Band weaving has been in the spotlight this month. Annie has inkle-weaving basics, John has tips for tablet-weaving using handspun and Christina has a round-up of projects for inkle bands, some obvious and some surprising. Kate has researched the Llanwenog breed and found it great for band weaving.
You can use handspun yarn in many ways and this month has also seen answers to frequently-asked questions such as can you hand-crank handspun? and can you use handspun as a warp?
Autumn colour is well-represented this month. Spin Off magazine has shared autumn-themed reader projects and John Arbon Textiles have expanded their Harvest Hues range of tops and yarn.
The image to the right and the cover image relate to Beatrix Potter. Mary of nzspinningwheels has researched and published a fabulous article about spinning and spinning wheels in Potter's work.
Read on for more news, views and reviews for spinners, knitters, crocheters, dyers and weavers. This is the free edition for November 2023.
Find out how to receive the full version of Hand Spinning News in your inbox, earlier than the free edition appears online.
Cover photo: Herdwick sheep on a grey autumnal day by David Barratt via Shutterstock.
It has been proposed that making clothes from dog fur is an environmentally-friendly alternative to sheep's wool or cotton. Entrepreneur Ann Cathrin Schönrock says that Germany throws away 1,600 tons of dog fibre.
The idea isn't new. Historically, dogs have been bred for their hair. This article from Time has the history and the proposal.
In case you've not seen Andrea Love's amazing stop-motion videos, you can find them here.
She's working on a playable game based on her needle-felt stop motion.
At present the fundraising is on hold but I hope this is temporary. You can follow on Instagram or the game's website.
The Living Knitwork Pavilion is an unusual architectural piece crafted from knitted textiles and a lattice network of wood by a team of MIT researchers.
The Burning Man festival creates a temporary city in Nevada for artistic and creative expression. There has been a push towards sustainable art and so the techniques and materials used in the Pavilion minimise raw materials and waste. It's powered by solar cells and batteries.
You may well have seen the news reports about the 'loneliest sheep' who had got herself trapped on the shore of a cliff. The rescue wasn't attempted for a long time because it was difficult and the sheep had food.
All of the media attention and campaigning seems to have prompted action. "Sometimes you just need a group of idiots to get a job done" said Cammy Wilson who led the risky rescue operation.
'Fiona' is now safe, has had a trim and is living at Dalscone Farm, a tourist attraction in Edinburgh. This report says that there are plans to turn her long fleece into item(s) to auction for charity.
[Update]
The fleece has gone to Wooldale Wool to be made into small items, proceeds to two charities.
www.cbsnews.com/news/loneliest-sheep-fiona-rescued-scotland-farmers-cliff-for-2-years
a sea of poppies cascades from the tower of St Peter's Church in Wellesbourne to mark remembrance day.
This is a real community project, although contributions have been made from knitters and crocheters worldwide. They are sewn to a net draped from the bell tower.
uk.news.yahoo.com/huge-cascade-thousands-knitted-poppies-090234338.html
Thanks to Sue for reporting her road trip to the Bakewell Gathering which took place on 14 and 15 October.
She admits that she was too absorbed with the people and products to take many photos but she has posted a few, including a video of Diane of Murmering Wheel using her walking wheel.
travelfibreandthread.blogspot.com/2023/10/brr-definitely-autumn.html
Kate Macdonald wrote a novel between 2019 and 2021. She has decided to serialise it in chunks of around 1000 words.
You can find all of the episodes to date, including the prologue, here on Substack. You can also sign up for free email notifications of future episodes.
This is a fascinating article about Beatrix Potter's depictions of spinning wheels in her illustrations. They show that her understanding of wheels and spinning increased over time.
Mary also goes into her time as a breeder of Herdwicks on the Lake District land that she was passionate about preserving.
With thanks to Fiber Sprite Pamela for the link.
nzspinningwheels.wordpress.com/2022/02/18/beatrix-potter-and-spinning-wheels/
This is a Reeves wheel, numbered 6000 and the last produced by Rick Reeves.
