First, the facts:

Title: Spin Art: Mastering the Craft of Spinning Textured Yarn

Author: Jacey Boggs

Published by: Interweave Press, 2011

Pages: 143, PLUS a 90-minute included DVD

Type: Book plus DVD

Chapters:

SINGLES TECHNIQUES
1. Wraps
2. Corespinning
3. Bumps
4. Foreign Objects

PLIED TECHNIQUES
5. Bumps
6. Loops
7. Multi-Plies
8. Combinations

The In-Depth Look:

Knitters and spinners are often divided into two camps those who do “novelty” yarn and those who prefer “real” yarn–or as Jacey Boggs calls them, Textural and Traditional. I’ve always fallen firmly into the Traditional camp–preferring to let the knitting showcase the stitchwork and patterns rather than trying to deal with funky, sparkly, bumpy stuff that looked good in the skein but worked up into odd and quirky projects.

But, oh, this book. It’s dedicated to the art of making textured yarn, and it is chock-full of meticulously tested techniques to enable you to spin exactly the kind of yarn you’ve dreamed of. She gives good reasons why she doesn’t like to call her yarn “art” or “novelty” yarn, too–the most notable being that those yarns often don’t end up being usable, and hers are.

The author writes in the introduction, “What I really hope that the spinners I teach take away with them is that the more you learn about spinning, the better spinner you’ll be. That the old adage, “Know the rules before you break them,” doesn’t really apply. You can’t break the rules of fiber and spinning and still produce a good yarn: you have to learn the rules well enough that you can work inside their parameters to get the fiber to produce the yarn you want. Traditional spinners will gain insight, dexterity, and control when they venture to spin texturally. Textural spinners will gain insight, dexterity, and control when they endeavor to spin traditionally. Traditional and textural spinning are two sides of the same coin–two plies in the same yarn. One just happens to be bumpier than the other.”

Does that make this sound stuffy or dry? Because this book is first and foremost a thing of beauty. The photographs are amazing eye candy. Not only are there vibrant pictures of the finished yarn, but photos of the process and of single strands to make everything clear. (In fact, the photos are so lovely that Interweave is bringing out a jigsaw puzzle to go along with the book. How cool is that?)

The pictures are so lovely, in fact, that they’re going to make even traditional spinners like me want to MAKE the yarn. Not only are the yarns creative and beautiful, the spinning just looks like FUN. Lots of fun. Remember when you first learned to spin and everything was an adventure? Like that. So many nifty techniques to try, yet you want to get them right so that your yarn looks like the pictures in the book. Exactly like that.

And if you have trouble learning new spinning techniques from a book? You’re in luck, because this book comes with its own 90-minute DVD of video instruction. And as much as I love the written word, and as much as I enjoy reading instructions and translating them into action, spinning is a dynamic craft and sometimes it’s just easier to see it in action. The DVD is a delight, too. Jacey comes across as interesting, knowledgeable, and funny, with an appealing on-screen presence. I’ve even watched the DVD twice, which is rare for me, but I found it that entertaining. SEEING the spinning techniques makes the text in the book that much more meaningful.

Seriously, even if I never knit a single skein of it, I want to try spinning just about every single one of these techniques if my bobbins come out as full of beautiful yarn as Jacey’s. Gorgeous stuff.

Run right over to Amazon.com or your favorite bookstore and take a look.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!

When Interweave Press had a sale a couple months ago, I splurged and bought some spinning DVDs I’d had my eye on, and thought I’d share my thoughts on them.

First, the facts:

Title: The Gentle Art of Plying: Beyond singles–creating just the yarn you want

Starring: Judith MacKenzie

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2010

DVDs: Set of 2. First DVD 58 minutes; Second DVD 47 minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:
DISC ONE

DISC TWO

The In-Depth Look:
One of the few DVDs on my shelf that I think is a must-have. Tons of great information, a lovely, calming presentation, and good tips about the reasons you should ply in certain ways but not in others … but also why it’s entirely up to you.

