Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to spin your own yarn
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Spinning turns a cloud of wool into yarn you can knit or weave, and the first lesson usually starts with a simple drop spindle before moving to the wheel. An eight-week beginners' course in Oregon sends students home with two or more skeins of their own handspun.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
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What it's really like
Courses often begin with a drop spindle and move on to the wheel. At the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem, Oregon, weeks one to three of an eight-week course cover the drop spindle and weeks four to eight the treadle wheel. No experience, equipment or fibre is needed, and students who finish take home two or more usable skeins of handspun yarn.
A weekend wheel course packs in more. The Duluth Fiber Guild's beginners' class covers how the wheel works, choosing and preparing fibre, worsted and woollen spinning and finishing, over a Friday evening and two full days.
Guilds are where many spinners carry on. The Durham Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers meets on the first Saturday of each month and lends spinning and weaving equipment to members so they can try before they buy. It is affiliated to the national Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.
What beginners pay
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Cartmel Handspun, Lindale-in-Cartmel, Cumbria (via Craft Courses) | Hand spinning for beginners: one day, next listed 17 January 2027 | £125 |
| Willamette Heritage Center, Salem, Oregon | Eight Saturday sessions of 90 minutes; drop spindle then wheel; fibre and wheels provided | $225, plus a $100 deposit to take a wheel home from week four |
| Duluth Fiber Guild, Minnesota | Friday evening plus two full days on the wheel; bring your own wheel or borrow one from the guild | $225 for members, $255 for non-members, plus a $25 materials fee |
| Durham Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers | Monthly Saturday meetings with workshops and skill sharing; equipment loans for members | £36 a year for adults, or £5 a visit |
How to start
- Find a local guild of spinners, weavers and dyers or a beginners' course; some guilds lend spinning wheels to members.
- Start with a drop spindle, which is how several beginners' courses open, before moving on to a treadle wheel.
- Ask whether wheels and fibre are provided before you buy any equipment of your own.
Where to go
- Durham Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers: about the guild UK
- Craft Courses: spinning courses in the UK UK
- Willamette Heritage Center: beginners' spinning classes (Salem, Oregon) US
- Duluth Fiber Guild: Beginning Spinning on the Wheel (Minnesota) US
We opened these links on 8 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need my own spinning wheel to learn to spin?
Not usually. The Willamette Heritage Center provides wheels, the Duluth Fiber Guild lends them for its beginners' class, and the Durham guild lends equipment to members.
Should I learn on a drop spindle or a spinning wheel?
Many courses teach both, starting with the spindle. The Willamette Heritage Center's course spends three weeks on the drop spindle before moving to the treadle wheel.
How long does it take to learn to spin yarn?
Beginners' courses run from a single day to eight weeks. Students who finish the eight-week Willamette course take home two or more usable skeins.
How do I find a spinning guild near me?
In the UK, many local guilds are affiliated to the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, a charity that runs summer schools and exhibitions; Durham's guild is one. In the US, guilds such as the Duluth Fiber Guild run their own classes.
Where this comes from: Durham Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers, About us; Charity Commission, The Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers (289590); Craft Courses, spinning courses listing; Willamette Heritage Center, Beginners Spinning Class Offerings; Duluth Fiber Guild, Beginning Spinning on the Wheel; Austin Daily Herald, Wool spinning group keeps ancient art alive in Lyle (8 July 2022). Opened 8 November 2026.
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