Crochet with Handspun: Merino Cowl

Working with handspun yarn you're not crazy about can surprise you. When I finally used this yarn with a fun free cowl pattern, I found its true potential.

Sometimes, working with a soft but seemingly lackluster handspun yarn can surprise you. I spun a skein of single-ply yarn out of some fabulous merino combed top, but I wasn’t very excited about the results. It sat around for a couple of years while I pondered its fate. This winter, while looking for a quick and simple project to knock out… read more

Crochet with Handspun

Using my own handspun yarn has made some of my crochet projects even more enjoyable and rewarding.

Using my own handspun yarn has made some of my crochet projects even more enjoyable and rewarding. Single-ply lace weight This delicate scarf was made with baby suri alpaca yarn. Pattern: Alpine Frost Scarf Designer: Amy O’Neill Houck Source: Interweave Crochet Two-ply worsted weight This winter sweater for my thin-furred dog was made with merino wool yarn. I made… read more

Core Spinning

Core spinning involves wrapping fibers around a strand of spun yarn. The fibers cover the strand of yarn, which becomes the "core" of the new yarn.

Core spinning involves wrapping fibers around a strand of spun yarn. The fibers cover the strand of yarn, which becomes the “core” of the new yarn. You can use virtually anything for a core: another strand of handspun, thread, commercial yarn… Here I used a commercial fingering weight acrylic yarn that’s been sitting in my stash… read more

My First Spinning Wheel, and a Bit About Drive Ratios

My first spinning wheel is an old Ashford traditional. Let's discuss drive ratios and different types of wheels, and you can see my first wheel-spun yarn.

I’m so happy with my new Ashford traditional spinning wheel! New to me, that is. The beautiful wheel is older than I am. After referring to Ashford’s timeline for the traditional wheel (which is an interesting read in and of itself), I think it was made in 1975 or shortly after. Well-loved in its early life, it has… read more

A Beginner’s Adventures in Handspinning

Join me as I take on a new fiber hobby to complement my crochet: handspinning my own yarn. Part 4 includes my further progress as a new spinner.

Part 4 I feel like I’m making progress as a new spinner and things are going pretty well. I’m starting to move beyond the park-and-draft method of having to stop the spindle to catch up with the drafting. I’ve been trying to spin a little every day, as suggested for beginners to really get the rhythm down. I’m still… read more

A Beginner’s Adventures in Handspinning

Join me as I take on a new fiber hobby to complement my crochet: handspinning my own yarn. Part 3 includes my first finished two-ply yarn.

Part 3 I’ve finished spinning my first 2-ply yarn. Spinning the dyed combed top with my light drop spindle, I got the singles as thin and uniform as I could. It’s still taking me some time to get the rhythm and consistency down. I spun two singles and wound them into balls. I love the way the singles turned out, and… read more

A Beginner’s Adventures in Handspinning

Join me as I take on a new fiber hobby to complement my crochet: handspinning my own yarn. Part 2 includes my first attempt at spinning a single.

Part 2 I’ve finally embarked on my journey in handspinning yarn. Here it is: my first single! Becoming familiar with working with fibers and manipulating them into yarn has been a slow, but quite interesting, learning process. There are so many factors that affect the character of the spun yarn. Getting everything to come together as… read more

A Beginner’s Adventures in Handspinning

Join me as I take on a new fiber hobby to complement my crochet: handspinning my own yarn. Part 1 includes an introduction and resources.

Part 1 I’ve been itching to try handspinning my own yarns. My fiber addiction finally got the best of me. For too long I’ve drooled over others’ handspun yarns. I’ve fondled wool fleeces, fantasized about color combinations. It was time to try it for myself. My man made me a small and simple drop spindle, a bottom… read more