I have been knitting and crocheting for 15 years. I like to know how things are made and took a beginning spinning class 3 years ago to gain knowledge and appreciation for fibers. It has now become a passion of mine because I love knowing that I’ve made a product from beginning to end.
The process of taking raw, natural material and making it functional has been used since the beginning of time. What is most fascinating is that so many materials can be turned into roving to be used to spin into yarn and made into fiber. You can use animal fleeces such as wool from sheep, alpaca, yak, camel, angora rabbit, goat and many more! Not to mention there are tons of plant fibers that can to processed into roving like hemp, flax and bamboo.
Once the materials are obtained, cleaned, and combed into roving you can use a spinning wheel or drop spindle to create thread/yarn. Those single strands are plied together to form thicker, stronger yarn. The yarn is then heated in water to set the twist and left to dry. The fiber can be dyed at the roving or yarn stage. The yarn is then ready to be used and can be made into countless items from toys to clothing to bedding by knitting or crocheting.
Knit Scarf
For beginners I recommend the following books: “The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs: Techniques for Creating 80 Yarns” by Sarah Anderson and “Yarnitecture: A Knitter’s Guide to Spinning: Building Exactly the Yarn You Want” by Jacey Boggs and Clara Parkes. And Pinterest is always a great source for ideas, patterns and inspiration!
