the process.
centeringwithfiber.blogspot.com...weaving-throw...

Adventures in Random Warping
The thing about 'truly random' is that it doesn't necessarily look very pleasing or look the way that we think random should look.
Christina is choosing random colours for a warp but I think this applies to any project with random colour selection.
She had to introduce some other rules, such as a 'rule of three' and the power to veto a random selection if she didn't feel that it worked.
littlelooms.com/adventures-in-random-warping-the-rule-of-three-towels

Knitting domestic life, Victorian style
This familiar picture of Queen Victoria at a spinning wheel is included in Ashleigh-ellan Kavanagh's essay about the changing role of knitting in society.
www.moderndailyknitting.com...victorian-style

A little bit of this
When stuck for a weft material, Sarah turned to a bag of stained and aged ancient family napkins and hankies. She even had to dye some that were too white. She waxes lyrical about the history ingrained in these items that she clearly found exciting to make use of.
sarahcswett.substack.com...a-little-bit-of-this

Alpaca yarn from larch green farms
Larch Green Farms offer a variety of alpaca experiences and thecraftyyarnster took an hour-long trek and a visit to the shop as a birthday treat.
thecraftyyarnster.com...larch-green-farms

Singles Warp? Yes, You Can!
Linda Ligon questions some 'old wives tales' about using handspun and particularly handspun singles for your warp. Pre-industrial revolution all cloth was woven with handspun yarn. Using singles saves time and it's perfectly possible to warp with them if they're consistent, strong and smooth.
She adds a simple sizing recipe which is helpful.
spinoffmagazine.com/singles-warp-yes-you-can

We sometimes milked 3,000 snails a day
You've probably heard that the earliest purple dye came from sea snails. The tradition survives in Mexico. Andrzej Rybak met Mauro Habacuc Avendaño Luis and his son and learned how to find and milk the snails.
The dye is extremely fast, claimed to outlast the clothes it colours.
www.theguardian.com...mexico-snail-milkers-mixtec-dye...

Socks for Science: cohort 3 - longwools
We've been following Rebecca's sock science experiments - basically spinning for socks in different ways and then wearing them out to see what works best.
In this update, she has spun for three different pair of socks on the same fibre, with different ply structures and different colour management.
She discusses 4-ply opposing-ply, 4-ply hawser and crepe.
osbornfiber.com...science-cohort-3-longwools

Life with wool: fleece among the flowers
Raw fleece, particularly the skirted stuff that you won't spin, contains a large number of substances that benefit your garden and plants and also acts as a mulch which will hold moisture and create a barrier.
We've recently been hearing about sheep farmers turning their wool into pellets for the garden. This is an option if you don't process raw fleece or if you want to support those small farms.
www.moderndailyknitting.com...wool-fleece-among-the-flowers
Tips and tutorials

How to use wraps per inch and twist angle tools
There are some fancy tools available to spinners; inch gauges, control cards, twist angle gauges and combinations of these.
Pamela's article explains the benefits of these and how to use them.
spinoffmagazine.com...wraps-per-inch-and-twist-angle...

Imperial vs metric gauge in knitting patterns: the conversion conundrum
Some countries predominantly use imperial measurements, some metric. Here in the UK it's messy.
Tabetha attempts to clarify and gives some tips on conversion.
https://sweetgeorgiayarns.com/imperial-vs-metric...

Weave your last pin-loom row in seconds
If you use a Zoom Loom-type pin loom, you'll know that the last row is tighter than the first and even when you're experienced, may be a difficult row to weave.
This tip allows you to weave that last row in seconds and even more easily than the first.
littlelooms.com/weave-your-last-row-in-seconds

Scaling down a project
Christine's goal here was to make a small 6" version of a towel pattern which was originally intended to make 12" x 25" towels.
She wanted small cloths for wiping up spills. The original pattern has texture for scrubbing power.
In this article she gives the numbers for scaling down the warp and weft.
littlelooms.com/scaling-down-a-project

Parallel drafting tips
Jillian says that parallel drafting is one of her favourite techniques but it wasn't easy to learn.
Here are her tips which she hopes will be helpful.
plymagazine.com...parallel-drafting-tips

Choosing your first supported spindle
The spinning wheel is seductive but there's still something fascinating about making yarn with something as simple as a stick. The process can be more meditative as well as more portable than wheel spinning.
Diana discusses these points and gives her advice about choosing your first spindles (you won't stop at one) in a short video and in the text on this page.
sweetgeorgiayarns.com/choosing-your-first-supported-spindle...

