"For me, yarn spinning, hand dyeing, knitting and weaving are more than just a hobby - they're a way of relaxing and creating something truly my own. I hope I can inspire you to explore one (or all!) of these wonderfully absorbing crafts!"

Yarn making...

This is where it all starts. I take clean and combed wool top and hand spin it into a yarn using either a spinning wheel or a drop spindle. I can either leave it 100% natural or get creative with colour dyes. I can use my hand spun yarn for regular knitting, or often weave it on a rigid heddle weaving loom to make my own cushion covers, scarves, shawls, bags and so much more!

Combed wool top...

Combed wool top is prepared from a sheep fleece. It is a continuous untwisted length of cleaned wool where all the fibres are parallel, uniform in length, and point in the same direction. Already scoured and prepared (unlike raw fleece), it is a pleasant material to use being free from lanolin and farmyard vegetable matter (poo!|) and so is the perfect starting material for worsted hand spun yarn.

Drop spindles...

A drop spindle is a fun way to try hand spinning. The spindle is spun, adding twist to the wool fibres which are then drafted and wound onto the shaft as yarn. This method is thousands of years old and requires no expensive equipment. While very relaxing, it is also a relatively slow way of producing hand spun yarn. A complete kit with instructions is a great way to get started!

Spinning wheels...

Modern spinning wheels are well made and efficient. Available with one or two foot treadles (or none for electric spinners!) and either single or double drive. On-board bobbins and lazy kates are regular features. While a learning curve is involved, once you get to grips with a spinning wheel enormous pleasure and relaxation can be obtained. The end result - beautiful hand spun yarn is considered by some an added bonus.

Protein dyes...

Hand dye protein fibres (animal) with easy to use home dyeing methods to create unique colourways on either the combed wool top before spinning, or the finished hand spun yarn. Of course you don't HAVE to dye it yourself- you could buy it already beautifully hand dyed for you.

Hand carders...

Hand carders are used in pairs to prepare raw sheep and alpaca fleece or these days more often combed fibre top. You can easily blend different fibres together, mix up colours ready for spinning or felting crafts. 

Rigid heddle weaving...

A rigid heddle loom is a compact, beginner friendly weaving loom that sits on a table, on a stand or on your lap. It uses a simplified rigid reed with alternating slots and holes to separate the vertical warp threads and create the shed for the horizontal weft threads. Comes in different weaving widths and is easy to store. You can weave hand spun yarn or any of the many other yarns available like cotton, bamboo, chenille, boucle and acrylic.

Resources...

• Drop spindle instructions
• Protein dyes help page
• Fibrehut blog
• Ashford blog
• Ashford video tutorials
• Ashford wheel magazine
• AGWSD
• Kromski instructions & support
• Private 1-to-1 lessons