#12 - The Cotton Issue, Spring 2016

PLY Magazine — Cotton Issue

Cotton is a big subject — deceptively simple, endlessly complex — and this issue rises beautifully to the challenge. It’s a true feast for the eyes and the mind. With guidance from Joan Ruane, this issue brings together some of the most thoughtful and important voices in cotton spinning, filling these pages with ideas, techniques, and stories you didn’t even know you were curious about (but will be very glad you learned).

Whether cotton is brand new to you or something you spin every day, this issue feels both generous and grounding. You’ll explore beginner and advanced approaches to spinning cotton on wheels, spindles, and charkas; learn about prepping punis and thoughtful blending; and finally de-mystify dyeing cotton. There’s deep history here, too — including the stunning recreation of a Sprang shirt — alongside moments that simply pause to admire this humble, remarkable fiber.

Cotton asks us to slow down, pay attention, and connect with a long lineage of makers. This issue does just that — informative, beautiful, and deeply inspiring. Settle in, turn the pages, and let cotton surprise you.