Blurb on the box:

“Plying is not an afterthought. It’s your gateway into the vast world of yarn design. Informed and skillful plying can make all the difference between ‘just another yarn’ and ‘just the yarn you want.’ In this engaging video, master spinner Judith MacKenzie presents not just the basics–how to hold your hands, where to put your kate–but an extensive adventure into the endless possibilities.”

Starring: Judith MacKenzie

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2010

DVDs: Set of 2. First DVD 64 minutes; Second DVD 60 minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:
DISC ONE

DISC TWO

The In-Depth Look:

There’s plenty of good stuff in here, but it DOES focus on the wheels and the hows and whys they work, which can be boring if all you’re looking for is a wheel to, you know, make yarn on. But if you’re already making yarn and you’re looking for a good wheel, it helps to be informed about those hows and whys–and this DVD will cover most of that.

Blurb from the box:

“The flyer spinning wheel is a subtle machine. Understanding this ingenious tool, optimizing its performance, and making it work for you is key to becoming an accomplished spinner. In this far-ranging video, Judith MacKenzie looks at several of the popular wheels available to spinners today, explains the fundamentals of how they work, dissects their differences, gives pointers on getting the best from them, and shares tips and hints on making your wheel as efficient and versatile as it was designed to be.”

Starring: Judith MacKenzie

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2010

DVDs: Set of 2. First DVD 77 minutes; Second DVD 63 minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:
DISC ONE

DISC TWO

The In-Depth Look:

I’m really glad I got this set, too. The “toolbox” in the title doesn’t mean things like spindles or wheels–it’s the best toolbox you have. Your hands, and your brain. The beauty of this DVD is that it teaches you how to make six different kinds of yarn with exactly the same wool–because while fiber preparation can make a difference and can work better for some methods than others, ultimately it’s the spinner who’s in charge.

Blurb from the box:

“As a spinner, your most important, versatile tools are your own skilled hands. With those eight fingers and two opposable thumbs, plus a half-dozen simple techniques for manipulating the fiber supply, you can spin a full suite of yarn styles. … You’ll begin by seeing the unlikely possibility of spinning the six different yarn styles with a single fiber preparation. You’ll end by witnessing this reverered master spinner, in a miracle of energetic ambidexterity, draft two fiber sources simultaneously into a strong, lofty, funky novelty yarn. And so can you.”

Other related posts:

• The Intentional Spinner

When Interweave Press had a sale a couple months ago, I splurged and bought some spinning DVDs I’d had my eye on, and thought I’d share my thoughts on them.

First, the facts:

Title: Spinning for Lace: Tried and True Methods for Spinning Fine Yarns from Merino and More

Starring: Margaret Stove

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2010

DVDs: One DVD, 85 minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:

The In-Depth Look:
This is a gem of a DVD, full of techniques I’d never heard of before. People who have been lucky enough to take a class from Margaret Stove come back with stories like Marco Polo returned with, full of wonder and magic. Seeing this video, I understand why. This is a totally unique and extremely informative.

Blurb from the box:

“Do you long to spin cobweb-fine threads that are both lively and durable? Margaret Stove is the expert. Her methods might seem counterintuitive, but they work! Beginning with a fine, crimpy fiber such as Merino wool, Margaret sorts, washes, spins, plies, and finishes wool and blended yarn for lace knitting that has won international acclaim. A great advocate of the fine Merinos in her native New Zealand, Margaret is also fearless in creating plied blends using silk, angora, qiviut, and more.”

Title: How I Spin: A common-sense approach to great productivity and creative joy

Starring: Rita Buchanan

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2010

DVDs: Set of 2. First DVD 65 minutes; Second DVD 90 minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:
DISK ONE

DISK TWO

The In-Depth Look:
I really enjoyed this set. Her delivery, her mannerisms, and most of all her passion for spinning shine through. I thought that I loved yarn and spinning, but there is simply no comparison! Rita Buchanan lives and breathes spinning and she’s a delight. I loved these DVDs, if only to remind me what real passion looks like … and what a few small changes can do to make my spinning completely different.

