Spinning is the process of creating yarn (or thread, rope, cable) from various raw fiber materials. Several fibers are twisted together to bind them into a strong, long yarn. The earliest spinning probably involved simply twisting the fibres in the hand. Later the use of a stick to help twist the fiber was introduced.

Drop spinning involves the use of a stick with a whorl
or weight to stabilize the spinning of the stick (called a spindle). The spindle is spun, and hangs supported by the yarn as more fiber is introduced. This introduced fiber picks up the twist and becomes yarn.

There are three broad classes of materials that can be used for spinning : plant, animal, and synthetic. With all the sheep in our Highlands it is very unlikely that our artists will talk about synthetic materials !

Today, spinners who spin their own yarn have various reasons to do so : to control specific yarn qualities and produce yarn not commercially available, for self-sufficiency, for a sense of connection to history and the land but also for the meditative qualities of spinning.