Spinning Tencel

On By CarynIn Craft

It is shiny, sleek, and has a little sparkle, but I had a rough time spinning the Tencel fiber sample. I think I dropped my spindle more than with any other fiber. The fibers like to clump, but did not like to evenly draft, and my single spun yarn came out uneven with thin and thick randomly spaced.

Photo description: single spun Tencel fiber on a wood drop spindle in the sunlight, asphalt in the background
Photo description: notepinne style wound ball held in my hand in the sunlight to show the luminosity
Photo description: the side of the ball of single spun yarn held in the sunlight to show the shine

I chain plied the single from the center of the ball and added twist using my Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.

Photo description: chain plied Tencel yarn on a wood bobbin
Photo description: three ply Tencel yarn on a PVC niddy noddy, which really shows the unevenness of the spin

As much as I love the idea of using fiber made from waste tree products, I would not choose to spin Tencel again, the frustration wasn’t worth it. I was glad it was a 25 gram sample.