How to Hand Spin Cotton
If you have spun wool by hand before you may be ready to try your hand at cotton, but be aware that cotton is a very different kind of fiber. Unlike wool, angora and other animal fibers, cotton has a very short fiber length, which requires a tighter twist and makes the spinning process more challenging. A bottom whorl spindle may be more effective for cotton, although it's partly a matter of individual preference.
Instructions
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Attach the length of yarn, known as a leader cord, to the spindle. Loop it around the whorl (the disc that provides weight either at the top or bottom of the spindle, depending on the type of spindle you are using) and then back around the shaft of the spindle. Tie securely to spindle.
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Separate the cotton roving into a number of equal sections, about 8 inches to a foot in length. Overlap a piece of roving with the leader cord as you begin to spin the spindle. Let the spindle hang from the leader cord and spin it. The roving should begin to attach to the leader cord as it spins.
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Continue to spin the spindle, attaching more cotton roving, until you have about a 2-foot length of yarn. At this point, remove the leader cord and replace it with the cotton yarn you have just spun. Repeat the process of spinning and attaching new roving, winding the new yarn around the spindle as it is created. Be sure to maintain the tension of the yarn as you spin and keep the amounts of added roving consistent, to ensure the yarn is even.
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As you spin, keep one hand on the newly spun yarn from which the spindle is suspended, and the other hand on the roving, feeding new sections into the yarn as necessary. You will have to take your hand off the roving to put more spin in the spindle at frequent intervals. As new lengths of yarn are created, wind them around the spindle and continue the process.
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