What do you use singles for?

By Amelia © January 1, 2014, AskTheBellwether.com

Common spinning philosophy is that you "have to ply" so that your yarn is balanced. After all, if singles are unbalanced, and intrinsically they are, then they are hard to work with. Right? Well, yes-and-no. Like all things in life, the philosophy has its nay-sayers. There are folks who only learn to spin singles, never ply, and work with their singles quite happily. They get confused when other spinners walk up to them and tell them their yarn is "wrong" because it isn't plied.

And, I agree -- it isn't wrong to not ply. The key is to understand what you are working with. My bestie, D, spins singles and crochets up a storm. Her crochet is lovely and her singles are gorgeous, strong yarn.

So, how do you work with singles? what do you use them for?

First off, if you want your singles to behave when you work with them, you have some options. You can block your yarn -- hang a weight from it while it dries to stretch it out. This keeps the yarn calm while you work with it, though since it is at maximum stretch it isn't very elastic. If I did this with knitting or crochet yarn, I would use a slightly larger needle with the yarn and then I would wash the item in warm water so the yarn could relax and puff up, regaining some of its elasticity, after I made the item.

Singles in knitting can bias. If blocked beforehand, you may not be aware of it happening -- in fact, they won't bias until you wash the item in warm water. And, there are stitches you can use to avoid bias from singles. Seed stitch, moss stitch, garter stitch -- any knit stitch that puts purls above knits repeatedly will prevent biasing from the active twist in the single.

Another way to make singles behave and prevent bias in knitting at the same time is to full the yarn. Wash it repeatedly in warm and cold water, agitating it. With fine wools or fibers (merino, cashmere, angora) it takes very little effort to full the skein. With long wools or smooth fibers (cotswold, suri alpaca) it takes more effort to full the skein. So, test the skein as you are fulling it and stop before it turns from a skein of yarn into a fulled yarn-necklace. Re-skein it while it is damp or as soon as it dries, to separate the strands. Fulled yarn has the twist locked in place, so although it isn't technically balanced, it also no longer exhibits kinkiness from active twist. It will knit calmly and the fabric will not bias.

Weaving with singles is exciting -- all that active twist has to do something. It's fun to explore with mixed-twist fabric, stripes of S singles and Z singles in the warp. To keep warp singles calm, it's standard practice to douse them in a "sizing agent" -- basically a rinsable starch to keep them stiff while weaving but rinsed out when the item is done so their active twist reasserts itself.

When you weave S singles and S singles against each other, they lock in place (similarly with Z and Z), and do not buckle or bias as a fabric. The fun happens with S singles against Z singles -- the combination puckers and buckles, creating a very textured fabric. Combining singles and balanced plied yarn gives you something partway between the two -- a mild texturing to the fabric similar to the "tracking" you can see with some yarns.

My bestie D tells me that crochet doesn't bias with singles, and she should know :-) I think that's because crochet goes up and down, left and right -- all the different directions keep the single's active twist at bay.

I tried embroidery with singles recently...ummm, it was a brief, unhappy experience. I haven't heard of people using singles for embroidery, but I also hadn't been cautioned against it. So, I tried. I now see why all my DMC floss is plied, and my next handspun embroidery project will use a balanced plied yarn.

That said, I have been doing a fair bit of Nalbinding lately, now that I am offering it regularly at Bazaar Girls in Port Townsend. Traditionally, wool Nalbinding is done with singles. It's great for separating the yarn into the yard-long lengths used in Nalbinding, and also for the felted joins that make it seem like Nalbinding is one continuous yarn.

Those are the needle arts I have explored with singles yarn. I'd love to hear if you have experience with singles yarn in another needle art, and if you would recommend it or not. How would it fair in: tatting, sprang, punchneedle, rug hooking, kumihimo, or your favorite needle art?

~~~

There are quite a few entries about singles yarn on Ask The Bellwether. These are a few of my favorites:

* How do I make sure my singles aren't underspun?

* How do I spin a more even single?

* Yarn Story: Special Singles (spinning thicker singles) (the skein sold already)

Click for the full list: http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/search?q=singles 

~~~~
© January 1, 2014 by Amelia of Ask The Bellwether, posted at http://askthebellwether.com/

Why does my yarn still twist after plying?

