Articles
Wool Properties
This PDF has a brief history of wool in Australia, plus many interesting facts. Did you know that sheep have around 9,600 wool follicles per square cm of skin, with a fine merino fleece producing around 100million fibres? Wool is also insulating, hydrophilic, scaled and crimped. The PDF contains a table of wool properties, showing crimp, micron and staple length of a variety of breeds. Wool is often covered in Yarn Magazine, with different breeds looked at through various issues.
How to Spindle PDF
Have you ever wanted to learn how to make you own yarn, but don’t want to commit the time, money or space required for a spinning wheel? Spinning (or spindling) with a drop spindle could be the answer. They are compact, and range in price from the ultra cheap, to the hand crafted super luxurious models. This PDF shows you how to start making your own yarn, with step-by-step photography and instructions. Issue 16 of Yarn Magazine takes a look at spindling Faux Silk (tencel, bamboo, soy and banana fibes), and is a great follow-up to this downloadable PDF.
How to read a Chart
If you have been putting off having a go at lace knitting or cables, because of a fear of charts, then this PDF will demystify the whole process for you. Chart reading is explained in simple terms, with a few examples to follow and try for yourself. We often feature lace or cable patterns in Yarn Magazine and after reading this PDF you should be confident enough to cast on!
Spinning Yarns and Weaving Dreams – Stories by Amy Lane:
Yarn issue 49 – Love on Display
Yarn issue 50 – The first 6 Months
Yarn issue 51 – Glory
Yarn issue 52 – Unwind
Yarn issue 53 – An Abundance of Days
Yarn issue 54 – Diversity
Yarn issue 55 – The Wonders of Fairyland
Yarn issue 56 – Renewal
Revival When You Dye (incl. Fibre Guide to Dyeing):
Article by Elayne Watson on reviving items through dyeing, with a printable “Fibre Guide to Dyeing”. Click HERE.
Secret Colour (dyeing yarns):
Article by Simone Cross on dyeing yarns using the secret colours hiding in your kitchen, garden and bushland. Click HERE.
An Ultimate Guide to Silk:
Article by Rie Natalenko, appeared in Embellish issue 18 – Rie discusses what silk is, and then to make sense of the confusion of silks, has compiled an alphabetical list of some 54 different silks, including when possible, potential uses in our crafting world. Click HERE.
Working with Silk:
Article by Rie Natalenko, appeared in Embellish issue 19 – Rie discusses how different varieties of silk may be used. Click HERE.