Create Any Yarn You Can Imagine

Go from feeling stuck, uninspired, and uncertain in your spinning practice to feeling creative, excited, and confident every time you sit down at your wheel.

As a seasoned spinner, you should be creating yarns you adore and using them to make cloth you cherish. But if you’re like most intermediate and advanced spinners we know, you’re spinning routine may have become stale, repetitive, or boring. Or worse, you may have stopped spinning altogether.

Losing your spinning mojo can take a lot of different forms. Do any of these sound familiar? 

Instead of spending your time making beautiful yarn, you may be feeling:

  • Bored because you’re spinning essentially the same yarn over and over again. You want to be a versatile spinner, but you don’t have the bandwidth or can’t muster the energy right now to try something different.

  • Discouraged because there’s a particular yarn you want to spin, but you just can’t seem to nail it no matter how many times you try, and you can’t figure out what’s going wrong.

  • Overwhelmed by decision fatigue, because there are so many possible techniques you might try and fibers you might spin, and you can’t seem to settle on one thing to try next.

  • Frustrated, because you want to keep learning and growing as a spinner but you don’t know how. There are lots of options for newer spinners, but you’re having trouble finding instruction that can meet you where you are and help you keep getting better.

I know exactly how this feels, because I’ve been there too. In the fifteen years since I learned to spin, there have been times when I’ve felt bored to tears by spinning skein after skein of my default yarn, frustrated by my inability to spin a specific  yarn, or utterly immobilized by all the possibilities sitting unspun in my stash. 

As a spinning teacher, I’ve also watched my students struggle with the same challenges on their way to fulfilling their potential as yarn-makers. It was seeing these talented, ambitious spinners flounder in the later stages of their spinning journeys that forced me to think long and hard about what my students need to move purposefully toward becoming versatile, confident, and truly masterful spinners. 

After reflecting on my own experiences and learning about the obstacles my students’ were encountering, I came to understand why seasoned spinners stall, and what they need to get moving again. I finally had clarity. As a result, my spinning practice deepened and became more durable and satisfying; those of my students did as well.

Here’s what I discovered. 

Moving from good spinning to great spinning boils down to what I call the “Three C’s of Superlative Spinning”: challenge, consistency, and community. 

The Three C’s of Superlative Spinning describe exactly what experienced spinners need to navigate the later stages of The Spinner's Journey™ successfully. Let’s take them one by one. 

  • Challenge: to grow as spinners, we need to challenge ourselves regularly to experiment with new tools and techniques. These challenges should be gentle and fun, they should encourage you to build skills in the pillars you haven’t yet spent much time in, and they should encourage to you to think about spinning problems in new ways. When approached with the right mindset, such challenges can help us build new skills, acquire new knowledge, and learn to see “failures” as opportunity for growth. 

  • Consistency: to grow as spinners, we need to actually spin. Regularly. In order to do this, we need to build durable habits, ensure that we have a never-ending supply of inspiration that will bring us back to our wheels again and again, and see to it that we’re reminded regularly to re-engage with our practice. 

  • Community: finally, to grow as spinners we need other spinners. We need to celebrate–and sometimes to commiserate–with others who get it. We need people to help us get unstuck when something goes wrong. We need access to different ways of approaching spinning problems. And, yes, we sometimes need enablers!

Having these three components—challenge, consistency, and community—in place will transform your spinning life. They’ll help you feel: 

  • Excited, because you’ve said “Good-Bye” to spinning ruts and “Hello” to becoming the versatile spinner you know you can be

  • Secure, because you know that you’re making steady progress and growing as a spinner

  • Confident, because you know that no yarn is out of your reach if you keep moving forward

  • At peace with your spinning choices, because you’re clear on your yarn-making priorities

You don’t have to take my word for it.

Here’s what members say.

  • Keeping me in experimental mode has broadened my exposure to spinning practices. Finding patterns and ideas for using handspun has enlarged my own repertoire of creativity. And, generosity of support for me and for one another seems to be a hallmark of every interaction.

    Marcy G.

  • I am loving the growth in my spinning world: my developing proficiency, my confidence, and the people.

    Steph G.

  • There is no pressure. Everything is at your own pace. The lessons are recorded if you can’t make it to the live event and you’re not required to participate in the challenges. Although it’s fun doing them together.

    Elisabeth S

  • It’s good for my mental health to spin. And I tend to stay home a lot more since the pandemic. The Guild helps me to stay socially active as well as enticing me to spin every day.

    Nancy R.

  • I love the camaraderie of the guild. Everyone is willing to make helpful suggestions and offer praise and encouragement. It has boosted my confidence in my spinning immensely.

    Mary Jill F.

