Spinning up a Level
In this series, we are going to be exploring how you can begin to go from a beginner spinner to a spinner that can plan the exact kind of yarn they want to spin for a specific project, be it socks, a sweater, or a shawl.
Welcome to Spinning up a Level with Katrina Stewart!
In this series, we are going to be exploring how you can begin to go from a beginner spinner to a spinner that can plan the exact kind of yarn they want to spin for a specific project, be it socks, a sweater, or a shawl. Throughout this series, we’ll be exploring various techniques of fibre choices, fibre preparation, drafting, plying, and finishing to achieve the hand-spun yarn of your dreams. This course also includes a comprehensive workbook and spinning exercises so you can try the demonstrated techniques for yourself and see which methods suit you and your spinning style.
We hope you’ll join us for Spinning up a Level!
All of the chat and progress will be shared over at the forum, with social media posts shared using the tags: #sosspinning and #schoolofsweetgeorgia.
To all the spinners out there, what resources did use to help learn to spin?
I have clearly fallen down the rabbit hole and I want to soak in all the information. I've Googled and YouTubed as much as I could and have also been binge watching spinning courses from schoolofsweetgeorgia , but I know there is still so much to learn!
I have a tendency to throw myself 115% into anything new I try because I love to learn and I guess the same has happened here. So, any tips you can give me on how I can gain more knowledge are very appreciated! 😊
Recently, I’ve been spending my evening spinning time almost exclusively with my e-spinner. As someone who was and continues to be madly in love with my cherry Schacht Matchless wheel and my cherry Lendrum Saxony, I stumbled upon a demonstration table for the Ashford E-Spinner 3 last fall and was immediately smitten. In previous years, I had owned an e-spinner from Hansen which was lovely, professional, and productive… but I wasn’t in the right mindset to own one for myself. I felt two big feelings: 1) that I didn’t deserve such a fabulous machine, and 2) that I was feeding the machine and it was spinning for me… like somehow I was excluded from the process of creating yarn.
Interestingly, both of these perspectives came up during Debbie Held’s workshop on Spinning with E-Spinners that we released very recently. During the workshop, we also had the opportunity to see a few different e-spinners, but it also made me realize how many options we have available to us today. When I first started spinning back in 2005, it seemed like there was only one or two e-spinner options and they always seemed like they lived in the realm of untouchable or unattainable. But now, you can get into spinning with an e-spinner for as low as $100 US. Options like this have made spinning with an e-spinner incredibly accessible… even more accessible than spinning with a traditional treadle spinning wheel.
So let’s look at all the different options for e-spinners that are available to us now and you can see where you might find the ideal e-spinner for your style of spinning and budget.
To read the full article about choosing an e-spinner, click the link in bio » https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/choosing-an-e-spinner/
In the new SOS Colour & Fibre Play II workshop taught by Diana Twiss @dianatwiss, we further explore some of the themes taught in her first Colour & Fibre Play workshop, where we looked at textured and heathered yarns. In that workshop we focused on the tools; blending tools like hand carders, drum carders, hackles, and the blending board. In this workshop, we take it one step further and we look at what we learned from that – how to make more of those beautiful small batch yarns!
How can we make more of these yarns – how do we maintain those pops and rivers of colour, and maintain that consistency over a huge project?
Learn more at the Colour & Fibre Play II course with Diana, where she talks about scaling up and scaling out. Find all the info at the course page »
NEW at the SCHOOL OF SWEETGEORGIA // Module four of the Spinning Up a Level workshop series is now here! Taught by Katrina Stewart craftyjaks, the Spin Control module talks about measuring our singles and tips and tricks on how to keep them consistent, adjustments to achieve the twist you want in your singles and plying, plus measuring your wraps per inch to help estimate the weight of yarn you'll spin when you begin plying. Plus Katrina walks you through how to spin textured yarn of your very own!
Join Katrina at Spinning Up a Level and learn more about controlling spin to get the fine yarn of your dreams! Link in profile »
It's also been wonderful keeping in touch and hearing from spinners working their way through the videos in the SOS spinning forums! Find the conversation at the School of SweetGeorgia community at: https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/community/
#sosspinning
One of the best things about handspun socks is the colour! In our recently released Spin to Knit Socks workshop, Rachel Smith guides you through creating your dream yarn, and having fun with all the different kinds of sock yarns we can create!
Follow our link in bio to learn more about the workshop and begin making your own beautiful handspun, hand-knit socks!
See Rachel Smith on Instagram at: @welfordpurls
#sosspinning #schoolofsweetgeorgia #handspun #spinning #knitsocks #spinningyarn #spinningcolour #handspunsocks
ON THE VLOG // In the past couple of weeks I've been getting lots of questions about e-spinners, so I want to take some time today to talk with you more about some of the e-spinner options out there.