Blurb on the box:

“What can you learn from someone who spins all day, every day (except during gardening season), and who produces her own handspun shirts, sweaters, blankets, rugs, table linens, bath towels, aprons, even gardening shorts? Short answer: A lot! Rita Buchanan has spent more thoughtful time preparing fiber, spinning yarn, and making fabrics from her handspun than perhaps anyone in the developed world. This is not just mindless handwork; Rita has a keen analytical mind that she applies consistently to testing, sampling, and record keeping, and she balances this against her pure joy in the process. The result is a body of knowledge and practice that sometimes defies convention, and always instructs and engages.”

Title: In Praise of Simple Cloth: spinning for a purpose

Starring: Rita Buchanan

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2010

DVDs: Set of 2. First DVD 60 minutes; Second DVD 60 minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:
DISC ONE: Exploring Possibilities

DISC TWO: Wearing Handspun Everyday

The In-Depth Look:
I’ll confess that I didn’t get as much out of this as Rita’s “How I Spin,” but that might primarily be because I don’t spin, or hook rugs … or just aren’t as outright adventurous and explorative as she is. These discs embrace all the wonderful things you could possibly do with your handspun yarn–not as a how-to, not as a series of patterns, but as inspiration to get you thinking about possibilities. While I loved seeing her show things she’s made and her enthusiasm is infectious, but it didn’t was too warm-and-fuzzy, isn’t-this-wonderful for me, when I was hoping for more technique.

(Blurb from the box–the opening paragraph is exactly the same as the prior set.)

Other related posts:

• Wrapped in Lace by Margaret Stove

First, the facts:

Title: Spinning Around: Spinning, Dyeing & Knitting Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Classics

Author: Jeannine Bakriges

Published by: Schoolhouse Press, 2010

Pages: 144

Type: Text.

Chapters:

1. Spinning
2. Color
3. Knitting

The In-Depth Look:

It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that I’m something of a book addict. I love having them, reading them, using them, studying them, buying them, shelving them, holding them, admiring them. And there are definitely topics that I have a hard time resisting (like, say, knitting and spinning).

So, when I heard about this new spinning book from Schoolhouse Press, well … It’s not that I don’t have other books on spinning. I have plenty of them. DVDs, too, because you can never learn everything there is to know, right? So, when a new book knocks on your door and is being lauded by people who “know spinning” as a wonderful book, naturally I invited it in to take a look.

Spinning Around is a spinning book that devotes itself to making yarn so you can knit Elizabeth Zimmermann’s patterns. More or less. Elizabeth Zimmermann is the author’s inspiration, but that’s really a bonus, because to me, the book is really about making the yarn.

The book is divided into three sections, the first of which is spinning. The author talks about her own experiences as she guides you through scouring fresh-off-the-sheep fiber, and then getting the fiber ready to spin with carding, combing, flicking techniques. She discusses spindles and spinning wheels, and touches on drafting techniques. Basically, she covers all the things you would expect in a spinning book, (though many sources these days start with ready-to-spin wool and go from there).

Next stop is color, where she guides you through basic dyeing techniques so you aren’t limited to sheep colors.

These two parts alone are worth the book. The photos used to illustrate each step are clear and in color, capturing the dynamic spinning process as well as still photos may. There are other books that cover the same material, more or less, but this one does it well.

The final section, though, is a hand-spun tribute to Elizabeth Zimmermann. The author goes through some of EZ’s canon of designs, giving suggestions, samples and guidance as to what kind of wool you should use for each. She gives brief patterns for each, too.

All in all, this is a lovely book, and it’s available at Amazon.com (and Schoolhouse Press, of course).

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

First, the facts:

Title: Drafting: The Long and Short of It

Starring: Abby Franquemont

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2009

Length: 62 Minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:

1. Introduction
2. Short Backward Draw
3. The Long Draw
4. Worsted Variation on a Short Fiber Blend
5. Woolen or Worsted from the Fold
6. The Finish

The In-Depth Look:

I’ve had my eye on this video for months. It doesn’t matter how much you know or think you know about spinning, there’s always more you can learn. Abby Franquemont has been spinning since she was a child and she has a lot of knowledge to share.

