Spinning from the fold is more a method of changing the preparation than a way of drafting, but it is a clever, clever skill to have in your toolkit.

I spin from the fold when I want to make a worsted preparation airier, and mostly, when I feel like I need a little more control over slippery fibers or blends.

For me it’s silk blends, or those irresistible fine wool/ silk/ bamboo blends.

To spin form the fold, pull a couple staple lengths (ish) from your fiber, and fold it over your index finger.

Less is more when spinning from the fold, make sure that your fiber is not too wide.

Hold the ends of the fiber lightly in your palm, try not to grip.

Tease the fiber out and over the tip of your index finger.

Point your finger at your orifice and start spinning. Pulling fiber from the tip of your finger to draft.

I find a forward drafting direction when I spin with a worsted draft from the fold works best for me.

If you are spinning combed top from the fold, it makes it into a less woolen preparation.

A worsted, combed preparation is carefully aligned with all the fibers coming from one direction when you draft. It encourages smooth, dense yarn with little air in it.

Folding the fibers, changes that.

The fibers are now coming from different directions, with air between them.

Even if you draft worsted, the result will still be an airier, less dense yarn.

Spinning from the fold is great for controlling fiber blends that are slippery, have many different staple lengths, or any fiber or blend you feel is ‘getting away’ from you.

Just using a smaller amount of fiber makes me feel in better control of slipperies. Add to that the bend in the fiber, which slows down the draft, plus holding on to the ends of the fiber, and I feel like I am the boss of all those lovely fibers.

A couple of things about spinning from the fold that you don’t have to do:

Keep your hand vertical in relation to the orifice. I tend tip my hand horizontally, it feels better on my wrist.

Keep your finger in the fold. You can just fold the fiber in half, no finger needed.

If your folded fibers get less than tidy, you can stop and reposition your fiber, refold the fibers that are left. I almost always have a bit of fiber, sometimes a clump left over in my hand. If I am spinning with a worsted draft, I put that fiber in my blending bag to use for something else. It tends stay clumpy when spun worsted.

Here’s a quicky video of me spinning from the fold.