  • It makes a huge difference to have someone to ask when you get stuck, and the ability to learn from Sasha and the experience of other guild members is priceless!

    Donna J.

  • If you are looking for connection, fun, and being really happy about the yarns that you spin, become a member of the Guild.

    Manuela G.

  • I like that I can check in when time allows, and that I can participate on my own schedule. I still work full time and can’t participate in all the activities, but when I’ve been gone for a while and come back it’s as though I never left. Everyone accepts you where you are at and what you can give.

    Sherri Z.

  • It is the most vibrant, caring community I have experienced. It is a major part of my life, and I love being a part of it!

    Suzanne R.

  • Seriously, I learned more in six months than I had learned in twenty years of self directed spinning. I won’t say self taught because I wasn’t really learning before. Other benefits: my spinning has improved a lot and I understand what I am doing now so I can make better choices. I’m aware of a lot more options than I knew about. I’m enjoying my spinning a lot more and spin almost daily. And I feel a lot more confident when asked to teach others.

    Simone H.

  • The Guild is a place where you can expand your knowledge of spinning in a way that suits you, and where you can meet amazing people who are as passionate about spinning as you are.

    Bärbl B.

  • You will have fun, try new things, and be inspired to be a better spinner - all with the support of a wide network of friends and teachers who care about you, and are interested in your spinning journey.

    Susan Z.

The Guild by Sheepspot is a membership community that offers challenge, consistency, and community for inquisitive intermediate and advanced yarn-makers.

  • Challenge

    Monthly challenges that will help you build your skills in each of the pillars ($240 USD value)

    Advice on how to tailor each challenge to your interests and stage in The Spinner's Journey™ and instruction and support to help you complete each challenge ($120 value)

  • Consistency

    Annual “Make Spinning a Habit” challenge, complete with daily check-ins and science-backed advice about building durable habits ($60 value)

    Endless inspiration from your fellow guild members that will ensure that you keep spinning ($240 value) 

    Weekly prompts to reflect on your spinning practice ($120 value)

  • Community

    A private, moderated community, where we celebrate your yarn-making wins and provide spinning help when you need it, all without data-mining, ads, or trolls ($240 value)

    A “community of inquiry” that’s grounded in an evidence-based educational framework that supports deep, collaborative learning ($240 value)

    30+ virtual gatherings each month ($240 value)

    Member-led interest groups in breed study, natural dyeing, and spindle spinning ($120 value)

Bonuses

In addition, every member of The Guild automatically gets the following bonuses: 

  • first dibs on limited-edition fibers and live events from Sheepspot

  • opportunities to mentor new spinners ($100 value)

  • three exclusive classes with guest teachers every year ($375 value)

The Guild by Sheepspot is the only spinning community that’s built just for intermediate and advanced spinners and led by someone with four decades’ worth of experience teaching adult learners. 

It will transform your spinning.

The total value of a year in The Guild by Sheepspot is $2095 USD.

But you can join The Guild for a year for just $450.

With a lot of time, money, and energy, you could probably DIY some of what’s included with The Guild.

You could: 

  • muster the bandwidth to create a series of spinning challenges for yourself, find the time and motivation to undertake them on a regular basis, and have the discipline to find your own answers when you get stuck

  • research the behavioral science of habit formation and use what you learn to create a habit of spinning daily

  • trawl social media and Pinterest to find the inspiration you need to keep spinning

  • create a series of journal prompts to reflect on your spinning, and write about them weekly

  • read up on the theory of communities of inquiry only to discover that the whole point of the theory is that people learn best in community

  • gather together a group of spinning friends who are somehow, magically, available to meet with you multiple times a week

  • find a new spinning class to take every quarter

You might save some money, but you’d have to invest a massive amount of time—time you could spend actually spinning!

Wouldn’t it be easier and way more fun to spend the $1.23 a day, join us in The Guild, and leave the planning, research, convening, and curating to us? 

The Guild by Sheepspot opens just twice a year, in January and June.

It’s time to make a decision.

Will you take the crucial step of ensuring that you have the challenge, consistency, and community you need to become the best spinner you can be? Or will you put your dream of being able to spin any yarn you can imagine on the back burner?

