Instructional materials and handspinning lessons are readily available if you know where to look. If you don't know other spinners, you can still find ways to learn to spin. All it takes is a bit of research to find these resources. So where does one look for information on spinning?

Read about spinning.

Many people learn best by reading. If you are one of these people, find a good book on handspinning your own yarn and study it or do a search online for websites that show you how to make your own handspun yarn. The important thing to remember here is to choose a book or a website with a lot of illustrations. Also make sure the book you choose has clear, step-by-step directions.

Watch a how to spin video.

These days you can learn just about anything by watching a video on YouTube. Learning to spin is no different. There are many videos demonstrating hand spinning and offering instruction on the various steps of making your own yarn. The nice thing about YouTube is that the videos are often short and concentrate on only one small step in the spinning process. You can watch segments on treadling, tying on a leader yarn, drafting out the fiber and every other step from the most basic for the beginning spinner to the more complex for more advanced spinners.

The hand spinning videos can be watched over and over until you have a grasp of how to spin. You have your choice of seeing many different spinners show how they do it. Since handspinners have different techniques that they use, you can experience a variety of ways to accomplish the same goal and choose the one that is the easiest for you to learn.

Another excellent way to learn to spin is to purchase a DVD or download a how to spin video from the internet. There are some excellent instructional spinning videos available by some of the finest spinning instructors in the world. These are like private spinning lessons with easy to understand explanations and close ups of the spinning process. If you don't understand a step at first, just run back the video and watch it again as often as you need.

Find someone to teach you to hand spin your own yarn.

Probably the best way to learn to spin is to find someone who will teach you in person. This way you can ask questions and get extra explanations when you don't understand something. You can see spinning techniques demonstrated up close and have some one to tell you how to correct what you are doing wrong. There are several ways to find a handspinning class or someone who is willing to teach you how to spin yarn. Here are some ideas that might help you find a spinning teacher:

• Find a nearby college that has an arts or textiles department. They often have continuing education classes.
• Find a folk center or school that teaches crafts. They often have workshops or spinning classes.
• Ask if there is a local spinning guild. Many communities now have groups of spinners who come together to share their knowledge.
• Check with churches and libraries in your area. Often, spinning groups will meet in these places on set schedules.
• Check newspapers or the internet to see if there are fiber festivals in your area. These are becoming more common now that the craft of handspinning is more popular and workshops are often offered here.
• Check out living history museums. They often have traditional skills craftsmen such as handspinners on staff who hold classes.
• Ask knitters and other crafters or check with craft shops, yarn shops, or quilt shops. Crafters who are into spinning are often also into these other crafts.

There are many different ways to learn to spin to make your own yarn. You can read about spinning, watch spinning videos and find a personal spinning teacher or tutor. Just get out there and find the one that will best fit your needs and get started. I think it will be a satisfying journey.