Treadle tie-up from the top
Leigh finds it a problem to crawl under her countermarch loom for treadle tie-up, but has discovered some resources explaining how to tie-up from the top.
In this post she lists a number of videos and articles about this, and in two more recent blog post, Leigh goes into the preparation for this technique.
leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com...treadle-tie-up-from-top...

Spinning colour! Stranded colourwork sweaters
Using your own yarn to make a colourwork jumper is exciting but there are some challenges. This article looks at some important things that you need to keep in mind, including matching your yarn to the commercial yarn used in the pattern and the best way to spin your yarn.
sweetgeorgiayarns.com/spinning-colour-possibilities...

Kumihimo 101: Getting Started
Angela says that a little bit of handspun yarn and a simple disc gets you big results. She has a 'getting started' tutorial and tips for achieving a nice even braid.
spinoffmagazine.com/kumihimo-101-getting-started

How to knit a folded picot hem
A folded picot hem is a decorative border that can be used in place of ribbing or any other kind of decorative border, where elasticity isn't important.
Sandi has step-by-step instructions.
www.interweave.com...how-to-knit-folded-picot-hem

The felted join
I know that some people are squeamish about spitting into their hand but you can use this technique with a glass of clean water for moistening the join. It can make a near-invisible join with no ends to weave in.
www.interweave.com...change-colors-spit-splice

Help! I've spun a singles in the wrong direction
When teaching, Kate has often been asked to help with this unfortunate scenario.
Her remedy involves unplying the yarn. She has some tips for doing that, and suggestions for what to do with each of the singles.
I have to be honest and say that I find the skein of yarn (an opposing-ply-2-ply?) to be quite attractive and I'd be tempted to use it in a project.
spinoffmagazine.com/plying-help-singles-spun-in-the-wrong-direction
Products and Reviews

Meet Mineralogy
John Arbon have announced their Mill Open Weekend Specials. As the name suggests, this is a limited-edition range, blended especially for their in-person Mill Open Weekend which was 7-8 June.
While stocks last, the range will be available through select stockists from 5 July.
The range is called Mineralogy, it's a blend of Corriedale, Grey Exmoor Blueface and Romney that is soft and buttery and "drafts like a dream".
www.jarbon.com/2025-mill-open-weekend-specials
Video and audio
Technology

Livingloom e-textiles
In the past we've seen projects that look very similar to these but were presented as art. These particular projects (there are many more worth exploring) present themselves as research into human interaction with plants.
The video on this page shows seeds being incorporated into yarn, which is then sewn or woven into wearable textiles. The wearer can care for the plants and in some cases interact with them via electronics.
www.hybridbody.human.cornell.edu/#/livingloom

Multicoloured furniture by We+ shows potential of microalgae pigments
This furniture is clad in tiles which are coloured using specially-grown algae.
Besides the greens we associate with algae, the right growing conditions can produce reds, yellows and blues.
Japanese firm We+ hope that this may become a a sustainable source of vivid natural pigments.
www.dezeen.com...weplus-microalgae-so-colored

World's first gene-edited spiders spin red silk
Scientists have bred spiders that weave bright red, fluorescent draglines. This isn't about producing coloured silk so much as proving that the gene-editing technology works, and learning more about the properties of the silk.
www.earth.com/news/worlds-first-gene-edited-spiders-spin-red-silk

Yarn from leftover wool
I think this is an entirely different project to the one responsible for the wool / cotton blend mentioned above.
Here is a description of low-value locks being processed and blended to produce a 100% natural stretch fabric suitable for clothing.
www.smartcompany.com.au...sheep-leftover-wool

Where the sea meets the skin
Underwear brand Shapellx have unveiled a new range called OceanHug, made from Oyster Shells.
They claim the perfect balance of style, comfort, and sustainability, and that the fabric is breathable, moisture-wicking and has antibacterial properties.
www.streetinsider.com...Sea+Meets+the+Skin...
Gallery
Sometimes just a picture is enough

A Special Gift, Jersey Style
This handspun, knitted-jersey shirt is a very special milestone birthday present. Micki spun the yarn, machine-knitted sheets of fabric, cut pattern pieces and machine-stitched them into the polo shirt.
spinoffmagazine.com/a-special-gift-jersey-style

Season of Darkness and Winter Light
This isn't a handspun project but the photos are beautiful and I'm awestruck by the design. I can't recommend Season of Darkness and Winter Light unless you're looking for a knitting challenge that will take a lot of time and a lot of yarn, so I give lots of kudos to those who have risen to the challenge such as Linda Marveng who made this one.
www.lindamarveng.com...rebekah-audic-wearing