Here, she sits at her wheel and explains the different fiber preparations and how they effect the drafting method. There is a reason that carded fiber is best for woolen drafting methods, and that combed wool is perfect for worsted–and she explains all of it. It’s clear, informative, and very helpful. Well worth the wait.

First, the facts:

Title: Respect the Spindle: The Video

Starring: Abby Franquemont

Produced by: Interweave Press, 2009

Length: 72 Minutes

Type: Spinning DVD

Sections:

1. How Does Spinning Work?
2. Spinning, Winding, Joining
3. What’s the Right Spindle?
4. Plying and Finishing

The In-Depth Look:

I’ve already reviewed the companion book to this DVD, and I have to tell you, the video is just as good. Spindling gets a bad rap far too often, as too many spinners think that it’s not as productive as wheel spinning.

This, of course, is not at all true if you bring your spindle with you when you’re out and about on errands or taking walks. It helps, though, if you know how to do it right, and Abby gives some really great tips on making your spindling as productive and fun as it can be.

My Gush: Two videos well worth the time to watch, with more info than you can absorb in one viewing.

Other posts for this author:

• Respect the Spindle

First, the facts:

Title: Get Spun: The Step-by-Step Guide to Spinning Art Yarns

Author: Symeon North

Published by: Interweave Press, 2010

Pages: 118

Type: Spinning.

Chapters:

1. What Makes an Art Yarn?
2. Tools & Materials
3. Dye Fiber & Yarn
4. Blend Fiber & Color
5. Spinning Basics
6. Uncarded Fiber
7. Core Spinning
8. Add-ins
9. Unconventional Plying
10. Unspinnables
11. Artistic Inspiration: Combining Techniques

The In-Depth Look:

In the interests of full disclosure, I should tell you that I’m really not interested in spinning art yarns. Even a few years ago, when novelty yarn was all the rage, it didn’t appeal to me. I’m too traditional in my tastes and prefer yarn that looks and acts like, well, familiar yarn.

So, when I received this review copy, I wasn’t expecting to actually like the book. I figured it would be a good book, since Interweave’s usually are, but I didn’t expect it to be a book I would get much out of.

Yes, well, where do we keep the crow? Because this book is full of lots of interesting detail, even for a plain-vanilla kind of spinner like me.

The author starts out by asking, “What makes a yarn an art yarn and not simply a novelty yarn? Artistry and intention, of course. When you set out to create yarn that is an object of beauty, then you have an art yarn–even if that yarn is a gray cobweb-weight three-ply. Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.”

It’s that attitude which makes me appreciate this book. One, she’s not insisting that funky, novelty yarns are the only “art” yarns, but two, because she’s giving you the techniques you need to make your yarn–no matter what it is–on purpose.

She starts by talking about equipment, and number one is the spinning wheel because the author doesn’t use spindles, and number two is her drum carder, even before she gets to things like fiber (whether wool, cotton, or strips of cloth or feathers). If the only spinning you’ve done is on a spindle, you may not get quite as much out of this book as you might otherwise … although certainly can be done on spindles.

Next, she talks about dye and color, and this chapter explains some basic dyeing techniques, like kettle-dyeing in your slow-cooker, or handpainting. That’s followed by a really interesting chapter about using a drumcarder to make your own blends of fibers and color. Since I haven’t tried dyeing my own wool yet, the idea of blending my own with pre-colored fiber using a drum carder sounds fun. And easy (by which I mean less messy).

Then she gets into the actual spinning–thin singles, bulky singles, thick-and-thin singles–all with a nice discussion about twists and angles for the twist. Much of this is information you can find elsewhere, in more detail, but they are essential here because if the idea is to create your own yarn, from your own vision, you need to have control over the process–you can’t depend on finding the right shade of blue from somewhere else. Also, presumably by the time you’re trying to make creative, slubbed yarns, you’re past the beginner stage of spinning … if only because beginning spinners are constantly trying to eliminate slubs from their yarns.

