Welcome to Nuances to Spinning Better Yarns with Kim McKenna
To spin more consistent yarn and have more control over what we are spinning at all times, we must be present and mindful at every step of the process. Every single choice we make along the way changes the character of our yarn and changes the character of our fabric. From how we prepare our fibre, to the style of spinning and wet finishing our yarn, everything step matters. Instructor Kim McKenna walks us through the nuances of spinning the yarn we want!
Throughout the videos, you’ll learn:
- Revitalizing commercial fibre
- Preparing rolags and roving
- Worsted and woollen-style spinning
- Spinning record-keeping
- Joining techniques
- Plying through the rings and more!
Let’s elevate our spinning and jump in!
Talk about the Nuances to Spinning Better Yarns course with members of the School of SweetGeorgia. Post project pictures, share personal reflections, and join the conversations in our Community Forums!
Tag what you are making everywhere with #sosspinning and #schoolofsweetgeorgia!
This art batt by fatcatknitsdyer simply took my breath away. It’s soft (BFL), sparkly, full of texture, and I haven’t quite experienced anything like it!

This art batt by fatcatknitsdyer simply took my breath away. It’s soft (BFL), sparkly, full of texture, and I haven’t quite experienced anything like it!
As the change of seasons and the back-to-school routines get settled, with the holidays and gift planning still weeks away, this is the perfect time to plan a project just for you. Join us this month for an SOS Spin-Along!
As Greta @gretacornejomakes shares in her new SOS post—
I’m celebrating the change of season by prepping fibre and getting it ready for spinning a fractal 2-ply yarn. I hope you join us in spinning for a project, plus share your spin-in progress with us and meet with new and old friends. You can join the spin-along at ANY time, so dive into your stash or visit the @sweetgeorgia shop to find some beautiful fibre (Felicia`s handspun 3-ply fractal in BFL+Silk Salted Caramel is shown here) and spin along with us!
Read more about the spin-along and meetup information over at the SOS articles section... direct link in bio »
We’d also love to see your spinning progress! Tag your posts with #sosspinning or #schoolofsweetgeorgia, or join other SOS members and instructors over in the Community Forums.

As the change of seasons and the back-to-school routines get settled, with the holidays and gift planning still weeks away, this is the perfect time to plan a project just for you. Join us this month for an SOS Spin-Along!
As Greta @gretacornejomakes shares in her new SOS post—
I’m celebrating the change of season by prepping fibre and getting it ready for spinning a fractal 2-ply yarn. I hope you join us in spinning for a project, plus share your spin-in progress with us and meet with new and old friends. You can join the spin-along at ANY time, so dive into your stash or visit the @sweetgeorgia shop to find some beautiful fibre (Felicia`s handspun 3-ply fractal in BFL+Silk Salted Caramel is shown here) and spin along with us!
Read more about the spin-along and meetup information over at the SOS articles section... direct link in bio »
We’d also love to see your spinning progress! Tag your posts with #sosspinning or #schoolofsweetgeorgia, or join other SOS members and instructors over in the Community Forums.
Beautiful skeins and sweet beginnings of my Attune shawl! The liveliness and crisp texture that you feel and see when knitting with handspun is a wonderful sensory experience.

Beautiful skeins and sweet beginnings of my Attune shawl! The liveliness and crisp texture that you feel and see when knitting with handspun is a wonderful sensory experience.
Fractal spin on my Schachts ladybug spinning wheel in the center. I have 4 braids of hello yarn fiber club august color pit a pat. The wool is Corriedale. I run it through my steamer 2x to open up the braid. It is a joy to spin worsted weight yarn. #helloyarnfiberclub #helloyarn #corriedalewool #schachtladybug #spinningyarn #sosspinning

Fractal spin on my Schachts ladybug spinning wheel in the center. I have 4 braids of hello yarn fiber club august color pit a pat. The wool is Corriedale. I run it through my steamer 2x to open up the braid. It is a joy to spin worsted weight yarn. #helloyarnfiberclub #helloyarn #corriedalewool #schachtladybug #spinningyarn #sosspinning
I really needed a palette cleanser, so I chose this this “Glorious” and happy color by woundupfiberarts during my staycation.🍭

I really needed a palette cleanser, so I chose this this “Glorious” and happy color by woundupfiberarts during my staycation.🍭
In case you still believe that a blending board doesn`t fully blend fiber, here`s proof otherwise. Each batt weighs 1.1-1.3 oz and was made with carded Rambouillet fleece, hand-dyed by me, plus three different silks, angelina, and bamboo. #blendingboard #fibreprep #sosspinning #herhandspunhabit #fleece #canonphotography #handspinning #handspinnersofinstagram

In case you still believe that a blending board doesn`t fully blend fiber, here`s proof otherwise. Each batt weighs 1.1-1.3 oz and was made with carded Rambouillet fleece, hand-dyed by me, plus three different silks, angelina, and bamboo. #blendingboard #fibreprep #sosspinning #herhandspunhabit #fleece #canonphotography #handspinning #handspinnersofinstagram
I make time to spin almost daily, even if that means spinning a single rolag or puni from my big bag of samples. Here, I spun the singles on one day and then plied them another. I’ll use the yarn in a small tapestry once my collection is large enough. The bowl is by charansachar and the gorgeous #Twindle spindle was gifted to me by someone especially close to my heart. #spindlersofinstagram #spindler #igspinner #sosspinning #spinnersofinstagram #handspinnersofinstagram

I make time to spin almost daily, even if that means spinning a single rolag or puni from my big bag of samples. Here, I spun the singles on one day and then plied them another. I’ll use the yarn in a small tapestry once my collection is large enough. The bowl is by charansachar and the gorgeous #Twindle spindle was gifted to me by someone especially close to my heart. #spindlersofinstagram #spindler #igspinner #sosspinning #spinnersofinstagram #handspinnersofinstagram
Downloads
- Nuances to Spinning Better Yarns Workbook PDF
- Nuances to Spinning Better Yarns Worksheets PDF
- Nuances to Spinning Better Yarns Yarn Assessment PDF
Equipment
- Spinning tool of choice
- spinning wheel demonstrated in this course
- Fibre blending tool of choice
- hand carders and blending boards used in this course
*Please follow this link for Essential Spinning & Fibre Prep Tools needed
Materials
- 60 g / 2 ounces wool fibre
- Leftover handspun yarn (making neps)
Remember to use your 15% member discount on yarn and fibre from SweetGeorgia Yarns!
Additional Supplies Shown/Demonstrated
- Diz
- Dowels
- Distaff
- Basin (with water)
Additional supplies are required for the setup of lesson 2.3 Plying Through the Rings. We recommend watching the lesson to determine what items are required.
Do you have questions about Nuances to Spinning Materials? Talk about it with members of the School of SweetGeorgia. Post project pictures, share personal reflections, and join the conversations in our Community Forums!
Course Content
About Instructor
