As spinners, we rely on a range of tools to make our yarns. From fiber-prep to the spinning itself, having a good tool can make or break your spinning experience. In this issue, expert spinners give their best advice for choosing and using tools to help customize your spinner’s toolbox. Then, explore how spinners repurpose everyday and found objects to prepare their fiber, proving that a tool is what you make it!

You’ll also:

• Uncover the secret of how the tip of your spindle affects your supported spin.
• Discover the surprising connection between handspun yarn and knitting machines.
• Journey to 14,000 feet to learn about spinners and their sheep in the Himalayas.
• Get the most from your drumcarder with four different preparations—all from the same tool!
• Dip your toes into processing a whole fleece in an easy, manageable way.
• Find a pattern to knit a classic stranded colorwork yoke sweater.
• Learn about the challenges—and rewards—of spinning lambswool, and what defines this precious fiber.

Articles

• Spinning in the Himalayas by Karen Elting Brock
• Handknits Versus Machine: A 400-Year-Old Argument by Pamela K. Schultz
• Curbside Bast: Processing Milkweed Using Thrift-Store Tools by Rowena Zuercher
• Choosing Tools for Fiber Preparation
• Anatomy of Hand Combs by Amy Tyler
• Ready to Buy a Blending Board? Read This First. by Deborah Held
• Find Your Flicker by Riley Kleve
• Why Give a Flick? It Might Be the Pre-Preparation Tool You Need by Gail McCaskill
• Getting the Most from Your Drumcarder: Create Four Fiber Preps with the Same Fiber by Roy Clemes
• Dogwood Scarf: Handcarding a Blend for Warp by Stephanie Ford
• The Tipping Point: Supported-Spindle Tips by Heavenly Bresser
• What is Lambswool? by A. Sabine Schröder-Gravendyck
• Crossbred Combing: Preparing and Spinning a CVM/Wensleydale Fleece by Amy Tyler
• Zero-Waste Spinning: Creating Textured Yarns from Combing Waste and More by Sylvia Smith
• Cut & Sew Handspun Jersey, Revisited by Micki Hair
• My Crewel and Unusual Adventure by Ladianne Henderson

Projects

• Millefiori Pullover by Sandi Rosner
• Retro Botanical Crewelwork Tote by Ladianne Henderson