It is the second half of this book that really addresses the “art yarn” genre. How to spin uncarded locks into multi-textural yarn, or spinning yarn with free-flowing locks to add interest and texture. Then there’s core-spinning–when you add fiber to a ready-made core, either by coiling it around it or adding to its twist. You can also add extras into your yarn–beads, sequins, feathers. Or maybe you want to get creative while plying your yarn, by spinning boucle yarn, or deliberately adding “worms” (those little plied-back-on-themselves coils that you get from highly energized singles). You can even turn fabric or plastic bags into yarn–the ultimate in recycling.

Ultimately, this book is FUN. Even if you prefer “regular” yarn like I do, part of the point of having art in the world at all is to broaden horizons and make us aware of possibilities we couldn’t see for ourselves. Sure, most of us may focus on trying to spin consistent, even yarns to knit into socks or sweaters, with no time for this kind of frivolous nonsense … except that it’s NOT nonsense, any more than somebody dyeing their wool bright pink or turquoise is “nonsense.” Even if you don’t think you want it in your wardrobe, sometimes you just need to step outside what you THINK are the boundaries of what is possible to see the broader horizons.

This mind-broadening, remarkably interesting book is available from Amazon.com.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!

First, the facts:

Title: Respect the Spindle: Spin Infinite Yarns with One Amazing Tool

Author: Amy Franquemont

Published by: Interweave Press, 2009

Pages: 135

Type: Spinning.

Chapters:

I. Know About Spindles
1. Choosing a Spindle
2. The Science of Spindles
3. What about the Wheel?

II. Spinning on a Spindle
4. Starting to Spin
5. Fine-tuning Your Yarn
6. Getting More Done
7. Which Spindle When
8. Plying
9. Living with Spindles

III. Spindle-Spun Projects

Pattern Size Range: N/A

The In-Depth Look:

I have a decent assortment of spinning books, including some excellent ones that focus on spindles, but this book blows them away. Not because they’re not good books (because they are), but because of Abby’s sheer conviction for what she does.

You know how they say the best way to learn a foreign language is to completely immerse yourself in the language? To go where it’s spoken, to live it, and breathe it as if there simply is no other language? Well, that’s how the author learned to spin. Unlike many of the rest of us who started spinning for recreation, perhaps as an adjunct to a knitting or weaving habit, Abby learned how to spin as a child, growing up in an Andean village with her anthropologist parents. There, spinning and weaving were not just recreation, but livelihood, and taken very seriously, so she learned from the best.

This book shows off her expertise. She wants all of us to appreciate the skill behind spinning as much as she does. This doesn’t mean it reads like a boring textbook, or anything. It’s incredibly detailed, sure, and goes into (for example) the physics of what makes spinning necessary, why it works, how the whorl affects the spin, all without being impossibly dense and unreadable.

There is fantastic information about spinning in here–details on twist, how to ply with a spindle. Things like how do you choose the right spindle for the kind of yarn you want to make? What’s the best way to wind on a cop? (That’s the bundle of yarn on the spindle.) How should you hold your hands when you draft? Some are things that I’ve read elsewhere, but there is a wealth of information in this book that I have not seen before.

Ultimately, this is a book about spindles, not just about spinning in general. Abby has an entire chapter on “Why not a wheel?” because so many people start spinning and immediately switch over to a spinning wheel, because it’s “faster” or they think it’s easier. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The big difference between wheels and spindles is that one is stationary, one is portable. With a spindle, you can make yarn anywhere. While out for walks. Waiting on line at the post office. On hold on the telephone. Getting lots of little bits of spinning done throughout the day can more than equal what you can get done once you find the time to sit down at your spinning wheel. To boost your output even further, there’s even a chapter about how to get even more spinning done.

The photos are clear and helpful. It’s hard, of course, to demonstrate an active skill like spinning in a still photo, but this book does a good job of it. Some of them are just beautiful to look at, too. There’s a good table of contents, as well as a thorough index, which is something that always makes me happy.

As I said, I have a number of spinning books, and almost all of them are excellent, but they all have different emphases, different objectives. This one is unique, not because of Abby’s love of spindles but because of her perspective. It’s easy to forget that spindles used to be one of mankind’s most important tools, and that in some parts of the world it still is. Spinning yarn has not always been a hobby. For most of us it is, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but the vibe I get here is that the author wants us all to remember that it was, is, and can be so much MORE than “just a hobby.” She is passionate about it, and wants us to be passionate, too.

