Spinning
Spinning from Jane Robinson on Vimeo.
Here at home, we have access to many animal fibres that can be made into hand spun yarns. City farms and farmers that keep these animals often have small supplies of fibres and fleece. Animals kept in city farms are usually extremely well looked after and this is reflected in the quality of their fleece or fur.
Sheep shearing in Britain is usually done in May or June by a professionally trained sheep shearer. The fleece weighs anywhere between 1 and a half and 10 kilograms but when it is washed it looses about 30% of its weight. The fleece contains lanolin that is removed during washing and transformed to use in cosmetics such as soap and hand cream.
The sheep’s fleece is prepared for carding by separating the long fibres and removing the short fibres. The fleece is then carded. Carding is a process that combs the fibres using rollers covered with wire teeth that comb the fibres so that they lie in the same direction. This process is done prior to spinning and makes it easier to tease (pull) the fibres and add a twist to make a continuous filament that is yarn.
Other cellulose fibres can also be used and spun into yarn. In the spring the Panchachuli women harvest the giant Himalayan nettle plant Alo, which occurs naturally in the forests of altitudes over 1500 meters. Inside the bark of the stem is a fine but strong fibre that is removed. The inner bark is simmered overnight in a solution of water and wood ash to soften the fibre. The fibre is beaten and rubbed with oil to make it easier to separate and tease for spinning. The nettle fibres are dried in the sun and hand spun using a drop spindle or spinning wheel. The nettle yarn is then made into textiles using the traditional craft of weaving and knitting. This project enables these women to use their handcraft skills, making it possible to earn a living and achieve economic and social independence.
In principal spinning wheel spinning is the same as drop spindle spinning, however the fibres are spun horizontally and the twist is applied using the wheel instead of dropping the spindle.
The characteristics of hand spun yarn vary, depending on the spinning method used, the fibres and its length and the degree of twist applied, or if the yarn has been plied with another yarn.
For thousands of years yarns have been spun using a spindle. The fibres are combed and twisted onto the spindle, which is a straight stick with wooden disc, which gives it weight. The weight helps to draw out the fibres as they are being spun. Twist is created by either dropping the spindle or by running it down the length of the thigh. The yarn is wound onto the spindle when sufficient twist has been added to establish a continuous thread.
Spindle spinning can be done easily using a wooden spindle, or a CD and pencil.
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