| Next revision | Previous revision |
| spin:spinning [2025/12/17 04:30] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1 | spin:spinning [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
|---|
| # Spinning | This topic is part of [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. |
| | ====== Spinning ====== |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| ## What is spinning? | ===== What is spinning? ===== |
| |
| Spinning is creating yarn from fibre; it could be fleece straight from a sheep, or fibre that you’ve bought, dyed or undyed. As well as [sheep’s wool](/shep/sheep), the fibre could be silk, [alpaca](/alps/alpacas), mohair, or [plant fibres](/pltf/plant_fibres) such as cotton, flax, ramie (nettle fibre), hemp – anything that can be spun. The yarn can then be used in a range of ways (depending on how it’s spun): gossamer lace for a shawl; novelty or chunky yarns for knitting, crochet or weaving; or rope from flax or hemp. | Spinning is creating yarn from fibre; it could be fleece straight from a sheep, or fibre that you’ve bought, dyed or undyed. As well as [sheep’s wool](/shep/sheep), the fibre could be silk, [alpaca](/alps/alpacas), mohair, or [plant fibres](/pltf/plant_fibres) such as cotton, flax, ramie (nettle fibre), hemp – anything that can be spun. The yarn can then be used in a range of ways (depending on how it’s spun): gossamer lace for a shawl; novelty or chunky yarns for knitting, crochet or weaving; or rope from flax or hemp. |
| |
| |
| ## What are the benefits of spinning? | ===== What are the benefits of spinning? ===== |
| |
| - If you know how to spin, you can make beautiful yarns yourself that would be very expensive, or even impossible to buy | - If you know how to spin, you can make beautiful yarns yourself that would be very expensive, or even impossible to buy |
| |
| |
| ## What can I do? | ===== What can I do? ===== |
| |
| First, learn as much as you can. Here’s our free [online course](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/spinning-course/) on all aspects of spinning. The tutor is Janet Renouf-Miller of [Create With Fibre](https://www.facebook.com/groups/createwithfibre/). | First, learn as much as you can. Here’s our free [online course](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/spinning-course/) on all aspects of spinning. The tutor is Janet Renouf-Miller of [Create With Fibre](https://www.facebook.com/groups/createwithfibre/). |
| |
| |
| | ===== Forum ===== |
| |
| ## Free online course | This topic belongs to the section [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/crafts). |
| |
| Here’s our free [online course](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/spinning-course/) on all aspects of spinning. The tutor is Janet Renouf-Miller of [Create With Fibre](https://www.facebook.com/groups/createwithfibre/). | ===== Further resources ===== |
| |
| | - [online course](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/spinning-course/) - free online course on all aspects of spinning. The tutor is Janet Renouf-Miller of [Create With Fibre](https://www.facebook.com/groups/createwithfibre/). |
| | - [Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers](https://www.wsd.org.uk/) - promotion and preservation of craftsmanship in hand weaving, spinning and dyeing |
| | - [Woollen Wytch](https://woollenwytch.co.uk/blogs/news/diy-spinning-wheels-build-your-own-spinning-wheel) - build your own spinning wheel |
| | - [The spinning wheel in history and folklore](https://www.thoughtco.com/spinning-wheel-evolution-1992414) |
| | - [the Joy of Handspinning](https://joyofhandspinning.com/) - lots of handspinning info |
| | - [Loom Exchange](https://www.theloomexchange.co.uk/) - weaving & spinning equipment and books bought and sold |
| | - [Natural Fibre Company](https://www.thenaturalfibre.co.uk/) - will spin yarn from your own fleeces - including relatively small quantities |
| | - [The Sojourning Spinner](https://thesojourningspinner.blogspot.com/) - interesting blog |
| | - [Springer](https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-018-0677-8.pdf) - academic paper on how plant fibres were spliced into threads before spinning in Neolithic Britain |
| | - [UK Spinning Resources](http://www.spindizzy.net/spinresources/) - Spinning (and some weaving) resources - suppliers, courses, workshops and fleece |
| | - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_%28textiles%29) - spinning |
| |
| |
| ## Further resources | |
| |
| | ===== Related topics ===== |
| |
| | - [[goat:Goats]] |
| | - [[craf:Craft| Craft production]] |
| | - [[licl:clothes|Low-impact clothes]] |
| | - [[sewi:Sewing]] |
| | - [[pltf:Plant fibres]] |
| | - [[ntdy:Natural dyes]] |
| | - [[weav:Weaving]] |
| | - [[knit:knitting|Knitting & crochet]] |
| | - [[shep:Sheep]] |
| | - [[alps:Alpacas]] |
| |
| ## Specialist curators of this topic | |
| | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |
| |
| |