This book is available from Amazon.com for $15. Don’t miss the companion video, Drafting, either. I haven’t actually seen it, but judging by the quality of Abby’s YouTube videos, I can pretty much guarantee it’s worth while.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check out my spindle collection. I haven’t given that turkish spindle a whirl in a while…

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

Other posts for this author:

• Abby Franquemont Videos

First, the facts:

Title: Actually, two books in one review! Spinning in the Old Way and High Whorling The really

Author: Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts

Published by: Nomad Press, 2006, and 1998

Pages: 176, 134

Type: Spinning

Chapters: (Spinning in the Old Way)

1. In praise of the high-whorl spindle
2. Getting started
3. Spindles and supplementary tools
4. Fibers and fiber preparation
5. Spinning technique
6. Singles, plies. and cables
7. finishing your yarn

The In-Depth Look:

I’m reviewing both of these books at the same time because, for all intents and purposes, they’re basically the same. High Whorling came first. My copy is only a few years old, but the original edition was 1998. Spinning in the Old Way came out in 2006, and while the pictures are slightly different, and there are some cosmetic changes, the content is pretty much the same. (Not exactly the same, mind you, but in comparing the two books, I honestly didn’t notice a lot of substantive differences, so if you already have one of these two, you probably don’t need to buy the other one.)

When I started spinning in 2004, I bought copies of just about every spinning book I could find, and High Whorling was unique for two main reasons.

1. It focused solely on using a drop spindle.
2. It focused even more on using a specifically high-whorl spindle.

Almost every other spinning book I have tends to be broad in nature. They discuss everything from where the fiber comes from, to how it’s prepared, to the parts of a spinning wheel, to drafting, to finishing … everything. It’s all in there, like that old tomato sauce commercial.

This book (if you’ll forgive me for referring to the pair of them as if they were one and the same) is refreshing because it focuses on making yarn with one tool only–the high-whorl spindle.

The author does, of course, discuss things like fiber sources, carding, and how to use a niddy-noddy. Just because she’s focusing spindling doesn’t mean she’s not making sure you know everything you need to know to USE that high-whorl spindle. That’s exactly the point. You could take this book, get a spindle, and some roving, and go off into a corner for a while and come back making yarn. And, unlike some other spinning books, you’re not going to feel rushed into trying out a spinning wheel.

The illustrations in both books are hand-drawn by the author. Just simple, line drawings, but they get the point across. There are no fancy, color photos, no attempts at being cool and modern. This book embraces a method of making yarn that goes back to, well, forever. It’s informative, interesting, helpful, and does exactly what it promises to do.

High Whorling is harder to come by, but Spinning in the Old Way is widely available and well worth the look.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

First, the facts:

Title: Start Spinning: The Video

Author: Maggie Casey, with Eunny Jang

Published by: Interweave Press, 2009

Format: Two DVDs

Length: 78 minutes for the first, 66 minutes for the second.

Type: Spinning How To

Segments:
Disc One
1. Fibers to start with
2. About your wheel
3. Getting started
4. Making yarn
5. More about wheels
6. Plying and Finishing.

Disc Two
1. Looking at wool
2. Carding Basics
3. Long Draw
4. Commercial top
5. Over the Fold
6. Exploring other fibers

The In-Depth Look:

I should really have had this review up weeks ago, but a series of technical glitches (don’t ask) basically left me with only one way to watch a DVD … on my computer. Which means that I could only watch this when I wasn’t using the computer for anything else, like, say, writing, and, well … you get the idea.

But, that said, this video was worth the effort.

The DVDs–there are two in the package–are basically a spinning lesson from Maggie Casey (author of the companion book) to Eunny Jang, with just a few thousand of their closest friends watching over their shoulders.

Now, I’ve been spinning since 2004, and since there’s nothing I like better than to read everything I can get my hands on when I find a new interest, I already knew most of the basic techniques given here. I point this out not to make myself sound like I know more about spinning than Maggie Casey (which is decidedly not the case), but because it’s been a while since I learned to spin, which makes it hard to judge exactly how well she’s explaining things for a novice.