By Amelia © July 28, 2013

Your yarn can still twist after plying for several reasons:

The latest tapestry yarn skeins (balanced 2-ply)

1. Underplying

2. Overplying

3. Dormant twist in the singles

4. Plying in the same direction as the singles

5. Plying singles spun in different directions

6. Plying singles with different amounts of twist in them

Let's start with #3: dormant twist in the singles. If you spin two bobbins or spindles of singles and then ply them, well, let's face it, this takes time. Twist in the single starts to go dormant (think of it like falling asleep) as soon as the single is stretched tightly over the surface of the bobbin or spindle. Some fibers (silk, a smooth-surfaced fiber) go dormant more quickly than others (Merino, a high-crimp wool). 

In order to get a balanced ply with these, you need to save a sample of the single, when freshly spun, folded back on itself. This shows the amount of ply twist needed to balance the twist in your single. But, when you ply those singles, the skein is likely to act overplied ... to twist in the opposite direction from the ply twist. This is because the singles' twist went dormant. Luckily, you can re-activate them: a warm soak will awaken the sleeping twist. Once reactivated, as long as you matched that saved sample, you should find out that you have a balanced skein. Voila!

I started there because in order to get an accurate view of how to balance a plied yarn, you really need to have a sample length of the two singles plied with active (non-dormant) twist. If you have consistent twist in each single, then matching that sample as you ply will result in an active skein when the singles  are plied.

So, how about #1, underplying? If your skein is acting underplied (twisting in the same direction it was plied in), then more than likely, it is underplied. The main question is, by how much? Take a short length to soak in warm water and see what the resulting amount of twist is. Wind your skein into a ball or put it on your umbrella skeiner (my preference), and add more plying twist with your spindle or wheel. Match that reactivated sample, and you should find that after a warm gentle finish, your skein is now balanced.

The main cause of #2, overplying, is dormant singles. If your skein twirls in the direction the singles were spun, then it is saying it needs less ply twist. However, if you have not yet washed the skein, and it took more than 5 minutes to spin the singles with plying directly after, you might just wash the skein and see if that was all it needed.

If you have sharp eyes, take a look at the individual fibers in the singles. If they line up along the length of the yarn, then the ply is balanced and a warm soak should wake up the dormant twist in the singles.

If the skein exhibits only 1-2 completes twists, then the yarn will still knit into an unbiased fabric-there’s not enough imbalance to skew the knitting.

If the skein still twists in the single direction after the warm soak, then it is, in fact, overplied. After the skein is dry, take a short length to soak in warm water and see what the resulting amount of twist is. Wind your skein into a ball or put it on your umbrella skeiner (my preference), and remove some plying twist with your spindle or wheel. Match that reactivated sample, and you should find that after a warm gentle finish, your skein is now balanced.

#4. Plying in the same direction as the singles: this is a valid step in constructing complex yarns like Hawsers. If you do this, the skein acts like a scrunchie, shrinking up into half its skeined length. It is so bouncy that it almost can't twist on itself to tell you the cause ... If it could, it would twist in the opposite direction to the ply direction. Leave the yarn on the bobbin and continue constructing your yarn...the goal of most complex yarns is a balanced result, sometimes reached through indirect means like this one.

If this was not your goal, then put your skein on your umbrella skeiner, and ply it in the opposite direction the singles were spun on. this is going to take a fair bit of twisting, as you need to remove all that original "ply" twist and then put in the right amount in the right direction. Be patient, and if your wheel has one, try a higher ration (smaller flyer whorl). 

#5. Plying singles spun in different directions: some yarn constructions use singles spun in different directions: spin one single clockwise (Z), and the other single counterclockwise (S), then ply counterclockwise (S). This is usually an intermediate step in constructing complex yarns such as Energized Cables. The skein acts very odd - the two singles almost seem to repel each other like mis-matched magnets, and twist does everything it can to run out the ends of the skein. The skein typically is stretchy, but doesn't twist strongly clockwise or counterclockwise. Leave the yarn on the bobbin and continue constructing your yarn...the goal of most complex yarns is a balanced result, sometimes reached through indirect means like this one.

