Spinning Books & DVD's

NEW! Creative Spinning

Learn to create appealing multi colored yarns with Alison Daykin and Jane Deane, who have decades of experience spinning, weaving, and dyeing. Find out how easy it can be to create personalized and gorgeous skeins of one-of-a-kind fibers. Designed for complete beginners, this attractive guide offers 30 beautiful projects that teach a repertoire of skills on both the hand spindle and spinning wheel. It starts with simple, basic combing, twisting, plying, and finishing, then goes on to offer a primer on working with fibers. All the chapters are organized by yarn type, including short wool and down, medium fine wool, long wool and luster, hill and mountain, rare wool, animal hair, silk, and vegetable fiber.

NEW! Teach Yourself Visually, Handspinning, Judith MacKenzie McCuin

A great new way to learn how to spin! Detailed color photos and instructions provide a book filled to the brim with information. Short two page lessons are easy to master and allow you to build your skills at your own pace. Pre-order now! Avail. end of May

The Ashford Book of Carding, Jo Reeve
Learn how to use flick cards, hand cards and drum carders. Find out how to process fleece into roving and how to blend colors and fibers. Projects: Self-striping socks; Merino mittens; Triangular shawl; Merino and silk scarf. 92pp.

Spin to Knit, Shannon Okey  

Take your knitting to a new level with the addition of handmade yarn! Spinning is easy to learn, handspun yarn is hot , and with Spin to Knit everything you need to create fun, funky, one-of-a-kind designer yarn is right at your fingertips. Spin to Knit teaches you all the details about fibers, tools, and materials for getting started spinning, and offers a substantial selection of simple patterns for knitting with that fabulous yarn you've created all on your own. Urban spinner Shannon Okey, author of KnitGrrl, answers all your burning questions about spinning basics. For instance, what fibers are good for close-to-the-skin projects, what’s good for layering, and what on earth can you do with dog fur or recycled fabric? Find out the basic tools you need to get started spinning, whether you should begin with a drop spindle or a wheel, why “lumpy bumpy” yarn is your friend, ways to un-lump your yarn, and how to control singles, twist, and ply.Inventive patterns include a "cardiganized" thrift shop pullover with a gorgeous handspun buttonband, a faux Fair Isle pullover that combines millspun and handspun yarn, a traditional lace shawl, a shrug based on a woven Swedish heart, a silky sweater made entirely from hairdresser's rayon, and much more. A great feature of Spin to Knit is the addition of in-depth profiles about urban spinners from all over the country. Learn the personal stories of how these spinners got started, and their insider tips for spinning with style. Paperback, 8½ x 9, 128 pages,  150 Photographs and 25 Illustrations

200 Braids to Twist, Knot, Braid or Weave

All projects benefit from that perfect finishing touch. Create a personalized braided trim to complete any project—from clothing, furnishings, greeting cards, jewelry, totes, gift wrap, floral arrangements, and more—with 200 Braids to Twist, Knot, Loop, or Weave, no previous experience necessary! Choose from hundreds of sumptuous braided designs arranged by structure, from twisted and knotted pieces to more elaborate looped and woven examples, even those that incorporate beads. Each braid features a beautiful close-up photograph, materials list, step-by-step instructions and clear easy-to-follow color illustrations to guide the reader along.  Each technique used in the book is explored in-depth, followed by tips on starting and finishing braids, and advice for incorporating braids into other textile projects. Any thread or fiber can be worked into a braid or trim, and little or no equipment is required to create each braid. Assembly is a breeze! Experiment with texture and color to make gilded, beaded, glittery, or jeweled creations. Custom design your own braids and trimmings for that extra special touch—the range of possibilities is endless! Hardbound with concealed wire-o, 5¾ x 7¾, 256 pages; 443 photographs.

Color in Spinning, Deb Menz  

A paperbound edition of Deb Menz's classic guide to color for handspinners is finally here! Menz draws on 20 years of experience teaching and experimenting with color techniques to offer a technically savvy yet accessible tutorial on working with color and fiber. Written expressly for the handspinner seeking new adventures in color, this comprehensive manual presents in-depth discussions and step-by-step photographed demonstrations of immersion dyeing, painting rovings, blending colors and fibers, and spinning and plying multicolored preparations. And for those spinners who are color challenged, a useful chapter on understanding color principles will give you the skills needed to easily work with color. Whether you're a novice or an expert, no spinner's library is complete without this book.