It's come up more recently because a couple of weeks ago, we had talented spinner and writer Debbie Held doodler01, come and teach a workshop for the School of SweetGeorgia, Spinning with E-Spinners. There's so much to know about these electric spinning wheels and in today's vlog I share a bit more about the two e-spinners I have myself – the Ashford E-Spinner 3 and Nano EEW. I also show how I spin a long draw using both e-spinners plus re-wind my handspun yarn onto spare bobbins before plying.
Follow our link in bio to watch today's Taking Back Friday episode >>
Info and links for items I talk about in today's video are available in the show notes at: https://sweetgeorgiayarns.com/2020/07/spinning-ashford-e-spinner-vs-nano-eew/
And, if you're looking for more info on e-spinners, visit my Choosing an E-Spinner blog post on the School of SweetGeorgia which includes a downloadable e-spinner comparison guide: https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/choosing-an-e-spinner/
#sosspinning
BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL at the schoolofsweetgeorgia // Only available until the end of September, don't miss this annual sale at the School! Use the coupon code: BACKTOSCHOOL2021 for 15% off annual and quarterly memberships! Lock in savings for as long as you continue to be an active member.
At the School of SweetGeorgia, there is an entire library of course content designed to enrich and expand your fibre arts learning journey, such as our latest spinning course release: Nuances to Spinning Better Yarns! Taught by Kim McKenna claddaghfibrearts, this online course is filled with lessons and techniques to improve your spinning and become a better spinner. More info at our link in bio.
We'll see you over at the School!
#sosspinning
LIVE WORKSHOPS COMING SOON // Adjusting to a different way of bringing fabulous content to the School of SweetGeorgia amid travel restrictions, we're excited to share two upcoming live workshops on the SOS site, led by two wonderfully talented instructors…⠀
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STRIPES IN TAPESTRY – An art that has been around for hundreds of years and continues to capture the imagination of artists and admirers today, join Janna Maria Vallee everlea_yarn as she leads you through multiple approaches to creating stripes in tapestry, including horizontal and vertical stripes. This workshop will be delivered initially as a live Zoom workshop on Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 4pm PST. ⠀
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SPINNING WITH SUPPORTED SPINDLES – Join Debbie Held doodler01 as she takes you through each step of her own supported spindling process, demystifying these spindles and demonstrating how you too can spin your most beautiful yarns yet — even when you’re on the go! The supported spindle has a unique beauty to it, imparted not only in the finished yarn itself but also found in the fluid, meditative movements of spinning that yarn. This workshop will be delivered initially as a live Zoom workshop on Thursday, June 18, 2020 at 10am PST.⠀
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Find more info + register for the workshops via our link in bio! >>
#sostapestry #sosspinning
Note: We recommended you print your Spinning Exercise worksheets on card stock since you'll be hanging your handspun samples on it.
Module 1: Fibre Prep & Drafting
- Download the Fibre Preparation Notes (1 out of 7 files)
- Download the Drafting Notes & Semis Chart (2 out of 7 files)
- Download the Spinning Exercise Worksheets for Module 1
- Download the Tools Resources List
Module 2: Fibre & Finishing
- Download the Module 2: Fibre & Finishing Notes (3 out of 7 files) here >>
- Purchase a Spinning Sampler Kit here!
Module 3: Twist & Ply
- Download the Module 3 Twist & Ply Notes (4 out of 7 files) here >>
- Download the Module 3 spinning worksheet here!
- If you want a wooden adapter to turn your wheel into a bobbin winder, visit Katrina's shop here!
Module 4: Spin Control
- Download the Module 4: Spin Control notes here (5 out of 7 files)!
- Download the Module 4 spinning worksheet here!
Module 5: Colour in Spinning Fibre
Module 6: Project Planning
Spinning Tools & Fibre Resource List
These are the tools that Katrina used in her course:
- Akerworks bobbins
- Akerworks Lazy Kate
- Control card (diameter control)
- Wraps per Inch (WPI) tool
- Eric’s tool for rewinding bobbins
- Leclerc bobbin winder
- Schacht Bobbin winder
- Schacht Sidekick Spinning Wheel
- Schacht Matchless Spinning Wheel
- Ashford Drum Carder
- Majacraft Hackle
- Majacraft Mini wool Combs
- SweetGeorgia Yarns spinning fibre braids
- Katrina’s batts
- Katrina’s rolags
- Katrina’s rovings
Remember your 15% off discount as a SOS member available here: https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/sweetgeorgia-discount/
Course Content
About Instructor
Course Includes
- 37 Lessons
- Course Certificate
Ratings and Reviews
Katrina is excellent at teaching. She covers such a wide breadth of topics that it’s impossible not to learn many new tricks/techniques. Well done!