If this wasn't your goal, you are a little stuck: one of the most annoying things I have done is separate singles in a plied yarn. You might look up "energized cable" in Sarah Anderson's fabulous book: The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs, and experiment with that. Or, you might rough-finish the skein, fulling it to lock the two singles in place so the yarn acts balanced even though it is not.

#6. Plying singles with different amounts of twist in them: beginners, and even long-time spinners, struggle to get consistent twist in their singles. Part of this is due to inconsistent diameter in the singles. Twist migrates to the thin spots along a length of a single, so getting consistent twist requires getting consistent yarn thickness as well. Part of this is the nature of life: distractions abound, and we are not machines. I let spinning take me to my happy place, so I can use the rhythm of my heartbeat to guide my hands and feet. Getting consistent diameter in my single has been the biggest improvement to the consistency of my plied yarns. That has taken consistent practice. If you can make spinning a daily thing, even a quarter-hour each day, and your focus is on consistent diameter, your consistency will improve. 

Skeins plied with inconsistent singles have little twirly spots where the yarn twists back on itself in an underplied or overplied spot. There may be clearly overplied and clearly underplied lengths in the skein as well. The skeins don't generally twist one direction or the other.

One time when this can happen the easiest is when we are purposefully plying a thick single against a thin one, or plying purposefully thick-and-thin singles. Remember the warm water test? If you can ate a representative length of each single, knot the, together at each end, and put them in a owl of warm water for a few minutes, they will tell you what the appropriate amount of plying twist is along their length. When thick-meets-thin, thin-meets-thin, and thick-meets-thick, each will need its appropriate amount of twist. Match this sample and a balanced skein will result. This is especially useful when one of your "singles" is thread, as it is your handspun single that requires balancing against the thread.

Sometimes, underplying, overplying, or plying mismatched singles is the point of your spinning: if so, be bold, and spin away! There are reasons for each of these to be done. We mainly shoot for balanced yarn as a goal when it suits the purpose of the yarn.

Why do my singles fall apart when plying?

I was thinking about yesterday's post -- How can you spin a low twist yarn? -- and how hard it can be for beginners to do that. A question I've run across in several forums lately is related -- Why do my singles fall apart when plying?

In my experience (always a risky statement, but for the sake of disclosure, there it is), my singles fall apart when I'm plying because of low twist in the singles.

But wait, you say, didn't you just tell me I could ply low twist singles?

Why yes, I did.

Let me clarify. First, yesterday's skein (aaah, I impressed myself with that one!) didn't drift apart, so I have no eye-pain of this phenomenon for you. If it's happened to you, you know what it looks like -- and how it feels.

Now then. Also, the singles fall apart from time to time, not all the time, right? At least, that's how it has been for me. Finally, recently, in reviewing my pluckyfluff study, I realized the cause. It's the same thing the county fair judge dings me on every year. Inconsistent Twist.

As you spin your singles, if the amount of twist in one length of singles doesn't match the amount of twist in the next length, then you get, Inconsistent Twist. Now, when you are spinning singles, your hands are doing alot. Alot. Drafting, letting twist up, picking out VM or neps, smoothing the surface of the yarn. And your feet are pedaling and your brain is wandering, and you may be talking or listening to something. There's alot going on!

When you ply, you have two nice, strong (you think!) singles, and you can just rip right through them. It's alot easier. Alot. And, it's muuuuch easier to get consistent twist during plying -- your yarns are fairly regular, and you can move along them at a regular clip. No drafting, no picking, just pull and pedal and wind on. (And remember to change hooks!)

So, if you singles have inconsistent twist and your plying has consistent twist, what happens? Most likely, your plying twist matches the median twist (how's that for throwing a heavy weight math term in there... hmmm, actually, the plying twist most likely matches the most prevalent twist in your yarn, which may not be the median ... but then again, I have to give the commenters something to discuss. Discuss away, I love to hear it all!) Anyway, as I was saying.

Most likely, your plying twist matches the amount of twist some length of your singles needs. If it's the low twist section, then you're okay and you ply away successfully. Of course, your final skein twists showing a need for more plying twist, but that's another problem. So, to continue, let's assume that's not the case.

