How is yarn Spun?

Although many different types of fibers can be spun together to create interesting effects. In Indonesia, few fibers are readily available.
Silk worms and sheep are not indigenous to Indonesia so very few people have been trained in the art of spinning. Thus, this traditional craft is at risk of becoming a lost art.  At the Gaiya Community Center we encourage women to teach others as a means of preserving this skill for future generations.
Through the process of spinning, one can create beautiful yarns and fibers which can be used in the process of Ikat weaving, Knitting and Crochet. Most hand made yarns are made with the use of a treadle spinning wheel, however if one does not have a wheel it is still possible to spin fibers with the use of a simple drop spindle.
This basic spindle can be made from a recycled CD disk or cross knotted bamboo sticks.
The first step in the spinning process is the gathering, cleaning and organizing the fibers one wishes to spin. This is done by hand separating and combing. Then the organized fibers are twisted together in an ever extending fashion by adding strands as the fibers are twisted. Two lengths are jointed by staggering the ends in an overlapping fashion. For a two or more ply yarn, previously spun yarns are added and twisted together with until the desired thickness is attained.