Making Beautiful Fibre Prep With Just Your Hands

In this video tutorial, Kim demonstrates how to take a braid apart and create a beautiful fibre prep with just your hands. With a few thoughtful steps, it’s possible to turn a standard braid into a smooth, easy-to-spin fibre preparation.

Kim teaches several courses at the School of SweetGeorgia, including Nuances to Spinning Better Yarns, where she dives into the finer details of fibre prep, drafting, plying, and finishing. She shares how to make small but impactful changes in our spinning practices to enhance the process and create consistently beautiful yarns. Below the video, you’ll find written instructions, plus links to explore more of Kim’s courses and articles, as well as ways to join the SweetGeorgia community.

Materials & Tools Shown

More About Kim McKenna

Kim attenuating fibre

This gentle and intuitive method helps spinners get to know their fibre better while creating a prep that’s enjoyable to spin and easy to control.
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Fibre Prep With Just Your Hands

Equipment

  • 1 Your hands

Materials

Instructions

  • Starts with the full length of a braid and breaks it in half length-wise. 
  • For this particular braid, Kim splits it into eight even strips. Rather than pulling from one end, which can quickly create a messy result, begin at the centre of the roving and gently pull it apart. As you work down the fibre, keep your hands moving with it, ensuring it stays smooth, neat, and free from flyaways.
  • Once split, attenuate each section by draping the working length over the front of your hand while the rest rests behind it. Kim usually places the prepared fibre in a bowl, but in your lap, it works just as well.
  • To attenuate, use your thumb, forefinger, and sometimes your third finger to gently pull the fibre. This creates a more uniform preparation that is light and airy, spinning up fine with fewer thick and thin spots, resulting in a delicate, consistent yarn.

Notes

Handling the fibre in this way gives valuable insight into how it will behave during spinning. Even before any drafting happens, there is so much to learn just by feeling the fibre in your hands.

Need More Help?

Do you have questions about fibre prep by hand? If you’re an All-Access School of SweetGeorgia member, join us in our Community Forums! One of the great perks of being an All-Access member is the opportunity to ask Kim McKenna questions about their articles and courses and connect with fellow members.

Not yet a member of the School? We invite you to come and see what it is all about! Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!

We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia Community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings! We discuss all things knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, machine knitting, and more!

Together, we share, learn, and grow as a community. We would be happy to have you join us!

Original publication: October 6th, 2022; Refreshed: July 22nd, 2025  

The post Making Beautiful Fibre Prep With Just Your Hands appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.



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