Product Description

The art of spinning is growing in popularity as knitters, new and experienced, want to make their own yarn. All it takes is some fluff, a spindle or wheel, and a little practice!Maggie Casey takes complete novices to competent spinners in "Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn".Readers will learn to spin the yarn of their dreams beginning with an introduction to the various types of fibers available, choosing and preparing (or buying) fiber with which to spin, and detailed instructions for both spinning on a spindle and spinning on a wheel. Maggie also offers a special section on troubleshooting and wheel maintenance, plus tips and tricks for creating better yarns. Then she moves into plying, setting twist, using a niddy noddy, and woollen and worsted spinning. Maggie concludes with a chapter on uses for spun yarn, which covers wraps per inch, measuring yards for projects, and size of yarn."Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn" covers all the basics newbies need to spin their own fabulous yarn. Once spinners get comfortable creating new and wonderful yarns, anything is possible!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59689 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 120 pages

Review
Maggie Casey covers all the basics you need to spin your own fabulous yarn. Spinning is growing in popularity as knitters want to make their own yarn and all it takes is some fluff, a spindle or wheel and a little practice! Maggie also offers a special section on troubleshooting and wheel maintenance, plus tips and tricks for creating better yarns. --Machine Knitting Monthly

On first opening this book I was intrigued and excited. It has a lovely size and layout which encourages you to delve in without being overwhelmed by information. The clear type and pictures encourage you to keep browsing. This is a book you can read cover to cover or just dip in. There are a lot of clear photos to show you the details of a process or the difference between major types of spinning wheels albeit some of the process photographs are not as comprehensive as I would like. The pictures of the carding process left me bemused and I know how to do it - or so I thought! I particularly liked the large print statement on the side column of many pages which re-emphasise the key points from the text to give you a sense of overview. Maggie takes you through the steps of spinning in her particluar style which I did not find the most logical path. I did miss the extension of the process beyond wool fibres but maybe that is a step too far for many beginners. The book includes lots of troubleshooting points to help you when things look quite different from how you imagined and there is a lovely philosophy which runs throughout the book which encourages you to enjoy the process, relax, practise and take your time. As an Interweave book it has the usual US bias for details of yarn and needles, but overall I found this book to be a fun read and one that would encourage many a beginner to develop their skills. --Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers Winter 08

About the Author
Maggie Casey is a co-owner of Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins, in Boulder, Colorado, where she teaches Beginning Spinning on a Wheel, Drop Spindle Spinning, and Spinning 2, among other subjects. Her articles have appeared in Spin-Off and been reprinted in Knitters Review. She has been addicted to spinning for thirty years. She holds Part I of the Handweavers Guild of America's Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning and has taught at the Spin-Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR) for the past six years. There have been rare but confirmed sightings of T-shirts reading, "Maggie taught me to spin." She lives and spins in Boulder, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant pictures
As someone who recently became interested in spinning, this book was recommended to me as a good guide. I am using a spindle and there are plenty of pictures to demonstrate the various techniques. There is quite a lot on explaining the spinning wheel too if I should choose to progress to one. It explains all the terminology and there is a section on plying and setting the twist. If you want to start from scratch there is a section on carding and preparing fleece. As someone who prefers lots of pictures and diagrams when learning something new this book was brilliant for me. The only reason I didn't give it 5 starts is that more experienced spinner probably wont find it useful.

excellent for a beginner
I'm so glad I chose this book. Following a spinning workshop, I wanted a book that help me with the fundimentals and this is it!

Everything is explained in clear diagrams accompanied by in-depth explanations, with summaries at the end, so whatever style you prefer this is an excellent book.

My favourite thing about it is that unlike many teachers, the author does not try to force you to do things in a particular way, but presents a range of methods to try so you can pick the ones that suit you best.

An excellent book for a spinner beginner.
I'm new to spinning and I'm finding this book very informative with clear photographs and instructions.My wheel isn't the same as the author's but it gives me a good idea of how it works and what should be happening.It also shows how to use a drop spindle for those who don't own a wheel. This is a great book for a learner.