Wedge weave
Jean has been posting in-progress pictures of this recently which you can find in her previous posts. She made it from handspun and natural dyed wool with a simple tapestry loom and basic tools.
onesmallstitch.wordpress.com...keeping-busy-6

Striped handspun socks
Joanne spun this hand-dyed fibre two different ways - regular 3-ply and chain ply. The latter keeps the colours clear, while the former blends them. She then made striped socks from the two skeins.
She saw this idea in the Spin to Knit Socks group. There are many pictures of the yarn and socks plus more details on her project page.
www.ravelry.com...striped-handspun-socks-3-for-2025

Leonida Jumper
The Leonida Sweater is designed for two heathered yarns but Crafty Yarnster had some self-striping yarn and used it for a much more colourful meteor shower with northern lights suggested too.
I think it looks great and it's a shame that it doesn't fit her.
thecraftyyarnster.com...leonida-jumper
Free patterns and projects
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.

Persephone Poncho by Expression Fiber Arts
This pattern is available for free at the time of writing but for a limited and unspecified time.
It's 'one size fits most' and uses 1220 yards of sport-weight (12 wpi) yarn. Chandi says "Ideal for solid or tonal yarns, but use any that light your heart on fire".
It's a more advanced pattern, but she also adds that it looks more complicated than it is.
www.expressionfiberarts.com/products/persephone.html
Pattern and project suggestions

Grove by tincanknits
I love the stitch pattern here. This is designed for an alpaca/silk yarn which will feel nice against the skin, although it will probably need to be worn over something else.
It has the widest range of sizes; newborn to 6XL,
tincanknits.com/pattern/grove

Black Oak pullover by Anne Hanson
This new release from Anne Hanson also has an openwork body and solid sleeves. The sleeves can be long, short or given the elbow entirely. The body can be long or short and there are eleven sizes.
It requires a sport-weight / 12 wpi yarn.
www.barenakedwools.com/products/black-oak-pullover...

Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague
The selling point for this pattern is that it's swatchless, which will appeal to a lot of people. "Want to cast on right away without any prep? Cast on today, no swatching required" says that blurb.
There are plenty of examples in handspun yarn (SkinnyBird's pictured). It requires 130 - 610 yards of 4-ply-weight (14 wpi) yarn and you could knit stripes or let colour-changing yarn speak for itself.
ysolda.com/products/musselburgh
But is it art...?

Élise Peroi merges architecture and nature
Élise Peroi's etherial textile sculptures are displayed on wooden frames that add another dimension. The pieces in her exhibition For Thirsting Flowers are arranged so that you can walk around and between them to experience the forms and the changing light.
www.thisiscolossal.com...elise-peroi-for-thirsting-flowers

Kandy G. Lopez embroiders striking, life-size yarn portraits
Kandy G. Lopez embroiders large-scale portraits of people from historically marginalised communities onto colourful mesh.
www.thisiscolossal.com...kandy-g-lopez...
UK Events
2025

Cumbrian Wool Gathering
21 - 22 June 2025, J36 Rural Auction Centre, Cumbria
A gathering of people with a love for wool and yarn, and the associated crafts. The first Cumbrian Wool Gathering is organised by the same team responsible for Bakewell Wool Gathering and Buxton Wool Gathering.
cumbrianwoolgathering.co.uk

Stitch Fest by the Sea
5 - 6 July 2025, Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare
A new Summer yarn show by the sea!
Expect a fantastic selection of premium exhibitors, hands-on workshops, and exciting demos all wrapped up in a wonderful seaside atmosphere.
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566170402658

Summer Wool Festival
26 - 27 July 2025 Redborne School, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, MK45 2NU
100 of the very best stalls from all over the country, a great range of workshops, a street food area, lots of room to sit and chat, free demonstrations and advice from several local guilds.
Picks up where Fibre East left off.
summerwoolfestival.co.uk

Eden Wool Gathering
26 - 27 July 2025 Whithorn Roundhouse, Dumfries & Galloway
A new event to promote and showcase wool and wool-related crafts.
www.facebook.com/EdenWoolGathering

North East Wool Show
9 - 10 August 2025, Newcastle Racecourse
90 amazing stalls plus a great range of workshops. cafe, demonstrations.
www.northeastwoolshow.co.uk

