From "Knitty Gritty"
episode DKNG-202

Vickie Howell welcomes Liz Gipson, the managing editor of Spin-Off magazine, to share the inside scoop on how to spin all sorts of fibers. Gipson will cover how to prepare fibers and how to make your own spindle from recycled materials.

Sheep's wool is the most popular fiber among hand spinners because it is versatile and easy to spin. Wool is easier to spin if it's prepared by separating the fibers into a loose, fluffy arrangement. You can buy a fleece and do the washing and preparation yourself (figure A), or if you prefer, you can buy wool that has already been washed, dyed and combed. There are many ways to prepare wool; our expert will demonstrate two basic ways here.

( Combing )

( Carding )

( Resources )

Note they have videos on the website.

From "Knitty Gritty"
episode DKNG-202

Fiber is turned into yarn by adding twist. In this case the twist comes from the spindle. What your hands do is called drafting -- letting the fibers slide past each other and then letting the twist catch them. The size of the yarn is determined by how much fiber is caught in the twist. When you're spinning, your goal is to pay attention to the fiber between your hands -- the fiber that is about to become yarn. Everything else will take care of itself!

( Instructions )

( Resources )

From "Knitty Gritty"
episode DKNG-202

You can make a simple spindle using recycled compact disks, a grommet, a small eyehook and a wooden dowel.

( Instructions )

( Resources )