Everyone should leave this class knowing how to spin, at least at a basic level. It may not be pretty, but it will be yarn. After just a little bit of practice (or for some of you right away) it will also be yarn that you could, in theory, use!
If anyone is having trouble and cannot seem to get this during class, I will be happy to stay with you after class, or find another time to meet, so that we can get you more confortable with spinning.
If you want to learn to spin, you will!
Note: If this is the is the two hour version of the class, Part I will be about how to spin, and Part II
will provide you with an overview of how to process your yarn after you have spun it, and, if we have time, we can discuss what type of projects might work best for beginning spinners if you are eaget to try to do something with your spinning. Feel free to stay for only one part of the class, or for both.
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I. Reassure students. Let them know that the "Oh my god I feel stupid phase" is perfectly natural. It happens when we learn anything new. Your yarn will be lumpy, etc. This is natural at this point.
II. Tell students that throughout this lesson they should do the following:
- Watch me, then do (repeat this many times throughout as needed)
- Remember to sit straight, hunching over will cause your body to feel stress and make the experience of learning less enjoyable (repeat this as needed)
- Fiber Prep: drafting. (A) Break fiber into bunches two fistfuls wide, and separate each into 2-4 sections (b) Pre draft a section- till transparent, and can see hand through the fiber
- Hold the fiber in your dominant hand. Your off hand twists the spindle.
- Hook fiber onto spindle and spin the spindle clockwise- if right handed. (You can draw an
arrow on the spindle if it helps). - Park between knees. Pinch fiber with your off hand below primary hand.
- Draft fiber 2 inches or so with primary hand, dont let go with off hand yet
- Pinch with primary hand at end of draft, let go of secondary hand, watch the twist travel up.
- Holding the pinch with the primary hand, use the secondary hand to add more spin.
- Park between knees. and continue from D. untill spun yarn is at a legnth where the hand is at the nose.
- Keeping one hand pinching the fiber, remove the yarn from the hook and wind it onto the spindle, leave a small length and hook the yarn on the hook at the back of the hook.
- After a bit, ask people to break there fiber, and to practice joining. To join: predraft the yarn and the fiber (should for a small triangle). Put one over the other, pinch in the middle and then add twist.
V. Trouble shooting:
- If spindle drops at this point, start over and hook fibers in again. It may mean that you didn't add enough twist
- If there are kinks in the yarn, then there is too much twist.
- If fiber wont draft (or predraft) hold hands further apart. May be grabbing both ends of the fiber.
- If fiber gets to thin, when you draft grab above the thin part to bring more fiber in.
- If fiber gets to thick, when you draft grab below the thick part to think it out.
- If fiber gets tangled, you are petting, not drafting.
- If your joins fall apart you may not be leaving enough fiber at the end to form the drafting triangle, or, you may not be adding enough twist.
Background Notes
History
·
Spinning is thousands of years old. It likely
began well before recorded history. (AA)
·
All ancient civilizations practiced spinning.
Where textile evidence is not available, this can be inferred by other means,
such as illustrations, impressions of yarn or cord found on items, etc. (AA)
·
Up until the 15th century all yarn was
made by hand spinning. The clothes people wore, the rope they used, the sails
on their ship. Everything! (CD)
·
The spinning wheel, in its most basic form where
the wheel was spun by hand, was used in the West before 1300 A.D. (BH) You can
spin more faster on a wheel, but you can carry your spindle with you wherever
you go!
·
The 18th century saw the
mechanization of spinning. (BH)
·
These days, we are not really aware of how labor
intensive the process of making even the smallest bit of clothing actually was.
(BH)
Spinning
·
You can spin almost anything that is long, thin,
and flexible (BH)
·
The four most common fibers spun are Wool, Flax,
Silk, Cotton (BH)
·
However, people in some cultures relied on other
sources of fiber, such as alpaca camel, goat, yax, and hemp. (BH)
·
Spinning at its most basic consists of holding a
mass of fibers and twisting them --try it! (BH) The spindle adds more rotation.
Physics!
·
Many varieties and sizes of spindles have
evolved, but the two basic kinds of spindle. Top and bottom whirl. These work
on the same principle as twisting fibers by hand, but instead you are just are
attaching them to the spindle. (BH)
Gender and Spinning
·
Both men and women spun, (CD) but spinning is
seen primarily as women’s work, why?
·
It is compatible with child care. It is repetitive,
requires little attention to maintain, and is easy to put down and take up
again (EWB)
·
A lot more interesting information about
spinning, its history, and relation to gender in Elizabeth Wayland Barber’s Women’s
Work: the First 20,000 years.
Why Spin
·
Many people find the act of spinning to be very
calming
·
Others are interested in spinning because having
handspun yarn can be useful for making projects, both mundane and period ones
for use in the SCA.
·
Wool is good to start with. It is easy to spin,
not expensive, and readily available (CD)
Some Reference Books
Aldan
Amos’s Big Book of Spinning
Connie
Delaney-- Spindle Spinning : from Novice to Expert
Bette
Hochberg-- Handspinner’ Handbook
Elizabeth Wayland
Barbers--- Women’s Work: the First
20,000 years.