Spinning Designer Yarns, Diane Varney   

The book you have been waiting for! Bring your spinning to the next level! Few things are as satisfying as creating the perfect yarn for a special project. This book, first printed by Interweave Press in 1987, leads the new or intermediate spinner gently into the world of super-soft luxury fibers, textured effects, and the dyepot’s miracles. Learn to apply dye to fibers in new and exciting ways, predict how novelty yarns will look in finished fabrics, blend fibers for color and texture effects, and spin singles and plied yarns in ways that will put more zip in your spinning—and your weaving, knitting, and crocheting. Corespun, bouclé, snarl, knotted, and tufted yarns will become part of your spinning repertoire, and you’ll rediscover the excitement of spinning all over again. You won't want to miss these spinning instructions. Diane Varney is an author and artist of many talents including spinning, painting, and jewelry- and pottery-making. Her current artistic focus is on making colorful dinnerware. She divides her time between homes in Baja California, Mexico, and the San Francisco area.  7 x 9 1/2, 96 pages, 16 color photographs and 28 illustrations

Spin It, Lee Raven

This little book will teach you all you want to know about handspindles and how to use them to make your very own yarn. Designed to appeal to the beginner spinner, tips and hints are provided that illustrate how easy, enjoyable, and relaxing spinning can be. Handspindles are the simple tools that help you to turn wool into yarn: from a potato on a stick, to beautiful handcrafted wood spindles and new-age titanium spindles with CD whorls. Included are complete instructions for five simple, appealing projects: a woven scarf, a knitted bunny bag, a spiral-knit baby hat, knitted fingerless mittens, and a crocheted felted brimmed hat. Once you begin spinning on a handspindle, you won’t want to stop—it’s soothing, portable, and mesmerizing. Lee Raven helped found the Bay Area Spinner’s Textile Study Group and organize the Northern California Spinner’s Gathering. She is also a former editor of Spin•Off magazine. Traci Bunkers has been editing crafts books and magazines and teaching knitting, crochet, spinning, and other fiber-related classes for several years. She is contributor to Spin•Off and owns and operates Bonkers Handmade Originals, where she sells her hand-dyed spinning fibers and yarns.Paperbound, 8 3/8 x 10 7/8, 32 pages, 20 color photographs, and 40 color illustrations

High Whorling, Prescilla A Gibson-Roberts

Subtitled A Spinner's Guide to an Old World Skill, this book will teach you to spin with a high whorl spindle.  So jump in and spin. Priscilla will guide you well.

  Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, Lynn Vogel

Learn how to use a drop spindle, how to dye unique colorways and how to create fun socks! Spin not just any old yarn or any old socks, but glorious, zany, wildly colorful yarn for perfect-fitting socks of character. Dip-dyeing, pour-dyeing, and hand-painting yarns or wool rovings is as easy as making homemade soup, whether you use commercial dyes or Kool-Aid®. If you like starting from scratch, spinning one-of-a-kind yarn is easier than you think. And the socks—a pair of well-crafted, perfectly fitting socks is one of life’s true luxuries. It’s all right here in this book. Paperbound, 8 ½ x 9, 96 pages, 101 color photographs, 35 line drawings, 6 charts

Socks,  Spin-Off Special Publication

Here it is-complete instructions for 20 different handspun, handknitted socks-including those wonderful entrelac ones that everyone had been asking for. You'll find notes on spinning, choosing equivalent commercial yarns, and managing all the tricky little techniques that make socks so much fun to knit.

Paperbound, 8 3/8 x 10 7/8, 56 pages, color photographs throughout

Spinners Companion, Bobbie Erwin

This is a quick reference guide that both beginning and experienced spinners will use to look up common spinning terms, find out how to maintain their wheels, and learn how to process fiber and spin yarn. The fourth book in the best selling Companion series (with over 100,000 copies in print), this handy spiral-bound offering is an authoritative tool that spinners will want to keep beside their wheel or with their hand spindle at all times. One of the newest spinning books on the market! Spiral bound, 112 pages, 5 x 7 

Check out also from this series: 

The Crocheters Companion, The Knitters Companion ,

The Weavers Companion and The Dyer's Companion

Hands on Spinning, Lee Raven
Want to teach yourself how to spin? Look no further, this book has all the spinning  instructions you need. Learn how to card, spin, ply and learn how to achieve a balanced yarn. Bonus: Section on fiber selection and preparation. Fun projects for handspun yarns included! One of the best spinning books for teaching yourself! 8 1/2 x 10 3/4, paperbound, 120 pages, color and b&w photos throughout.