Guess what -- as you add plying twist, you are removing singles twist. That's what spinning is! So, on the low twist sections of your singles, you may end up removing all the twist in one, or if you are supremely Murphy'd, both, single. And when all the twist is removed from the single, the tension you are keeping it under to keep it straight for the ply pulls it apart.

Whoosh! it flaps out, you find one of the singles not moving forward any more. You stop pedaling, the bobbin keeps turning and you fume silently (or not so silently) as you try to figure out why this is happening to you. Well, don't take it personally. It's happened to me. It's happened to most of us!

Once everything has calmed down (me included), I lay the separated single in on top of itself; I may try to put some twist in, especially if there's a high twist section of that single nearby. If they are on two bobbins or in two separate balls, I will try a bobbin variant of spindle splicing. If I'm worried, I may try some other type of join. Then I ply over the laid-in section and keep going. Lesson learned.

If there's something I can see as a cause -- like that underspun bit is also thicker -- then I'll try to apply that if I see a similar section coming up, to prevent it falling apart as well.

***

And for an earlier, less wordy discussion on this very same topic, see
Why are my singles separating during plying?

Questions or comments? Post on the blog or contact me. Thanks!

2-Ply and 3-Ply: By the Numbers

By Amelia © January 1, 2026

When teaching plying I usually pass along a few facts about 2-ply vs. 3-ply:

• From the same single, the 3-ply will be thicker than the 2-ply — yeah, this one is pretty obvious.
• From the same single, the balanced 3-ply will have a steeper twist-angle than the balanced 2-ply — less obvious, but consider that 3 singles are contributing twist in the 3-ply, but only 2 singles contribute in the 2-ply.
• From the same single, to the same finished weight, you will get less finished yards in the 3-ply than in the 2-ply — also fairly obvious, since you are taking 3 at a time rather than 2 at a time.

Recently, I got to do a little exercise in 3-ply vs. 2-ply as I was preparing singles for my class Spindles Can Ply! at SOAR and SAFF this year. I had extra color kits from another class so I used them to play some color games with known weights of fiber — I had a ½ ounce ball of each color. Now, do note, I was chain plying one of the balls of singles — it's a structural 3-ply for the purposes of our comparison.

Here are the turtles, all spun up:

In pairs, left-to-right these are:

• 3-ply solid color
• 2-ply two solid colors — often called "barberpole"
• 3-ply keeping color changes clean (remember, it's a chain ply)
• 2-ply with fractal plying — one single changes color faster than the other
• 3-ply candystripe single — two colors spun side-by-side into the single, a 3-ply marl
• 2-ply candystripe singles — a 2-ply marl
• 3-ply keeping color changes fairly clean
• 2-ply with the same color orders — I usually call this "spinning to the grist" — if spun the same, all color changes are clean; that almost never happens so there is heathering as colors change at different times

Whew! When I spun the singles, I mostly tried to keep the diameter the same in the "pairing" of singles for 3-ply and 2-ply. That way I only had to think about one goal while spinning the singles for both. I tried to spin the first lot, the solid colors, thicker; and all the others just aimed for a comfortable default diameter for the NZ corriedale — the fiber I was spinning.

Each ball of singles was ½ ounce, so I had ½ ounce balls of 3-ply and 1 ounce balls of 2-ply.

To compare apples to apples for finished yards, I'm taking half the measured yards of the 2-ply, or a ½ ounce of it, as shown in the table.

Colors	½ ounce 3-ply	½ ounce 2-ply	ratio 3:2
greens	12	19	63%
reds/camel	26	32	81%
green/lime/yellow	22	30	73%
blue/yellow	24	37	65%

As you can see, there is a fair range here in comparing, 63% to 81%. But it does show, even with these small ½ ounce samples that the 3-ply (chain ply in this case) will result in shorter skeins from the same / a similar single than the 2-ply. The average was 70%, or to put it another way, 30% shorter.

If you consider how folding shortens things, take 12 inches as a starting point. Folded in 2, it would be 6 inches; folded into thirds it would be 4 inches, or 67% the length of the 2-fold. So we can see that plying is a bit like folding. Why doesn't it match?