Pop Up Wool Show
16 August 2025, Hulme Hall, 23 Bolton Rd, Bebington, Wirral
A selection of vendors selling everything from hand dyed yarns and fibres to felting kits and needles
Entry £4 per person, available on the door or online.
www.coastal-colours.co.uk/pop-up

Southern Wool Show
30 - 31 August 2025, Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire
A festival of woolly goodies. The perfect event for all lovers of knitting, crochet, feltmaking, weaving, spinning, dyeing, and all things woolly!
www.southernwoolshow.co.uk

The Scottish Yarn Festival
30 - 31 August 2025 at Perth Concert Hall
The Scottish Yarn Festival is the new name for Perth Festival of Yarn.
The Vendors' Gallery Marketplace is the place to find materials and inspiration for your future crafting projects, the chance to meet and talk with the makers behind your favourite independent brands, to indulge in a little celebrity spotting.
Past tutors and lecturers have included Jeanette Sloan, Françoise Danoy, Andre de Castro, Di Gilpin, and Amy Palko
A fringe programme of social events has included books signings, gala dinners and fashions shows, and Perthshire gin flights
thescottishyarnfestival.com

unravel... autumn
12 - 13 September 2025, Farnham Maltings
unravel... autumn is a celebration of all things yarn making from knitting and crochet to spinning and weaving
At the core of unravel... autumn 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...festivals/unravel-autumn

Llandovery Sheep Festival
20 - 21 September 2025, the centre of Llandovery
A weekend celebration of rural crafts, food, entertainment and of course, sheep farming.
llandoverysheepfestival.com

Yarndale
27 - 28 September 2025, Skipton Auction Mart, North Yorkshire
Over 180 makers, craft workers, retailers, and artisans in the picturesque market town of Skipton, North Yorkshire.
yarndale.co.uk

The Wool Event, Masham Sheep Fair
27 - 28 September 2025, Masham Town Hall
Craft market and fleece stalls, specialising in British wool to compliment the sheep-related events that fill the square of Masham over the weekend.
www.mashamsheepfair.com

Shetland Wool Week
28 September - 4 October 2025
Shetland Wool Week is a world renowned celebration of Britain's most northerly native sheep, the Shetland textile industry and the rural farming community on these islands.
Includes classes, talks, drop-ins, art. See website for the full events listing.
shetlandwoolweek.com

West Wales Wool Show
Saturday 4 October 2025, Queen's Hall and Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
A celebration of all things woolly. From beautifully hand crafted items, clothing and footwear to knitting wool, fleece and all the equipment needed to make at home. Demonstrations run throughout the day with stall holders sharing their skills and knowledge with visitors plus wool skill workshops such as felting.
westwaleswoolshow.weebly.com

Cotswold Wool Weekend
Sat 4 - Sun 5 October 2025 The Corn Hall, Cirencester
A two-day celebration of all things wool and yarn, including stalls, talks, demonstrations and workshops
Tickets available online now.
sites.google.com...cotswoldwoolweekend

The Glasgow School of Yarn
17 - 19 October 2025, The Trades Hall, Glasgow
Scotland's longest running yarn festival, championing local and innovative makers since 2011.
GSoY has an abundance of beautiful yarns, fibres, and accessories for every crafter.
www.glasgowschoolofyarn.co.uk

Stafford Wool Gathering
18 - 19 October 2025 Staffordshire County Showground
Bakewell Wool Gathering has moved to Stafford. More details tbc
staffordwoolgathering.co.uk

Stitch Fest
1 - 2 November 2025, Newton Abbot Racecourse.
Since 2016, Stitch Fest has moved to bigger venues and is now held under one roof at Newton Abbot Racecourse, showcasing some of the best independent makers, dyers, spinners and designers and a fabulous workshop and demonstration timetable.
www.stitchfest.co.uk

The Knitting and Stitching Show, Harrogate
20 - 23 November 2025, Harrogate Convention Centre
Meet up with like-minded crafters, discuss ideas, learn new skills and shop for your annual craft supplies, including wool, beads and beyond from household name brands and special suppliers alike including Fabric Godmother, Toft and more.
www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/harrogate
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.
An edited-down version of this particular issue will be available online to everyone else at hand-spinning-news.com later in the month.
The best way to share may be to share a link to the new Patreon page. New readers can become a free member and receive a notification when each free issue is available. The members' page should become an archive of past issues over time. It's also an alternative way for people to become paying supporters. You're very welcome to switch to Patreon if you would prefer.

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
shiela@hand-spinning-news.com
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