The Ashford Book of Spinning, Revised Edition, Anne Field

Covers all aspects of spinning, including selection and preparation of wool, carding, using fibers, spinning techniques and all types of Ashford spinning wheels and accessories are included in this comprehensive book by Anne Field. Exciting projects for your handspun yarn are shown in full color. Also contains an introduction to dyeing and felting wool and an overview of Ashford products. 152 pages, 120 photographs. 

The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning, Alden Amos

This book is destined to be a classic! Great reference book for every spinner will leave no questions unanswered. Wheel designer and maintainer of textile traditions, Alden Amos – the recipient and evaluator of traditional wisdom – will guide you thru the many aspects of spinning, spinning wheels, fibers This is truly a BIG book offering decades of experience in making and handling yarn. He’ll change your spinning for the better. Spinning books come and go, this one is a keeper with it's in depth spinning instructions. 480 pages, hardcover

Handspindle Treasury

20 Years of Spinning Wisdom from Spin Off Magazine.
Spin Off has compiled 20 years of the best and most useful knowledge on hand spindles from the past issues. Everything you need to know on hand spindles use, techniques, and tricks. Detailed "how to" spinning instructions.
8 1/2 x 11, paperbound, 88 pages, color photos, and line drawings.

Learn To Spin Silk on a Top Whorl Spindle, Ruth MacGregor

Wow!! You will love this brand new little book with all that you need to learn to spin silk! Ruth MacGregor's  38 page book will teach you about  the different types of silk, how to spin it, ply and make a skein. Includes trouble shooting tips and instructions on how to spin alpaca and Tencel as well. Now you can teach yourself how to spin silk!!

Handspindles, Bette Hochberg

This classic gives a detailed overview of the different types of drop spindles, their origin and uses. Included chapters on the historic aspects of spindle spinning, Turkish spindles, Navajo spindles, supported spindles, as well as "how to" instructions for spinning on a drop spindle and on a supported spindle, the distaff and it's use.

Handspinners Handbook, Bette Hochberg

Another classic from Bette Hochberg. Learn how to adjust your spinning wheel, tie a drive band, draft your fiber, skein and ply it. Chapters on sheep breeds, selecting fleece, sorting and storing fleece, washing, carding as well as evaluating your spinning wheel.

Fibre Facts, Bette Hochberg

The third book from Bette Hochberg concentrates on various spinning fibers, their use and preparation. Chapters on the properties of fiber, wool, silk, cotton, linen and synthetic fibers are included as well as an analysis of yarn structure.

Spin, Span, Spun, Bette Hochberg

The fourth book of the Bette Hochberg series is packed with fact and folklore for spinners and weavers. Find out interesting tidbits about your favorite hobby.

Spinning Llama and Alpaca, Chris Switzer

Lean how to spin this lovely fiber. Instructions for cleaning, washing, preperation and blending of alpaca and llama. Learn how to dye and spin these fine fibers. Projects included.

Projects for Alpaca and Llama, Chris Switzer

The newest book from this popular author. Projects include crocheted, felted, knitted and woven items such as vests, hats, mittens, scarves, baby booties and socks. 

Spinning in the Old Way, Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts

Subtitles: How, and why to make your own yarn with a high whorl drop spindle, let drop spindle master Prescilla Gibson-Roberts teach you the in and outs of spindle spinning. Loose fibers become yarn because of a twist, which holds them together. Just by adding twist you can create yarn that is sturdy enough to be knitted or woven into fabric. All you need is a high-whorl spindle, unspun fiber, a few yards of leftover knitting yarn, and the guidance of a master spinner and knitter. 178 pages, softcover

At the Humming of the Wheel, Paula J Vester

A collection of textiley-correct fairy tales. This one is just for fun. Enjoy these retold age old fairy tales and pass them on to the next generation.

In Sheep's Clothing, Nola and Jane Fournier

Putting on the Dog, Carol Kroll

Dog and cat lovers, this one's for you! Once you have seen, and touched, the lovely samples inside the front cover spun from the hair of samoyed, chow, collie, and Newfoundland dogs, and a Persian cat, you will want to know how such nice yarn was made. The author explains it all. Instructions for making simple drop spindles and an improvised yarn winder are included.

This comprehensive guide to raising and maintaining sheep has been in print since 1983, and reprinted with revisions and additions in 2001. Whether you have one new lamb or a huge flock, this is the book for shepherds of any age. It is a great,  thorough yet undaunting reference. This is that book. Other books may be prettier to look at, but this is technical, practical, friendly and sometimes even humorous. An indispensable guide. 

