Blended Plies: An Unexpected Way to Spin a Braid

Free Lesson: Blended Singles

In the fifth lesson of 5 Ways to Prep and Spin a Braid with Kate Larson, we’re exploring blended plies. (Are you new to the series? Start here.) This method might be very different from what you’ve seen before—I’ve tried lots of different ways to manipulate my braids, and it was definitely new to me! From blending just a little to thoroughly blending your braid, there are lots of ways to make this yarn, which we’ll explore in the second part of this post.

To start, check out this quick video, where Kate Larson walks us through how to blend one or more plies, and how different it looks in a knitted swatch.

What Comes Next? A Chance to Win

Of course, spinning yarn is just the beginning! What happens once the yarn is knitted, crocheted or woven? This is the real question I hope to answer with my samples, so the next time I sit down to spin, I can choose my approach with confidence.

We invite you to submit your samples for a chance to win!

If you completed one or more samples after watching this braid series, we want to see your results. Two ways you could win when you submit:

1. CONTEST: One lucky spinner will win a Spin Off All Access one-year subscription. Two runner-ups will receive an annual print magazine subscription of their choosing from Long Thread Media. Contest runs through June 30, 2026, so there's still time to join and spin your braid!

2. GET PUBLISHED: Several spinners will be selected to be featured in a future issue of Spin Off magazine. Everyone is eligible, and we can't wait to see your results.

HERE'S HOW >> Between now and June 30, 2026, finish your samples and fill out the form by clicking the button below or going to our entry form. We'll announce winners on July 1 on Spinoffmagazine.com! Good luck and happy spinning.

Blending Experiments

I was curious about some of the options Kate mentioned in this lesson, and decided to break my remaining fiber into three chunks to make some extra samples. Here are the results of my experiments, and what happened when I added a coordinating ply instead.

A Quick Blend

For my first sample,