Some of that is due to the imperfection in the singles — I definitely was not aiming for perfect singles so there is some variability in the yarn diameter. These are fairly moderate twist singles, and we would expect that to impact the finished length as well. It's only too bad I didn't record the length of the singles as well — there's always next time! Then there is the fact that the 3-ply would have a steeper twist angle than the 2-ply, which means we'd expect it to be even shorter than the folded paper result. We do see that in 2 of the 4 samples — again, I'd put this down to the spinner perhaps being less consistent overall. I did ply to make balanced yarns, and succeeded, as all were wet-finished and shown to be balanced yarns.

What to do with this information? Well, now I have a ballpark number: 3-ply from the same amount and thickness of single as a 2-ply will be about 70% the 2-ply's yardage. Should I collect more data? Sure. Will I? probably not.

Speaking of numbers, I once analyzed a table in Mabel Ross's book Yarn Design for Hand Spinners. This book is so important to me I bought two copies when I realized I'd sold mine in a destash. The table held data about the WPI in singles, 2-ply, and 3-ply yarns. Her numbers were data points presented in the table. I ran ratios and averages, and what that table told me was that I can ballpark finished yarn diameter vs. singles like so:

• A 2-ply is about 1.5 times the WPI of its single.
• A 3-ply is about 2 times the WPI of its single.

Mabel Ross was assuming the same single for both singles in the plying, but I would hazard to guess you could take the average WPI and use this calculation for a ballpark finished yarn diameter. As with most estimates about spinning, the fiber used, the amount of twist used, and the style of finishing of the yarn can all impact the WPI of the result and thus be above or below these ballpark numbers.

