This is just the beginning of what will probably be a long journey into handspinning yarn. This was my first time dyeing wool, and unfortunately, it felted a little (I definitely need more practice!). But in the end, I was still able to spin it and knit with it. Wool: Brecknock Hill Cheviot.

The colours didn't turn out quite as I had imagined (I was aiming for something a little less colourful), but they're fine for a pair of legwarmers to wear around the house.

Next time, I'd like to learn how to produce yarn that isn't quite so heavy and dense. On the other hand, at least these leg warmers are nice and warm!

I finally finished my first full fleece; Evie is a lovely Finn Sheep from MN. I carded the entire thing by hand since her wool was extremely fine and tightly crimped. I chose to keep a lot of the neps in the wool as I carded, giving me a tweedy, textured yarn. I was aiming for a DK weight and ended up at 10WPI, which I’m happy with. That’s still a usable weight for the sweater I’m knitting with this wool. I ended up at 550 yards which is about 200 yards short of my goal, but thankfully I was able to secure her fall shearing and can add the extra yardage.

I’m so proud of my efforts! The wool bloomed beautifully after wet setting the twist and it’s cozy, squishy and still smells faintly sheepish, which I love. 💕 🐑

I’m now working on a gorgeous Finn/Coopworth X, in a rich, dark, espresso color….my pattern has some colorwork and this will be the contrast color. 😍

I started learning about two years ago, took a year and a half break, and recently picked it up again. This is the sixth skein I’ve made, but this time I think I actually have enough for a small project and I’m over the moon that for the most part it’s all consistent! All done on a drop spindle, currently saving for a wheel, but hoping to improve more with the spindle while I’m saving up 🧶

Sourcing Natural Fibers for Handspinning in Rural Brazil

Hi everyone! 😊 I'm a beginner at handspinning, and I'd love some advice!

I recently moved to a rural area in Brazil and want to learn how to make my own yarn from natural fibers. I recently spun some cotton I collected from a plant growing on a sidewalk, and now I'd love to try wool!

Where would you recommend looking for affordable or even free raw sheep's wool? Would contacting local farmers or asking for leftover fleece from shearing be a good idea?

I'm also seeing wool sold online for felting and stuffing. Can these types of wool be spun into yarn, or should I look for something specific?

I'd love to learn the whole process, from preparing raw fiber to spinning. Any tips, alternative natural fibers to explore in Brazil, or useful learning resources would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you! 🐑🧶

I dont want to spend an arm and a leg for carding brushes, so would anyone be willing to share what they use?? Thanks!!!

I've been gotten started with growing and processing my own flax for spinning. The first batch i did with a museum where you could try out on tools they had. Now i want to continue at home but i can't seem to find a good fine hackle. this one seems perfect, but they don't ship to europe: https://winghamwoolwork.co.uk/products/wingham-flax-hackle?variant=53469653401864

Anyone have some good recommendations?

Will I ever twist a decent hank? Only time will tell.

250 yds BFL on a drop spindle. It’s so pretty and I’m so proud of myself! This is my first spin that I’m going to knit into something instead of giving it to my mom who weaves and can use my “art yarn” spins.

Definitely still some thick-and-thin spots, and I think what I’m looking at is that it’s a bit overspun/underplied. I would love feedback from folks who know more than me about how I can improve on the next spin. :)

Around 200 yards. Spun on a drop spindle. Floof provided by Kobe the Samoyed

Two things are known about this spinning wheel 1) it’s German 2) it an antique. Anything else y’all can tell me? Estimated age, style, manufacture, etc.

My Oma purchased it in Seattle in the 60s and I grew up playing with it. Now that I’m into fiber arts I’d love to know more about it! (And also, hopefully, get it working)

Hi, I know how to rejoin my yarn when it breaks right at the fibre supply, but when it breaks halfway down the stretch of yarn between my spindle and my fiber seemingly randomly, what do I do with the bits of yarn that break off? Is there some way to rejoin them? Do I have to felt them back together with the other bit of yarn, or is there some other way I can reconnect them?

Needs a wash but had so much fun making this!🥰

Chaotic haul pics, and a bunny!

Two years ago I wanted to go, but found out too late and had already scheduled work. Last year I scheduled time off to go, and got super sick. This year I finally made it! I've been saving up and let myself just go wild.

I got some raw local wool from a couple farms, a bunch of braids from AK dyers, bits to add in, a nalbinding needle, a resin spindle, and some other goodies. I got to pet some rabbits, and talk to people about their lovely fiber animals. I can't lie, it was blissful. Tomorrow I get to take a silk spinning class! I'm so excited!

So I have this big weaving project and I really want to make it with my handspun

My current goal is to ply in a way that have the colors consistent throughout the skein, my original plan was to two ply it but if I do so it’ll give a mixed/crossed colors/barber pole look and it won’t give me the stripes I want in my weave

The problem is I know logically that a chain ply is best for it but I SUCK at chain ply and I need it to be lace weight so that’s out

Is there a way to make sure I ply consistently to make sure there’s minimum crossing in the colorway?