In this video, Jim Bateman and Linda Ligon reminisce about Rick and Marge Reeves and demonstrate Rick's last walnut Saxony wheel.
Kathy Sparks gives us an in-depth look at growing and processing flax at home.
Jess has been spinning for a long time but she says that she's never thought very much about the specific fibre she's spinning. She is therefore starting a fleece and breed study. In this post she discusses the sample packs and reference books that she has bought.
My main link goes to the initial blog post. She has since given details of her worksheets and techniques here.
woolinmycoffee.com/2023/10/11/beginning-a-fleece-breed-study
Does your year have a cycle of activities that are associated with certain seasons? Josefin has documented some of hers.
I hope that someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that we have pokeberries here in the UK.
The colour isn't fast, so will fade with time, but Daryl says that this was still fun and it's lovely while it lasts.
weaversew.com/wordblog/2023/10/15/what-do-i-want-to-be-when-i-grow-up
There are many options for dealing with these forms of fibre. Jess documents her usual process.
woolinmycoffee.com...how-i-prep-combed-top-and-roving-for-spinning
Jess has been busy this month and has also written about her very first wool scouring session. It's a Jacob and she plans to blend the black and white for a more uniform colour.
As a follow-up she has hand-carded, spun and knit a small sample with a view to using the fleece for a jumper. I'll be watching the project with interest.
Peggy recently visited a Japanese artist and learned more about shifu, which is woven cloth from spun paper. She goes into some detail and I'll be watching for more of her work on her blog.
In this short series, Kate Larson has researched the Llanwenog breed, spun a two-ply yarn and dyed samples. She feels that the properties make it perfect for band-weaving.
She provides many links for further reading.
We have already read about Josefin's small harvests of her indigo leaves. She says that she has learned a lot by doing multiple smaller extractions.
She has a very small amount of dried extract but she is "ridiculously proud of every grain" because she made it entirely by herself.
Sarah Pope's tips are aimed at knitters buying skeins of farm-grown yarn but they probably apply equally to spinners trying a new breed.
farmfiberknits.com/a-knitter-s-guide-to-crossbred-wool-yarns
craftmehappy finds that walking helps with her mental health and spinning while walking helps with some physical pain.
She has created this rotating distaff or yarn holder. It's designed to hang off her elbow and hold the fibre away from the spindle while her arms are at waist level.
She gives instructions for making this distaff using the Kumikreator braid-maker.
www.craftmehappy.com/2023/11/rotating-distaff-and-yarn-holder-using.html
Inkle bands can be beautiful, colourful and detailed but what can you do with them?
Christina gives some examples. Some are obvious and some are surprising.
There has been a lot of talk recently about circular sock knitting machines (CSM). You can even print one yourself.
Can you hand-crank handspun?
Felicia has experimented with different types of handspun yarn and gives her tips. Most of the information is in the video which is embedded on this page.
This technique has some advantages for flat stranded colourwork. Your tension will be more consistent between knit and purl rows and make it easier to handle floats.
www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/ask-patty-purling-backwards
A second heddle and pick-up sticks can allow you to weave complex designs that would otherwise require many shafts, such as Hopsack, 1/3 Twill, Lace, Summer and Winter.
This is not a complete tutorial but an introduction to two-heddle threading.
I had a touch of deja-vu because last month we had an article on the same subject. If you missed that or would like another take, here's Felicia's.
As a bonus, here's another recent article in which she discusses choosing a yarn for socks.
sweetgeorgiayarns.com/the-big-decision-top-down-vs-toe-up-socks
Gradient yarn adds interest to spinning and knitting as you're always anticipating the next colour.
Anne Merrow has some tips for spinners and knitters.
Card or tablet weaving is an alternative to shafts or heddles. "Card weaving has more pattern flexibility", says John Mullarkey.
John gives some valuable tips for tablet weaving with handspun yarn.
craftmehappy enjoys exploring colour theory. Here she has started with two colours that aren't quite primary and blended them quickly for a more complex, heathered yarn with 'optical blending'.
