Overview

For spinners who have begun to explore the infinite possibilities of making their own yarn, veteran spinner and teacher Judith McKenzie McCuin offers insight, understanding, and information about this appealing craft in The Intentional Spinner. Judith's educated, gently opinionated, and fun to read blend of technical knowledge, history, tips, and narrative takes the form of a compendium of spinning wisdom. Yarn making is approached in three fundamental areas: understanding fibers, managing yarn structure, and making yarns that precisely meet the spinner's needs. The Fibers section of The Intentional Spinner blends the rich historic traditions of plant and animal fibers with the fascinating scientific advances in synthesizing fiber. The Yarn Structure chapters use step-by-step instructions and photographs to demonstrate the range of possibilities in yarn, from sturdy plied yarns to playful novelty yarns. Finally, the Practical Uses section leads the reader through decision making and planning to create the very project they want from the beginning. The book also includes four projects that demonstrate how handspun can be used in weaving and knitting. Projects explain how to choose material, techniques, and finish the processes. Blending technical expertise and fascinating lore, The Intentional Spinner is a must-read for every spinner.

Full Product Details

9781596680807

Table of Contents

Reviews

If the words 'warp' and 'weft' spark off a dream of sitting by a spinning wheel on a wintry afternoon, this book can make your dreams come true. It explains everything you need to know about fibre types and how to spin, and includes several start-to-finish spin-and-knit projects.-AllAboutYou.com When I first picked up [this book] I would never have guessed that this relatively small, slim volume held so much information. But then, to design and produce a yarn with the properties you intended, a holistic approach, considering all the factors contributing to a yarn's properties, is desirable. And that's a lot of information. Before moving on to yarn design, this book covers the qualities of many protein, cellulose and manufactured fibres (spider silk, anyone?), methods for analysing existing yarns, and spinning techniques from fibre preparation to singles creation, plying and cabling. The spinning techniques covered in the second part of the book are simply inspirational. The drafting methods alone will keep an improving spinner happily practising for hours, and the wheel adjustment flowchart is definitely a go-to reference. The plying, cabling and design section is so rich, so detailed, that a single reading (or two, or three) simply isn't enough to absorb all it has to offer. Techniques are described clearly and illustrated with step-by-step photographs. Four projects complete the book nicely, each requiring a particular type of handspun yarn, designed to encourage you to put the principles of the book into practice...Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to improve their spinning repertoire, and I feel it is destined to become a well-thumbed addition to many spinners' bookshelves. Alison Barker (Online Guild)-Journal for Weavers Spinners & Dyers Spinning is rapidly gaining in popularity as the craze for 'making your own' takes hold. Veteran spinner and teacher Judith MacKenzie McCuin offers insight, understanding and information about this appealing craft in The Intentional Spinner. Judith's fun to read blend of technical knowledge, history, tips and narrative makes this book a veritable goldmine of wisdom regarding all things spinning-related. If you're interested in the history and theory of spinning as well as the practice, there's plenty of in-depth information to be absorbed. Each fibre type has its own dedicated chapter discussing the background to each variety in some detail (have you ever wanted to know about the historical domestication of animals for wool? It's right here on page 27!) In addition to tips, background and techniques, there's simple pattern ideas designed to help uitilise the fruits of your spinning labours, including socks and shawls. So there's no excuse not to give spinning a try.-Inside Crochet

If the words 'warp' and 'weft' spark off a dream of sitting by a spinning wheel on a wintry afternoon, this book can make your dreams come true. It explains everything you need to know about fibre types and how to spin, and includes several start-to-finish spin-and-knit projects.-AllAboutYou.com When I first picked up [this book] I would never have guessed that this relatively small, slim volume held so much information. But then, to design and produce a yarn with the properties you intended, a holistic approach, considering all the factors contributing to a yarn's properties, is desirable. And that's a lot of information. Before moving on to yarn design, this book covers the qualities of many protein, cellulose and manufactured fibres (spider silk, anyone?), methods for analysing existing yarns, and spinning techniques from fibre preparation to singles creation, plying and cabling. The spinning techniques covered in the second part of the book are simply inspirational. The drafting methods alone will keep an improving spinner happily practising for hours, and the wheel adjustment flowchart is definitely a go-to reference. The plying, cabling and design section is so rich, so detailed, that a single reading (or two, or three) simply isn't enough to absorb all it has to offer. Techniques are described clearly and illustrated with step-by-step photographs. Four projects complete the book nicely, each requiring a particular type of handspun yarn, designed to encourage you to put the principles of the book into practice...Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to improve their spinning repertoire, and I feel it is destined to become a well-thumbed addition to many spinners' bookshelves. Alison Barker (Online Guild)-Journal for Weavers Spinners & Dyers

Author Information

Judith MacKenzie McCuin has been a textile artist for more than twenty years. She has taught throughout the United States and Canada, and her work appears in both public and private collections. She has been a contributor to Spin-Off, Interweave Knits, PieceWork, and Handwoven magazines, and she has led textile tours to Turkey and Spain. She lives in Augusta, Montana, with her husband, Nick, where they run a small yarn and dye company and raise bison.

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