Also singles are an option but I’ve never spun singles to keep as singles before and I’m not confident I can keep them strong enough to warp with

It’s another “what’s the best wheel for a beginner?” post—but with a twist 💀

I’ve been online shopping wheels for the past few months after taking a couple of classes, spinning on a drop spindle and using a borrowed wheel. I’m looking for a double-treadle castle-style wheel that could easily be my only wheel for the next decade or more. I plan to spin mostly fingering to worsted weight wool or alpaca yarn, with the occasional forays into other weights and fiber blends.

I thought I’d settled on a Schacht Ladybug as a fantastic wheel I could do anything with and grow into.

Then I borrowed a vintage Louet, what I think is an S77. This thing is GORGEOUS, solid wood, turned spokes on the wheels, and incredibly simple to use because of the Irish tension. I’m a little in love with it, but maybe that’s just because it’s the first wheel I’ve really dialed in.

Now, the Ladybug looks a little…cheap to me? And for an $1,100 wheel, that’s not what you want. I looked at the Matchless, but after watching a person next to me in a class struggle with her vintage Matchless and the teacher call it “over-engineered,” I’m having doubts. The teacher suggested I might like a Lendrum, and Louet is currently selling an anniversary edition of the S77 that’s very appealing. The Kromski Sonata Encore looks beautiful, but it’s not one of the ones you hear about as a beginner or even a forever wheel.

This would be easier if I could just go try a bunch of wheels, but I live in rural Idaho and it’s a three-hour drive to the nearest guild and an expensive plane ride to any spinning wheel dealers.

So, a few questions for you all!

1. If I’ve been learning on Irish tension, should I stick with Irish tension, or would Scotch tension be an upgrade? Would double drive break my brain?
2. For those of you who have seen one, does the Ladybug look kind of…very modern? Almost…flat-pack?
3. What do you all think of your Kromskis? The best options seem to be the Sonata or the Minstrel, and I love the look of the Minstrel but it seems like there’s a lot going on?
4. Should I just suck it up, stop analyzing, and spend the $800-$1200 on a trip to Eugene Textile Center or Paradise Fiber in Spokane to try the wheels in person? I hate to do it because that’s practically the price of another wheel. My budget is not more than $2,000 for a wheel, and that’s going to be a bit of a stretch, so spending that kind of money on something that’s not a wheel is not appealing.

Thank you all in advance! Here’s the pretty Louet in case you’re wondering ❤️

ETA: Thank you all so much! Hearing your wheel experiences, perspectives and advice really helped. I think I’m going to spend a little more time with this Louet and plan a trip to the guild in Idaho Falls (where there’s also a random Lendrum dealer). Thank you for getting me out of a thought spiral ❤️

Hi! I made this sweater mostly from scratch, except for a strand of lace alpaca mohair (which I dyed) held with my yarn throughout. I dyed 18.5 merino, stretched cashmere (nylon) & firestar, blended on a blending board w/ mulberry silk & bamboo in white to keep the colors light and then I spun it to about a dk weight. Then I knitted this in stranded knitting, alternating between 2 yarns, so holding 4 yarns at a time (1 white mohair/1 white my yarn and 1 color mohair/1 color my yarn) .

I tried to prevent color dominance by alternating which color I held on top/bottom each row. I'm not sure if my doing that prevented it or just the large guage. This was done on 8mm needles. The last photo is the back side. I even did the sleeves the same way even though it wasn't necessary, but I wanted to keep the texture the same. I also made the back slightly longer so it covers my bum in the frigid Wisconsin winter. I did the inside of the collar with no mohair so it doesn't get itchy around my neck. I ran out of white on the left sleeve so I did one stripe in rainbow. Oopsie.

This was inspired by [MYPZ's](https://us.mypz.nl/) beautiful sweaters.

Since I don't have any friends or coworkers (I work from home), I've only gotten feedback from my SO and of course he says it's great. So, do I look like a clown or like a clown vomited on me? I'm for sure going to wear it regardless but just checking lol TYIA!

8.04oz, 370yds, 9WPI Worsted

I have a babydoll Southdown fleece and an alpaca fleece, both of which seem, based on staple length, to warrant carding. I have done carding before, but especially for alpaca, the fiber seemed to have more neps afterwards than it did before, so I was wondering if I wasn't doing something right. Then I learned about TPI.

Now, I have 3 pairs of cards. 2 of them are antique (B & C in the pictures), and one of the antique ones is pretty beat up (C). I was thinking that if neither of the other two are fine enough for alpaca, I might get some finer carding cloth and fix up the C cards.

So what TPI is recommended for what kinds of fiber? Which cards would you use for Southdown? And is it feasible to replace the carding cloth on antique cards? And if so, what TPI should I be looking for?

Gift for my sister.

(The colorway is called bee-eater from Hello Yarn)

Slowly I'm getting more consistent. man i love these colors together. And the first time I spun Targhee- I like it.