Her post gives very thorough details, very well-illustrated with animations.
www.craftmehappy.com/2023/10/spinning-autumnal-yarn-using-just-2.html
If you're interested in dyeing for the first time, you may find some useful tips here, as well as a step-by-step guide to get you started.
Sandi Rosner says "don't be intimidated by set-in sleeves". Her tips will help you to be enjoying your new favourite sweater in no time.
Sandi's equivalent article for crochet sweaters is here.
www.interweave.com/article/knitting/how-to-set-in-sleeve-knitted-sweater
Wool in my Coffee slipped down the rabbit hole that is mosaic crochet and found it "not hard at all!"
Here is her experience, in which she recommends some tutorials.
woolinmycoffee.com/2023/10/30/whats-one-more-craft-hobby-right/
Louët have been teasing a new e-spinner called Jann-E.
The word on the street is that it will have variable speed from 0 to 1800 RPM, large bobbins, manual or foot-operated speed control, switch-operated direction control, switch between Irish and Scotch tension and orifice sizes.
Cath Snape and Alison Daykin have released a hardback book called Inspired to Spin which is a blend of expert guidance, invaluable suggestions and practical tips.
There are contributions from Jane Deane and Amanda Hannaford.
Andrea's small-repeat colourwork patterns are fun. She also includes comparison of yarns for colourwork, and strategies for using colourwork patterns within shaped projects.
This is Emily's review.
blog.tincanknits.com/2023/10/19/knitovation-by-andrea-rangel
If a collection of small colourwork charts lights your fire then there are also the Doodle 'chart expansions' from Pacific Knit Co.
They are interchangeable designs that can be mixed and matched for cowls, hats and other projects. quiteayarnblog recommends them after using some of them in her Halloween cowl.
Perfect for autumn, John Arbon Textiles have expanded the colour range of their Harvest Hues range. These deep shades come from a blend of locally farmed Zwartbles with Bluefaced Leicester and Falklands Merino.
Yarns are available in 4-ply and worsted weight and all 22 colours are available in top for spinning.
Annie MacHale is an experienced teacher and mentor and is aware of the questions that new students ask. She has made this 'getting started' video. There is an accompanying Q and A page here.
In this very informative video, Fiber Sprite briefly covers the history of handspun yarn used for warp. (Spoiler: before the industrial revolution, all cloth was made from handspun yarn because millspun didn't exist.) She has some very good tips.
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) is a fibre that can adjust its structure, meaning that a wearer could adjust the insulation of their clothing from an app on their phone.
Sometimes just a picture is enough
This stunning tapestry is called Miss Havisham's Cook, woven by Sarah in 2004 from handspun and naturally-dyed wool.
In this blog post she shows us the original drawing from which she made three tapestries and a painting.
kettuknits has finished knitting her Pressed Flowers Shawl in handspun yarn.
She didn't want it to end and is thinking of casting on a cardigan or a sweater in the same pattern.
This shawl uses 160g of handspun fingering / sport weight yarn with 120 g of commercial yarn for the main colour.
saorisantacruz makes hats from fabric woven on her saori loom. They contain mixed fibres but all plant-based and mostly cotton.
centeringwithfiber.blogspot.com...happy-autumn-i-have-been-weaving-saori.html
I came across these beautiful crochet bags that two sisters are making and selling via their Etsy shop.
This blog post has a few details about how they started and their inspiration. "In any confusing and scary situation - crochet", says Natalia.
www.boredpanda.com...crocheted-a-whole-series-of-bags-using-recycled-yarn
Spin Off magazine has shared two autumn-themed spin / knit projects made by readers.
First is this Maple Leaf Shawl made by Gina Geaudry. The pattern is by Natalia @ Elfmoda
The second project is by Sara Lamb. She and a group of friends made no fewer than 11 versions of her Fall Leaves Shawl to experiment with colour.
A selection of free seasonal patterns which will work well with handspun yarn.
Here's an unexpected trend. Crocheted balloon dogs won't deflate or pop like real balloon animals.
This is a free pattern which uses about 200g of worsted weight yarn and a 5mm hook, although I assume that gauge is unimportant here.
Knitty has added a couple of surprise patterns to its 'deep fall' issue.
