New Handspinning Technique

Detail of corespun yarn, originally uploaded by confections.

The Spring 2008 Spin-Off magazine came the other day, and I have been inspired to make the novelty yarn featured on the cover, a soft coil-style yarn spun with a new technique developed by Sarah Anderson called "wrap-and-roll".

To make the yarn, first spin a soft slightly thick-and-thin singles yarn, load some crochet cotton onto a drop spindle, put the soft singles onto a tensioned lazy Kate; then sit down at your spinning wheel and do magic!

Holding the crochet cotton taut in your non-dominant hand, spin the drop spindle clockwise and simultaneously wrap the soft singles around the cotton core thread on the counterclockwise-turning spinning wheel for a length of about twelve inches.

Next, slide the singles wraps up along the crochet thread toward the orifice of the wheel until they gently touch, then wind on and begin again. It's very addictive and satisfying and labor intensive. Like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time.

Has anyone else given it a try?

Here is the Spin-Off magazine cover and two short videos on YouTube.