Category Archives: Beginner Info

In Which I Dreadfully Overplan

I’m a knitter now. Let me be the first to admit it. The dye. . . I mean die-hard crocheter has fallen. I have succumbed to the knitting realm and now have way too many knitted projects planned. And to … Continue reading

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A Wooly Ending

Well, that’s that for the Beginner Series on Wool. I hope you enjoyed it and that it has been educational in a fun way. I was going to finish the series with a post on felting, but as I have … Continue reading

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Dyeing Wool

Beginner’s Series: Wool – Part 5 Wool is one of the easiest fibers to dye. It responds readily to Kool-Aid, commercial dyes, natural (plant- or animal-derived) dyes, and even food coloring. There are dozens of different ways to color wool, … Continue reading

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Fiber Preparation

Beginner’s Series: Wool – Part 4 Batts, Slivers, Tops, Rovings, Clouds, what on earth do these all mean? How’s a spinner supposed to know what they want with all these choices? Thankfully, learning what each of these styles gives you … Continue reading

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Preparing a Fleece for Spinning

Beginner’s Series: Wool – Part 3 After you have washed your fleece and it’s all squeaky clean, you need to get it ready to be spun into yarn. There are options for doing this, but thankfully not too many options. … Continue reading

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In The Raw

Beginner’s Series: Wool – Part 2 I had barely cut my teeth on roving; in fact, I hadn’t even been introduced to a batt yet, when I felt the urge to get a raw fleece and process it for myself. … Continue reading

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Choosing Between Types of Wool

Beginner’s Series: Wool – Part 1 Why Choose? When I first became a spinner the sheer number of wool types available boggled my brain. Was “Merino” or “Romney” a better choice for a beginner? How about “Rambouillet”? And what on … Continue reading

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Beginner’s Series: Wool

Hello, everyone! There’s going to be a second Beginner Series on Maiden Yarn. I’ll be focusing in on wool types and working with fleece. I’ll go into picking the right type of wool to use and how to choose a … Continue reading

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Finis

My, this last week has flown by. I blogged daily, and there are still some things we didn’t get to! Wonderful things like preparing your own fiber and dyeing your own yarn. I hope The Beginner Series proved helpful and … Continue reading

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Drafting, Plying, and a Balanced Yarn

Beginner’s Info: Part 7 There are two different things meant by “drafting.” “Pre-drafting” is loosening up the fibers before you spin so you’ll get a nice, airy, easy-to-work-with yarn. Here is a good video on fluffing up the fibers in … Continue reading

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