The 3rd Sunday Spin-in is in just a few days! I'm sending out links and reminders in the morning and I hope we'll see you there!

Since we're deep in the drafting episode now, I'd like to know what draft is your go-to, which was easiest for you to learn (whenever you learned it), and which was hardest (or still eludes you). I can't wait to hear your answers and if you have any questions, feel free to post them here and we'll talk about them during the spin-in (or you can always just ask during the spin-in).

Laura and I will see you then!
jacey

In answer to the questions on drafts - the easiest for me to learn was short forward drafting and pinching with the same hand. However, after a couple of workshops with Alanna Wilcox I converted to drafting back with left hand and pinching with right hand. She argued that you can be more consistent if you do not try to “pull” and pinch with the same hand and after a bit of practice I am more comfortable and more consistent doing it that way.

I have forced myself to do several projects using supported long-draw and one where I did short backward letting twist into the drafting area and have gotten more comfortable with woolen spinning but it has taken some time and I am still not nearly as consistent as with worsted spinning. I have not ever been able to do long-draw unsupported. Would love to conquer that one.

I learned short forward draw first so that is the one I a was most comfortable with up until now. I have since switch to short backward draw because it allows me to spin quicker. Long draw is a still a challenge but as I spinning more backward draw, I am starting to feel more comfortable.

When I first started spinning it was pull some fluff out of the big bunch of fiber, treadle and twist goes into the fiber. It was hard to control the twist and soon all the fluff in my hands was twisted! Stop, allow the fluff to unwind and start again.it was a lot of stop and go ( we won't talk about all the over twisted pigtails that would somehow appear!).
Then I signed up for level 1 master spinner in Olds. My instructor was Michelle Boyd who taught us to put 2 strips of masking tape on our leg, one inch apart. That was the guide for drafting 1 inch forward draw. Took some practice to concentrate on maintaining an even rhythm of treadling, draft the1 inch and moving only between the tape markers, remembering to relax …and not have a death grip on the fiber… oh yes, and still breath! I still use a similar method if I am doing specificTPI spinning.
I still find the unsupported long draw a bit of a challenge but have learned when hand carding, not to roll the rolag too tight.

I took a class with Norman Kennedy when I was a new spinner. (Didn't realize how lucky I was. Local fiber arts alliance invited him.) He taught me to spin weird in a good way. I draft sideways across my lap. The yarn comes out from the bobbin, turns 90° at my left pinkie, the not-yet-yarn travels to my right hand, and the fiber supply is behind my right hand. I'm not even sure what kind of draft this is? I think it is woolen? There's twist between my hands. I let more or less twist run up by twiddling my left pinkie. Can I spin both woolen and worsted with this atypical arrangement? Does this even have a name?

Jolie, I would love to see you spinning sometime. This sounds so cool!

My first plyguild-spin-in today!
The hardest was to learn spinning (worsted) at all. It was just my 80€-ebay-louetkind-wheel, cheap "Eiderwolle" and me. No teacher, no book, no plan, youtube nor online classes.
Now, 13 years later, my most used drafts are continous short backward and english longdraw. It's fascinating every time those bumps just dissappeare.

I have a question about spinning from the fold. I often use this draft if I am processing a fleece and have locks I don't want to card together. The section of yarn made from majority of the lock looks great, until I get to the end of the fiber. that last bit of tip and cut end often looks messy. How/when should I start the next lock of fiber so that there is a smooth transition?

When I first started spinning, with no real instruction, I naturally developed a mix of short backward draw and supported longdraw. I appreciate learning what each draft is actually called so when I read about them in PLY I know just what the author is talking about!

My go-to draft (also the first and easiest I've learned) is the short forward draft, because it's familiar and feels like it gives me the most control over my fiber, although it's certainly not ideal for all fibers. And when I began supported spinning, I began to learn supported long-draw which I can do decently, although it is slow going (usually it's me and not the spindle).

Then, when I began investing in antique spinning wheels (most often used for spinning flax and/or laceweight singles for weaving by those who needed lots of yarn made quickly for warmth and/or industry), I learned that short forward draw isn't ideal for all wheels, either, or at least it's not their specialty. I made some "chain-mail" (way overspun) yarn on my Quebec wheel, for instance, before succumbing to the realization that I needed to learn long-draw. I've practiced and improved at it, although I still feel more of a novice with it and I struggle a bit with knowing how much twist needs to be in the woolen-spun yarn so it doesn't drift apart in re-winding, plying, etc. I also don't know if there are different types of long-draw.

Honestly, the drafting method that I find most elusive is spinning from the fold. I know, I know...it's not hard. I just haven't been able to get it past my head and into my heart (move beyond learning to enjoying it) - I think it's either the fiber amount (too much of a staple and it gets clumpy and too little means constant starting over which doesn't "flow") or if my hands sweat, I end up with a sad little wad of fiber at the end. But I want to improve as I know it preserves color in spinning and is a great technique.

Looking forward to joining the spin-in today!

My go-to draft is a short forward draw with twist entering the drafting area. It's slightly less dense than a true worsted draft, and has always been easily consistent for me.

I want to improve my supported long draw - I have major issues with consistency. It's frustrating because I enjoy the loft in the fiber, but would like my yarn to look nice and smooth instead of lumpy and bumpy!

Amanda Köhler Eisenmann Yay for your first zoom with us! I agree, watching those bumps disappear is magic!

I've missed the spin-ins. I'm on the east coast so that I need to be able to join for one of the morning spin-ins and, one day I will. In the meantime, I am very much enjoying watching the recordings. In this one, January 21, at about time marker 53 when I am watching, Jacey makes a comment about the locks and how Joanna's Woolies has about 12 colors and they aren't available many places. I've looked at the transcript, but, in the transcript, at 53 they are discussing something else and I've searched for Joanna and woolies without success. It sounded as if Jacey was saying "bond" but that doesn't make sense to me.

The other question I have was about Judith--again, searching "judith" didn't bring up anything but I am sure Jacey asked if anyone knew anything about how she is after having contracted COVID just before last year's PLY Away. I didn't go back to search the recording because I assumed it would be in the transcript--any reason why it isn't?