Storey's Guide to Raising Llamas, Gale Birutta

Subtitled: Care, Showing, Breeding, Packing and Profiting, this book will show you how to care for these beautiful animals. Easy to raise , manageable and increasingly affordable, Llamas have become a popular backyard livestock. Learn how to: buy your first Llama, build a herd, breed, feed, can care for Llamas. 328 pages

Videos and DVDs are non returnable if shrink warp or seal is damaged or missing

Spinning Wool Basic and Beyond, Fiber Preparation and Spinning Techniques, Patzy Zawistoski

If you want to learn to spin or are a novice spinner and want to brush up on your technique, you will want this video. It is comprehensive and offers clear and precise instructions on how a spinning wheel works, the various types of wheels, wheel set-up, fiber preparation, pre-drafting, and how to spin various wool fibers. A written insert is included with the video that outlines all the materials you will need to get started. One thing that struck me is how much encouragement Ms. Zawistoski provides; you feel like she's actually in the room with you urging you on. 112 minutes.
 

Handspinning Wool, Advanced Techiques, Mabel Ross

Mabel says that when we first learn to spin, we take what we get, and try to do something with it. In this video or DVD, Mabel will change all that for you as she teaches you how to spin yarn to a predetermined size that will fit the needs of your current project. You will learn how to prepare and spin different lengths of fibers to make worsted and woolen yarns for weaving or knitting, using shortdraw and traditional longdraw techniques. You will learn how to make a plied yarn of any exact thickness with just the right amount of twist, for various purposes, & how to repeat it exactly, at any time. You will learn to spin yarns of average thickness, very thick yarn, soft knitting yarn, and extremely fine gossamer yarn for knitting lace. If you're just beginning to learn to spin, we recommend you start with "Spinning Wool-Basics & Beyond" 112 minutes

Spinning Cotton, Silk & Flax, Patzy Zawistoski

Finalist-Award for Excellence in Video Production Worldfest Houston - 1993. Each of these fibers has its own unique history, and each is available in its own unique form and each requires various modifications of spinning technique. You will learn all about this in this video. Plus you will learn about the various fiber preparations that can be purchased, plus appropriate drafting, plying and finishing techniques for each fiber. You will learn how the choice of original preparation affects the finished yarn. Each fiber will be addressed separately, allowing you to study one fiber at a time. It will be helpful if you are familiar with wool spinning, and comfortable with your spinning wheel. 111 minutes

Spinning Exotic Animal Fibers and Novelty Yarns, Judith Mac Kenzie

In this course you will learn how to spin many exotic fibers including Camel, Llama, Alpaca, Cashmere, Angora, dog rabbit and of course Quiviuet from our friend the Musk Ox. The video also includes live footage of many of these animals so that you can become better acquainted. You will also learn how to spin many types of novelty yarn using a combination of fibers and spinning techniques. Tips on buying these fibers and the best end use of the yarn is also included. 96 minutes

Spinning & Plying Textured Yarns, Patzy Zawistoski

The video and DVD spinners have been waiting for! Using seven spinning recipes, you will make cabled, knotted, soft twist singles, spirals from different singles, 3-pass boucles, core-spun boucles, and mixed twist "illegal" spirals.  With theses recipes, you will then make many varieties by using nine design factors to change the resulting yarn.  You will learn the importance of having a control yarn so you can continue creating the same yarn and how to make quick skeins and set the twist.  The section on twist analysis will help you determine how much plying each type of yarn. 117 minutes

Fiber Preperation and Multicolor Blending Techniques, Deb Menz

NEW! Spinning and Weaving the Ashford Way DVD

Learn more about the various Ashford products including spinning wheels and weaving looms. Learn how to assemble and Ashford Traditional spinning wheel, view spinning instructions, find out how to use spinning accessories, including how to card and dye fiber. Assembly instructions for several Ashford looms are shown as well as instructions for all looms. This DVD gives you a good overview of the various Ashford products. 67 minutes. Value Priced.

No Lathe Saxony Style Spinning Wheel Construction Manual

This is a modified, modernized version of the traditional Saxony spinning wheel. With clear, measured drawings, photographs, and step-by-step instructions, the authors take you through the entire construction process.

A Dyer's Garden, From Plant to pot: Growing Dyes for Natural Fibers, Rita Buchanan

The Age of Homespun, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

This is history. The story of daily life in colonial times in New England, of the creation of creature comforts, of domesticity, of the intricate changing interlacement of working men and women. This is not a "how-to" or a picture book. It is a storybook of the treasures that are ignored by the mass-produced culture that predominates today. Written by a Harvard history professor, it is not an academic tome, but more a collection of stories about different people, all in the grand context of the changes that were happening to every body at the dawn of the Industrial age. Read this boo

Knitting Books           Weaving Books