Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning

by Judith MacKenzie McCuin

With its soothing, meditative effect, handspinning is a relaxing hobby, and the beautiful yarns you create are an even better reward. This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you'll learn how to create fun, original, one-of-a-kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all-natural creations.

Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review

The skill demonstrated is defined and described

Detailed color photos demonstrate each step

Step-by-step instructions accompany each photo

Helpful tips provide additional guidance

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Knitting, Reference, How To

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've finished reading this book, but since my spindle is still in the mail I can't really say how well it teaches spinning, yet. I'll edit the review when that happens. What I can say is that it suffers from not having enough depth.

I've been knitting for eight years and went through a dyeing phase three years ago. I bring this up because this book crosses over into how to knit or weave with handspun and how to dye. These things I know, and if I didn't know them, there are whole books that cover these subjects with much more intensity and depth (knitting in various wools: The Knitter's Book of Wool and dyeing: Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece Dip-Dyeing Hand-Painting Tie-Dyeing and Other Creative Techniques, which come to think of, it I liked that a lot better than Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing), and my point is that I'd rather have those pages devoted to, I don't know, teaching me how to spin?

I think it also suffers a bit from the format (or maybe just the explanation). After I finished the bit on the parts of a wheel, different drives, etc., I was very much, "A what, what?" It didn't stick at all, and I felt very dense. A friend referred me to The Woolery, where they have a lovely page on how to pick a wheel. Aha! With the descriptions and videos, I was able to figure out drive and ratios and narrow down what kind of wheel I was looking for. I just took another look at the diagram of wheel parts, and I think it suffers from being at a poor angle to see everything clearly.

I appreciated the part on how to spin different fibers, and I'm looking forward to trying out the advice there, especially cotton. That said, this book makes me grateful that I have additional books on order since it really didn't cover everything I need to know. Compare it to The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs Techniques for Creating 80 Yarns, which has much stronger photography and covers S vs. Z twist in a perfectly concise way by page 16. This is, again, something I already know from knitting, but something that can be hard to grasp as a beginner. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that you're only getting one book on spinning, this shouldn't be it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I DO NOT want a spinning wheel.

See i figured, I would learn about spinning wheels, then I would not want one. Kinda like when I learned all about genetics in 12th grade so that I wouldn't want to become a geneticist (it really did work).

This does not seem to having the same effect.

I seem to want a spinning wheel even more.

Does anyone have about $700 I can have (I would say borrow, but really, do you think you're getting any of it back)?

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A colorful start

This book has been touted as a good hit-the-deck running book for spinners and potential spinners. That is true; however, it is also very useful for people that have quite a bit of spinning under their belt.

It is the visual that makes a difference. The only thing better is the now available DVDs. The descriptions at first may seem a little superficial or curt. However, you cannot explain what it takes to a book's worth of knowledge in one paragraph.

One may look at page 15 and wonder want a bobbin-driven wheel is but this is not a place to go into detail; it is just a preview of what will be explained later in the book.

I can see where it would be easy to learn to spin one way and become an expert, yet still, miss some of the finer points and even useful equipment. This is why you may want to read the book from cover to cover before investing time and money. I was glad to see that most of the pictures were of Ashford equipment as that is what I am most used to using.

This is a must for your library. Also, even when you know something is nice to have a different view on the subject. Be sure to supplement this book with articles from the author in "Spinoff" magazine.

[James Tomasino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic help in my spinning. I've learned so much from watching Youtube videos, but I kept running into trouble in different places. What can I say, youtubers aren't always great teachers. This book covers WHY you might spin using different draw techniques for different materials. It has troubleshooting guides, and lots of guidance on overspinning and underspinning. It covers a variety of ways to do each step, comparing spindle & wheel techniques. It is a very good book.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty helpful for beginners. It was a little light on actual drop spindle spinning instructions; some people (myself included) need a bit more in-depth explanations than what are given. It is useful, however, as an introduction to the concept and a guide to tools you'll need, as well as the various differences between fibers and yarns. Good for those stupid questions you don't want to admit to having.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

She covers a lot of material and I found it very helpful.

[Ms_prue · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent balance of comprehensive detail without being overwhelming. I skipped the wheel parts though and just read the drop spindle sections.

[Linn Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book successfully taught me to use my drop spindle. I'd been fighting with it for several weeks and had been shown how to do it in person by a friend, but I just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. Between this book and one other, Spindle Spinning: From Novice To Expert, I can now produce chunky-weight yarn. I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to progress to lighter-weight yarn eventually, but it doesn't fall apart and that was my basic goal.

[Huan-hua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice. I kind of wish I'd bought this instead of Maggie Casey's _Start Spinning_; what I liked best about it is that it talks about appropriate ways to spin different types of fibers, including angora, cotton, and qiviut, and discusses how to spin a few different types of novelty yarn, in addition to the absolute basics of using your spindle or spinning wheel and drafting fiber for the first time.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned lots about the parts of my wheel, the difference between roving and top and lots of other topics that aren't covered well in the other spinning books I've read. I wouldn't read this one first -- try it after you've been spinning for a while to pick up details and pointers.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by my spinning instructor. It's an excellent reference text although I'm not sure if it is actually the best on the market or just the best one that she had in the store at the moment. :)

[Sarah Kingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn to spin yarn, this is the book for you. It has millions of photos, great descriptions, and is very well organized.

[bluetyson]

Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning (Teach Yourself Visually Consumer) by Judith MacKenzie McCuin (2007)

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this book because it's so, so clear. I only wish it had focussed more on spindles.

[Kirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic primer for beginning spinners, I recommend it to all those who look into getting into the hobby.