This is where Eunny Jang comes in. As editor of Interweave Knits, she’s obviously well versed in different kinds of yarn and knowledgeable about a lot of yarn-type things, which makes her the perfect foil for this video lesson. One of the flaws in most of the spinning videos I’ve watched in the past is that it’s just a woman talking to a camera, with nobody to stop her when she’s unclear or explaining too quickly. Having Eunny in the room, taking her first spinning lesson, is a wonderful idea for the clarity of this video.

She asks the obvious questions, like, “How do you know how much twist is enough?” I asked this one a lot myself, but was never lucky enough to have somebody handy to give me a good answer. (The answer, by the way is, “It’s hard to say.”) Having a new spinner there to ask questions of the teacher on behalf of all of us viewers was brilliant.

Not only that, Eunny was spinning her own yarn within minutes, and doing a whole lot better than I did on my first try, and I credit that to Maggie’s explanations, which were clear and concise, not to mention helpful. And yes, there were some tips that I hadn’t heard before (aren’t there always?). The picture quality is nice, the set attractive without being distracting.

The DVDs can be purchased at Interweave’s website.

Want to see bigger pictures? Here are the links: 1. Vid–4 2. Vid–3

This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!

First, the facts:

Title: Spin Control: Techniques for Spinning the Yarn You Want

Author: Amy King

Published by: Interweave Press, 2009

Pages: 119

Type: Spinning.

Chapters:

Spinning Techniques
Know Your Fiber
Work with Your Wheel
Measuring Success
Let’s Make Some Yarns!
Spectacular Singles
Two-ply: Spinner’s Yarn
Three (or More) Plies
Core spinning and More
Novelty Yarns

Pattern Size Range: N/A

The In-Depth Look:

This book has been sitting next to the computer for days now, waiting for me to review it, and I have no idea what’s been holding me back, because it’s a great book.

I’m so thrilled to see some intermediate-level spinning books coming out, and just like The Intentional Spinner, this one does a great job of explaining how to refine your spinning technique.

The book is broken into two, basic parts.

The first is “Spinning Techniques,” which starts with a description of different types of fiber, their properties, the ways they can be prepared to spin, and the ever-popular woolen-vs-worsted explanation. (Seriously, I’ve read this in just about every spinning book I have, and every author has a slightly different take on the subject, which I find fascinating.)

She also discusses the parts and engineering of a spinning wheel, and what the ratios are, how they work, and why you should care. The explanation of long-draw drafting, short-draw drafting and everything-in-between drafting is fabulous. I appreciated the section on how to fix mistakes while plying, too–that’s something I don’t think I’ve seen covered before but, well, sometimes singles DO break when plying!

The section on how to measure, analyze, and record data on your spinning is particularly interesting. It’s true–and she says it herself–that nothing will improve your spinning as much as hours spent spinning, but it’s also true that if you want to truly control your spinning, you need to be able to think about it. The angle of your twist, wraps-per-inch, the difference between “finished” and “unfinished” yarn. How else can you duplicate, exactly, a skein you’ve just made–whether it’s ten minutes from now or ten months from now? The explanation on how to analyze a yarn (handspun or commercial) with an eye to recreating it is wonderful.

The second half of the book is devoted to spinning specific kinds of yarns, starting with singles–because there is a definite trick to spinning singles that are strong enough to stand on their own as yarn. Basic, two-ply yarn is analyzed, too, with as clear a description of Andean plying as I’ve seen, and from there, she looks at other plied yarns (including cabled yarn). The last section explores how to make the novelty yarns. Boucle, for example, or yarn spun with add-ins like beads or feathers.

Overall, this book has a huge amount of useful, accessible information. The photos are beautiful to look at, and the instructional ones (as opposed to the purely decorative ones) are clear and easy to decipher–which is a must for a book describing a craft that is all about motion. The writing is clear and straight-forward, and it’s got lots of really good information.

This excellent book is available at Amazon.com.

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This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!