Membership in The Guild includes:

  • Monthly challenges that will help you build your skills in each of the pillars and meta-pillars ($240 USD)

  • Advice on how to tailor each challenge to your interests and stage in The Spinner's Journey™ and instruction and support to help you complete each challenge ($120 USD value)

  • Annual “Make Spinning a Habit” challenge, complete with daily check-ins and science-backed advice about building durable habits ($60 USD value)

  • Endless inspiration from your fellow guild members that will ensure that you keep spinning ($240 USD value) 

  • Weekly prompts to reflect on your spinning practice, and our #spinoftheweek contest ($120 USD value)

  • a private, moderated community, where we celebrate your yarn-making wins and provide spinning help when you need it, all without shady data-mining, distracting ads, or annoying trolls ($240 USD value)

  • a “community of inquiry” that’s grounded in an evidence-based educational framework that supports deep, collaborative learning ($240 USD value)

  • 30+ virtual gatherings each month ($240 USD value)

  • member-led interest groups in breed study, natural dyeing, and spindle spinning ($240 USD value)

  • first dibs on limited-edition fibers and live events from Sheepspot

  • opportunities to mentor new spinners ($100 USD value)

  • three exclusive classes with guest teachers every year ($375 USD value)

That’s a total value of $2095 USD, but there’s another bonus I haven’t told you about yet.

As a Guild member, you’ll also get access to a keyword-searchable video database of all the instructional videos I’ve created for my courses and challenges.

Imagine being able to find a demonstration of any spinning technique I’ve ever taught at the click of a mouse ($200 USD value)!

That brings the total value of The Guild to $2295.

Pay annually and save 20% 

$450 USD

Pay monthly

$45 USD

Try The Guild Risk-Free

The Guild comes with a risk-free 14-day guarantee.

If you become a member, put in a good-faith effort to explore the group and participate in what The Guild has to offer, and decide the membership isn’t for you, we’ll refund your membership fee. Just contact us before your 14th day of membership, show us you’ve participated in the community, and we’ll refund your membership price.

You can find full details of the refund policy here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Great question. If you’ve had some spinning instruction (online or in person), you feel comfortable with drafting and plying, and you’re generally happy with the yarn you’re making but want to keep getting better, The Guild is likely perfect for you.

    If, on the other hand, you are a newer spinner who still struggles a bit with drafting and plying, if you’re not consistently making yarn you like, or if you’re entirely self-taught, I recommend that you take my Spin School course for beginning and self-taught spinners the next time it opens.

  • There’s no wrong way to be in The Guild. You decide how often to go to virtual spinning events, how much time you spend in the discussion area, and even which monthly challenges you take on. And if you are currently spending any time at all spinning, The Guild will help you make better use of that time to meet your spinning goals, whatever they may be.

  • Everything’s optional in The Guild. Some of our members come to multiple virtual spinning circles ever week, and some have never been to any of them. I want you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.

  • I get it. That’s why we have equity pricing in place. If you’re a member of a marginalized group or if you’re struggling financially right now, please get in touch to learn more. It’s entirely up to you whether this price is best aligned with your circumstances. Sheepspot will provide the same experience and level of service to everyone. Contact Aqleema at support@sheepspot.com and ask for the equity pricing link. No judgment. No questions asked.

Spinning isn’t magic . . .

But it is a kind of superpower. 

Let me let you in on a secret. I don’t teach spinning because I’m passionate about twist angle, achieving the perfect grist, or the wonders of wool (though I am). 

I teach spinning because I want to share what I get from spinning: a foolproof way to quiet my sometimes-overactive brain, endless occasions to practice self-compassion, and regular opportunities to do battle with the perfectionism that drives me to work way too much.

I teach spinning because I deeply believe that spinning makes us better. Spinning invites us not just to do but also to be: to be creative, to be in the present, to be connected to the generations and generations of spinners that came before us. To hear ourselves think in this noisy world. To rest. To refill our cups so we can serve others from the saucer. To fail sometimes and to keep going.

I want you to tap into all that spinning has to offer. Because we both know it’s not just about the yarn. It’s about you becoming your best self.

audiences through her writings in Ply Magazine and features in Spin Off. Additionally, she has created and hosted two spinning podcasts, The SpinDoctor Podcast and The Sheepspot Podcast, which together have amassed over 200,000 downloads. Sasha's innovative approach to spinning education is encapsulated in The Spinner's Journey™ and Pillars of Skillful Spinning™ frameworks, a comprehensive curriculum guiding students from confusion and frustration to the joy of consistently creating yarns they love. Her branded methodology ensures spinners of all levels find satisfaction in crafting yarn they genuinely adore.

Sasha Torres, a recognized expert in hand spinning, boasts a PhD from Cornell University and almost four decades of teaching adult learners as a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario and as a former faculty member at esteemed institutions such as Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, and Johns Hopkins. Founder of Sheepspot, she has spent over a decade in the fiber arts business, excelling as both a spinning teacher and fiber dyer. In addition to her scholarly contributions, which include a book, an anthology of scholarly articles, and numerous articles in academic journals, Sasha's impact extends to broader