She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. --Proverbs 31:13

8/23/2006

Early last week I ordered the book Spinning for Softness and Speed by Paula Simmons. It got here Friday. It's a slim little book, detailing a method of spinning with one hand. Done correctly, it is said to produce an even yarn that is not overtwisted. That is what I am interested in more than the speed, although the speed is amazing.

After practicing the method about three times, I think I am getting close. My results are still a little uneven, but everytime I have produced a skein of plyed yarn that is perfectly balanced, (the plied yarn hangs in a circle, not twisting back on itself) a feat that I have rarely produced before.

The evenness of this yarn still needs work, but I think it may be the fiber I am working with. It is pretty dense and thick. I'm excited about the whole thing though, I can't wait to practice more.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

How did you get your hands on that book? Sounds like something that might *need* to join my library.

Laura said...

What does it mean by spinning with one hand? Not using two hands for drafting?

Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

I don't know the first thing about spinning, but your hank looks pretty good to me.

Jan said...

Kimberly, I ordered off the internet from a place called Custom
Handweaving. You can also get it direct from Paula Simmons herself, she is half of the Pat Green business. It is less to get it from Paula
Simmons, but you have to send her a check and then she sends you the
book, and I needed to use a credit card. So I ordered it from Custom
Weaving. WIth shipping it was 26.50.

Shelley, I tried to email this reply to you, with links, but there was no email address for you. Sorry!

Hope that helps! The book is just a great little book on spinning in
general, I think.

Jan

Jill said...

Jan, it is so good to see you back in the swing of things. Keep spinning and posting!

Tracy Batchelder said...

Never heard of spinning with one hand...how interesting.