Thank you to everyone who read my first blog post. I thought for my second post, I’d talk about why I spin my own yarn — one of the most rewarding (and sometimes challenging!) parts of my fibre journey.
Initially, I thought a little handspun yarn would add some interesting texture to my crochet and woven projects. So, for Christmas 2023, I asked for a drop spindle kit from Adelaide Walker — a simple spindle, a sheet of instructions, and three fibres to practise with.
I got the basics, but really struggled to make a yarn that was at all useable. I watched a lot of YouTube videos (JillianEve was particularly good), and found the book Yarn Spinning with a Modern Twist by Vanessa Kroening very helpful too. In the end, though, nothing beats a bit of individual tuition, so I spent a couple of hours with the very lovely Zoe at Old School Crafts in Minting.
Drop spindles are wonderfully portable — you can spin almost anywhere — and they range from cheap, homemade versions to beautifully crafted works of art. I have both. They seem to breed.
My drop spindles satisfied my need to make yarn for a while, and the material I produced added interesting texture to my woven projects. But I struggled to make enough to crochet with. So, in February 2025, I took the plunge and bought a used Ashford Traditional spinning wheel. Another sharp learning curve followed — more books, more YouTube videos — but persistence paid off. I can recommend Sasha Torres at Sheepspot for her tutorials and podcasts.
I now spin a little every day, and over time my yarn has improved enough to crochet with. I’ve even written a crochet pattern, the Pebble and Loop Scarf, specifically for my handspun! Like the drop spindles, my spinning wheels are multiplying — I recently added an Ashford Traveller 3 so I can take it to classes and work on improving my technique.
Plying is still a bit of a mystery to me, and definitely something I need to work on. But part of the joy of spinning is that there’s always more to learn. Do you spin your own yarn, or have you ever been tempted to try?
Thanks for reading to the end. Next week, I’ll be sharing how I design for my crochet and weaving projects. In the meantime, happy crafting!
Sue
Pearson Handmade 