This one is a hat and cowl set inspired by the Vans checkerboard pattern. 'A walk in the park if you already know how to knit stranded colorwork', claims designer Maren Odenthal.
The suggested yarn is John Arbon Textiles Appledore DK. Once again, the fibre is available as tops for spinning.
Shown here is Highlandheffalump's cowl. She has used one 50g ball of Rowan Brushed Fleece which is a bulky wool / alpaca blend.
The fisherman's rib gives a very chunky texture. "The pattern is pretty flexible on how many stitches you cast on and how long you make it, so very easy", says Liz.
This hat also has an interesting ribbed stitch pattern, perhaps a little simpler than fisherman's rib. There is a matching scarf too if you fancy the set.
It uses aran-weight yarn on 4mm needles.
This cosy shawl is woven on a 4-shaft loom using sport-weight yarn in natural colours. The weave structure is 2/2 broken twill.
According to Zanete's social media post, this pattern is exactly a year old. I also learned that this particular one uses handspun yarn for the contrast colour.
It's a comfortable cardigan in eight sizes. It requires 1640 - 2428 yards of DK-weight yarn on 3.5mm and 3.25mm needles.
This is a top-down seamless pullover with a choice of sleeves - bigger for layering over or narrower for layering under.
Use a single natural colour in a sport weight or light DK (12 wpi). It has a bobble and eyelet motif. There are ten sizes.
This hat uses a modern take on traditional German twisted-stitch patterns.
The pattern includes up to five sizes (if you buy through Ravelry rather than Interweave) using 95 - 168 yards of worsted weight (9 wpi) yarn.
I just find this granny square octopus (actually pentagons) very cute. It's also a great pattern for using leftovers.
My thumbnail is from The Crafty Yarnster who has now made three in very different colour schemes.
If this appeals to you as much as it does to me, the designer LineandLoops has made a large number of patterns in the same style.
www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/octavius-the-african-flower-octopus
This garment is designed to be warm but easy to take off as you warm up.
It uses worsted-weight yarn on 5mm needles so will be a quick knit.
peargirlknits.blogspot.com/2023/10/easy-top-down-poncho.html
This is a simple but snuggly cowl knitted in the round in either 4-ply or DK weight. The suggested yarn is Knit by Numbers by John Arbon Textiles, also available as combed top for spinning.
www.provenancecraft.com...loft-cowl-knitting-pattern-digital-or-hard-copy
Using just 125 - 150 yards of laceweight yarn, this is a stashbusting pattern. They'll also make an eye-catching and practical accessory on milder winter days.
I must admit that I'm not inspired by many of the other patterns in this new book, making the book a pricey way to buy this pattern but I have found a single digital download for a fiver which is much more feasible.
Thanks to theyarnery for the suggestion and the picture. Theirs is made using Malabrigo yarn.
www.nancybatesdesigns.com/product-page/monarchs-of-the-central-coast-beanie-pattern
Aran's intricate applique and stitch tell stories of Indian life. The pandemic lockdown inspired her to stitch birds and other wildlife that she saw on daily walks.
Thomas Jackson's photographs capture a moment in time as tulle dances in the breeze, changing shape and overlapping to become more or less opaque.
www.thisiscolossal.com...thomas-jackson-fabric-installations
This is a profile of artist Kendall Ross who has spent years finding her artistic voice.
www.interweave.com...storytelling-sweaters-artist-kendall-ross
Ken Kelleher's very cheerful rugs are hand-dyed, carved, and tufted.
17 Nov - 19 Nov 2023, The Barn, Burn O Bennie, Banchory AB31 5QA
flock Contemporary Craft & Design is back! Come along and shop a curated collection of the best designer/makers working across Scotland - with over 40 vendors taking part.
Entry is free but the website allows you to book a time in advance to guarantee entry.
26 November 2023, 10 - 4, Sandburn Hall, York YO60 7SG
This is a one day festival on Sunday 26 November. There are timed ticket entrance slots but once in you can stay all day.
In three rooms with a lift to first floor room and workshops.
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.
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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