Yarnitecture A Knitter's Guide to Spinning: Building Exactly the Yarn You Want

Create your dream yarn! Discover the pleasures of designing and building custom-made yarn by spinning it yourself, choosing everything from color to feel and gauge. Jillian Moreno leads you through every step of yarn construction, with detailed instructions and step-by-step photos showing you how to select the fiber you want (wool, cotton, silk, synthetic), establish a foundation, and spin a beautiful yarn with the structure, texture, and color pattern that you want. In addition to teaching you the techniques you need for success, Moreno also offers 12 delicious original patterns from prominent designers, each one showcasing hand-spun yarns. 

Jillian Moreno has been involved in craft publishing for more than 20 years. She worked at Interweave Press and has co-authored two books, Big Girl Knits and More Big Girl Knits. For the past 11 years she has been at knitty.com, where she is the editor of Knittyspin, the advertising manager, and head of the KnittyBlog. She recently helped launch PLY magazine and sits on their editorial board.

Foreword by Clara Parkes
Foreword by Jacey Boggs
Introduction: Why This Book?
1  The Blueprint: Yarn Vision
  Why Am I Spinning?
  The Advantage of Keeping Track
  Getting Motivated to Spin with Intention
  Keeping Your Yarn Vision on Track
2  The Foundation: Sheep Breeds and Beyond
  Wool: The Backbone of Spinning
  Angora: A Class of Its Own
  Camelids: Warmer than Wool
  The Big Beasts: Yak, Bison, and Musk Ox
  Get My Goats
  Seductive Silk
  Other Natural Fibers
  Synthetic Fiber: Nylon Can Be a Spinner's Friend
3  The Frame: Fiber Preparations
  Woolen vs. Worsted Fiber Preparation
  Silk Preparations: Beyond Top and Roving
4  The Walls: Drafting
  A Few Words about Twist
  Drafting Triangle: The Sweet Spot in Drafting
  Drafting against Type: What Happens
  Drafting Fiber Blends: Dealing with Mismatched Staple Lengths
  Thick or Thin: Controlling Yarn Size while Drafting
  Don't Fight It! Your Wheel Is Your Friend: Work Together
  Predrafting
  Ratios and Whorls (Pulleys): The Basics
  Drive Systems: They Can Make Spinning Easier
  How to Draft Consistently
  Semi-Worsted and Semi-Woolen Throwdown! Or, a Plea for Sanity
5  The Roof: Plying
  What Is Ply and Why Do It?
  The Basics of Equipment and Setup
  How to Ply
  Resting and Rewinding Singles: Pros and Cons
  How Twist Affects Knitting
  How Ply Affects Knitting
  Plying Mistakes and What to Do
6  The Paint: Color
  How Dyers Dye
  What Affects Color on Fiber
  Digging into Your Stash
  The Secret to Plying to Match
  Mixing It Up within a Braid
  Combining Variegated Colors
  Working with Batts
7  The Front Door: Finishing
  Steaming
  Soaking
  Snapping
  Centripetal Force (Lasso)
  Whacking
  Fulling
  Menacing
8  The Landscaping: Knitting with Your Handspun
  A Word on Mill-Spun Yarns
  Measuring Handspun Yarn
  Sampling and Keeping Track
  Planning Knitting Projects
  Twist and Knitting Style
9  Housewarming: 12 Patterns Using Handspun Yarn
  Sweet Omega Mobius, Designed by Lynne Vogel
  Maya Cardigan, Designed by Kirsten Kapur
  Jillian Shawl, Designed by Rosemary (Romi) Hill
  Lina Toe-Up Socks, Designed by Kate Atherley
  Bump in the Night, Designed by Amy King
  Tetris Pullover, Designed by Julia Farwell-Clay
  Wenny Shawl, Designed by Amy King
  La Cuerda, Designed by Laura Nelkin
  Winter Library Shawl, Designed by Jillian Moreno
  Rigby Cardigan, Designed by Bristol Ivy
  Hive Mind, Designed by Adrian Bizilia
  Dye Goddess Pullover, Designed by Jillian Moreno
Appendixes
  Suggested Reading
  Glossary of Techniques
  Abbreviations
  Resources
  Acknowledgments
  Index