Transcript for

Episode 82: 

Five Great Resources for Spinning Art Yarns

Hello there, my darling Sheepspotters! Welcome to episode 82 of The Sheepspot Podcast. 

In today’s episode I’m going to share my favorite resources on spinning textured or “art” yarns. 

First, what’s art yarn? It’s yarn that may break the rules of traditional spinning, in the techniques employed, the materials used, or both. It might explore color or texture in new ways, or it might embody an idea, evoke a landscape, or memorialize a person. It may or may not be “functional”; it might be made into fabric, or it might spend its life in a bowl or hanging on a hook. On one hand, Lexi Boeger says in Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns, and Creative Spinning, that art yarn can be “seen as a complete entity that needs nothing more, and does not want to be transformed beyond itself.” On the other hand, Jacey Boggs Faulkner, in Spin Art: Mastering the Craft of Spinning Textured Yarn writes that she wants her yarns to be “exact, neat, and durable.”

Today I’ll be sharing five resources from four spinners that all talk about how to create art yarns, but that approach the topic in very different ways. But first, a little story.

I took an in-person class with Jacey Boggs Faulkner (then just Jacey Boggs) about ten years ago. I had no real experience with textured techniques at the time, and didn’t really know what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect to encounter Jacey’s detail-oriented, highly controlled, and highly technical approach to these yarns. I was surprised, in other words, that these wild-looking yarns were the products of the brains and hands such a methodical spinner. But what really surprised me was the impact that Jacey’s class had on my “regular” spinning. I was a fairly new spinner at the time and the change was pretty noticeable. I suddenly had a lot more control and could make more varied yarns. 

I tell this story to emphasize that there are enormous benefits to learning some textured techniques, even if you aren’t particularly a fan of art yarns. These yarns will stretch you as a spinner, and you will see the difference in all your yarns. 

So let’s talk about these resources.

First, Jacey’s Craftsy class, called “Spinning Art Yarns,” and her book Spin Art. I think it’s worth having both the video and the book. Jacey is a truly gifted teacher, she’s taught these techniques a lot, and she knows where spinners new to them are likely to trip up. The book is great for its lusciously inspiring photography, the detailed technical info on supplies and equipment, and the step-by-step instructions for about 30 different yarns. The Craftsy class is great because you can see her hands as she talks through the techniques. If you’re less interested in the “art” part and more in the “yarn” part of “art yarn,” these are great how-to resources that will help you get started with textured-yarn techniques. In the process, they’ll likely improve your traditional spinning as well. 

Another wonderful video class that will help you get started with art yarns or help you solidify your skills is Esther Rodgers’ “How to Spin Art Yarns.” It focuses on “coils, cores, and curls,” so she often demos multiple ways to approach a particular material or style of yarn, which can be really useful. I watched it for the first time in putting together this podcast and I learned a ton--as I always do from Esther’s classes. 

Next up is Lexi Boeger’s Intertwined. If you’re interested in exploring just how far a yarn can go in expressing an idea or embodying a concept, or if you just want some inspiration, this is the book for you. Boeger’s aesthetic and priorities are very different from Jacey’s--her yarns are not so “exact, neat, and durable”--but her work pushes the limits of what yarn can be, and I’m so glad that Boeger and Intertwined are part of the conversation. 

Sarah Anderson’s book, The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs, also explores the limits of what yarn can be, but in a very different way from Intertwined. Sarah is more on the “exact, neat, and durable” end of the art yarn spectrum, and her aesthetic is much quieter than Boeger’s (most of the yarns in the book are white). But this book will help you explore all kinds of yarn construction, including many art yarn techniques, and explains step by step how complex yarn structures can be achieved. I consider The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs an essential reference for pretty much any serious spinner.

So, to sum up, we’ve talked about how art yarns break the rules of traditional spinning, incorporate unusual materials (my favorite yarns in Intertwined are the one made from old cassette tapes), and require us to add to our new toolkit of techniques. And we’ve talked about five different resources that will either help you explore textured yarns for the first time, or give you lots of ideas of new experiments to try if you’re an old hand at this. 

In the next episode, I’m going to talk about a beginner-friendly textured technique for you to try on your own. And, as a bonus, there will be a short video demo of the technique available in The Flock which you won’t want to miss. If you haven’t joined us in The Flock yet, why not? Its a delightful group of spinners sharing ideas and it’s absolutely free. Just head over to theflock.sheepspot.com to become a member and get access to all of the podcast bonuses easy peasy!

Darling, that’s it for me this week. I hope that this episode has encouraged you to spread your spinning wings a bit. As always, thank you so much for listening. I’ll see you next time!