Gina Rockenwagner

Posted on: Dyeing yarnDecember 8, 2020

How Bare Yarn is Made: Spinning

Spinning is probably the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of making yarn. In fact, the first examples of thread or yarn look quite similar to any of the yarns you might see today. These yarns were made using simple hand-powered spindles. As you can see from our video series, making yarn is a much more sophisticated process today, but the fundamentals of making yarn remain the same. Spinning is the most integral part of this process.  In the spinning process, the yarn passes through repeated rounds of drafting until the yarn is the desired thickness. Then the yarn is twisted carefully and precisely by state of the art machines. The amount of twist and the thickness of the yarn determines the identity of the yarn, as this is the step in the process that defines the core qualities of the yarn. Yarn can be made from a single ply or multiples plies. If the yarn has multiple plies, it will be twisted twice. Once the yarn has passed through the spinning process, it moves on to the finishing process. We hope you enjoy getting a first hand look into the state of the art mill we work with to make Knomad yarns. Every yarn is crafted with you, the dyer, in mind! Make sure to share what you make with #knomadyarn. We love to see what you make!

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