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@inherentlee@hachyderm.ioAny spinners have recommendations for which types of plant fibers are best for beginners? I just got a sample pack and will be trying them out myself as well, but I'd love input. I'll be doing a skill share for #spinning soon and want to give attendees who want wool alternatives an easy fiber to work with!
@inherentlee I like spinning cotton a lot. I use a support spindle for cotton (a skinny knitting needle jammed into a bead works just fine). It likes being spun thin, though.
If you can get it still on the seed, it’s fun to spin from the seed, but otherwise, punis are great.
I haven’t tried other plant fibers yet, so I can’t compare.
@gannet oh, I could look into punis, that would be pretty beginner friendly. If cotton likes to spin thin it may not be as beginner friendly though. I've heard cotton also wants fairly high twist, is that the case in your experience?
@inherentlee @gannet ime yes, cotton needs a lot of twist. Sometimes it is frustrating because the fibers are generally short and they don't have the grippy scales like wool does. Flax otoh has a very long fiber length, which is frustrating for different reasons!
@CarrieB @inherentlee reeeeeally long.
@CarrieB @inherentlee nonetheless, all of these are basic fibers whose spinning is taught to children in multiple cultures, so I think it’s probably a matter of picking something you’re comfortable with.
Pima cotton is somewhat longer staple, IIRC.
@inherentlee @CarrieB yes, lots of twist because it likes to to be thin. I’ve always found flax intimidating because of the staple length!
Let’s see what else is there: nettle fiber, which I think must have a long staple because of being another bast fiber? I think I’ve read that it’s like finer linen.
Hemp, banana fiber, I don’t know what else.
@CarrieB @inherentlee ooh fun. Mostly. I’ve heard bad things about ingeo, but maybe you’ll like it!
@inherentlee @CarrieB there are lots and lots of traditionally used fibers!
I’ve read that milkweed plant bast fiber was spun in the americas (not the fluff).
And there’s many trees that have bast fiber between the wood and the outer bark. There’s some spun string from tree bark that Neanderthals spun!
@inherentlee @gannet oooh great you have lots of good ones! Iiwm, I would check the prep on stuff like the ramie, hemp, ingeo, bamboo. Sometimes those are put up for handspinners in preps that are (imho) relatively easy to spin. So much is personal! There are flax preps where the fiber is chopped into shorter lengths, sometimes easier for beginners than the 2-ft long fibers
@CarrieB @inherentlee @gannet Ramie & bamboo can be slippery depending on the prep. Just something to be aware of.
Not plant fiber, but silk is a nice wool alternative
@inherentlee @gannet overall imho for beginners it's important to help them recognize that most people's first yarns don't look smooth and perfect. Process over product, initially.
@CarrieB @inherentlee @gannet Couldn't agree more! It took me... a while. before I was spinning yarn I considered "nice."
@CarrieB @inherentlee yes - thinking about making a spinner rather than making yarn is the way I personally learned best.
@gannet @inherentlee @CarrieB Tow flax is the shorter bits combed out when flax sticks are made. I used to get it in a sort of roving form. For beginners it would prob make a rough yarn, but no need for distaves or the like.
Agree that cotton punis are probably the easiest cotton to spin. You can also get cotton roving that’s not too slick, but it has its own challenges.
Reminder that cotton punis/roving are pretty directional: if they don’t spin well from 1side, flip it arnd & try the other
@inherentlee I'd go for something a bit more textured and grippier rather than something super slippery and smooth (many extruded fibres) - your yarn will be more uneven, but you'll have a lot less trouble with breakages and slipping. If your yarn keeps breaking when you spin it you'll get frustrated and have trouble getting enough continuous practice in to get the feel of it and later be able to spin the slippy fibres!