I'm curious to know what ballpark numbers you tend to use in your spinning; tell me in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!

~~~~
© January 1, 2026 by Ask The Bellwether, posted at http://askthebellwether.com/

How much twist do I need when I ply?

How much twist you need in plying depends on how much twist you put in the singles ... and you can pick what you want your plied yarn to look like by how much twist you put in your singles.

Basically, singles with less twist needs less plying twist, and singles with more twist needs more plying twist. Mostly I aim for a balanced yarn, where the plying twist "balances" with the singles twist so the finished, washed skein doesn't twist on itself but hangs relaxed and open. The drawing shows two skeins, one under-plied and the other over-plied.

Before you let the singles wind onto the bobbin, hold the length of new yarn loosely so it can ply back on itself. This shows you what the balanced 2-ply would look like. If you are shooting for a 2-ply, then use the "ply back" test to ensure your singles have the twist you want for a nice 2-ply in the "ply back" test.

If you are shooting for a 3-ply, the singles need a little less twist -- a 3-ply at the same twists-per-inch as a 2-ply takes less twist out of each single (since it's taking it out of 3 singles, and the 2-ply's taking it out of 2 singles). So you can go for a "looser" looking result in the 2-ply "ply back" test and still get a nicely spun/plied 3-ply.

Of course, you should save a sample of the "ply back" test at some point in spinning the singles, to compare to as you spin the singles and also to compare to as you ply.

As you are plying, find a rhythm (number of treadles) that gives you the ply-twist you want and go with it; the "right count" will depend on your wheel's ratio of wheel to bobbin, the twist in the singles, and how much twist you're going to put in the ply.

(posted by me this day on Spin-List)

Yarn Story: Special Singles

By Amelia © October 27, 2009

Many spinners seem to migrate to being plyers, spinning mostly 2-ply yarns. There are a special group who love singles, and spin many of them. There's the instant satisfaction of a single, the fact that you maximize your yardage-per-time. That trades off with the active twist it presents, and the need to control the drafting to get the thickness you want.

Therein lies the rub. Spinners become plyers because we learn to draft, and get very good at drafting -- we draft pretty much every fiber we can get our hands on about as fine as it will let us go. How fine is that? The finer the fiber, the finer our yarn, because what is happening is the feel of the individual fibers on our hands gives us a certain comfort level; fewer fibers, less comfort -- so thicker Romney fibers draft out into a thicker yarn, with the same number of fibers as the finer Merino fibers. Given those fine singles, we ply to get back to the thickness we want. I've a friend who spins the same single every time, and then plies 2, 3, 4, or even 5 strands together to get the thickness she desires in her yarn.

Developing the ability to stay present in your spinning and take control of the drafting will remove the need to make 5-plies from your standard too-fine single. It's tricky, though, if your spinning has become an automatic ability for you -- because you have to bring spinning back into the part of your mind that pays attention to what's going on, that can let you consciously control the drafting as you watch it. For me, this is Intentional Spinning writ large.

Now, some spinners just really can't get to that place. And Judith McCuin's book, The Intentional Spinner, has some great methods for the always-automatic spinner to adopt to alter their resulting singles.

If you want thicker singles on your wheel, try this:

• Move to a larger flyer whorl -- this is a lower ratio, putting less twist in. remember, singles that will remain singles need only enough twist to hang together -- not enough to ply tightly. If you fold your singles over for a ply-back test, they should puff up and ply loosely. If they stay tight, they will be high-twist singles, which is a yarn classification worth study on its own -- see the work of Kathryn Alexander for her amazing use of high-twist singles.
• Increase the tension on your brake band or double-drive band -- this increases the pull of the yarn out of your hands, so that you will let it go onto the bobbin with less twist and less drafting.

There are other changes you can try as well -- a thicker drive band and brake band will tend to make you spin a thicker yarn; a thicker leader on your bobbin helps you start out spinning a thicker yarn.

If you want to change your drafting habits, or develop a thick-single habit, I usually recommend pre-drafting the first time, down to the thickness you need for your singles, and then spinning without drafting. This is very hard for those of us with ingrained drafting habits. But if you can bring your drafting back under your conscious control, then you can alter how much you draft. Zero-out drafting by pre-drafting so you can see just how automatic drafting is for you, and then, unlearn it for a bit. Once you have control of your drafting back, pre-draft just a little, and see if you can draft just a little bit at your wheel. Re-gain control of your drafting with practice, introducing a little bit more at a time until you are in control of the drafting at your wheel.

Remember, how much fiber you draft defines how thick your yarn is. Figure out how much you need to draft for the thickness of the single you desire, and draft that much. No finer, no thicker.

Now that we've covered some ground on spinning singles, what makes these special? I followed all my guidelines above, definitely. They are a nice, low-twist single. But there are two other things about these singles that make them unique in my own spinning history.

First, the fiber: this is Pitt Island Merino. Go ahead, google it, or follow the link. These are cool! Semi-feral Merino on a small New Zealand island.

Second, the preparation: I purchased this from the farmer, who was also the processor of the fiber. They carded raw fiber into roving -- it might have been lightly washed, but there's still some lanolin, some sheepy smell, and some dirt in it. I seldom spin raw fiber, preferring to keep my wheels clean with scoured fibers. But, this was unique. Being lanolin-y, the fiber waited for a warm day so that it would slip controllably in drafting. It was actually a fairly fine roving, and I really wanted to see how it would wash out -- the unscoured roving felt fairly tacky and rough, but it was a Merino, after all. So, I didn't draft it much, and ended up with a 10-12 wpi single. The skein scoured into a nice Merino result -- not superfine, but lovely heathered natural color, and fine enough for a hat or scarf.

This lovely skein is available on my Etsy shop, By Our Hands. Perhaps it will add a special something to your next knitting project. There are 116 yards, 10-12 wraps per inch, in this 3.6 ounce skein.

~~

See prior Yarn Stories for more tales from my wheel.

And for more tips on spinning singles, see Singles Yarn postings.

~~

© 27 October 2009 by Ask The Bellwether, posted at http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/

Why does my yarn drift apart when I'm plying?

First ... thanks for all the input on plying.

Buuut, before I go there, I have a question remaining from the one that brought up plying. Actually, I've also discussed this here and here. But some new thoughts percolated up, so let's do this one more time :-) ...

Sometimes, when you ply, one of the singles in the ply separates and drifts apart. Before you know it, you have one strand merrily getting untwisted and feeding onto your wheel, and the other one just sitting immobile in your supposedly plying hand. Eeek!

How'd That Happen? you ask yourself. Believe me, I've asked myself this, too!

I find this happens to me the most when I am spinning cotton. And not because it's cotton ... but because it's a high twist single, and thus a high twist ply, too.

You're putting twist in as you ply, which means you're taking twist out of the single. If there's a length of the single that's underspun, then chances are, if it's underspun enough, the plying twist can completely unspin it, and it can separate while you are plying.

What causes a length of the single to be underspun? Several possibilities:

• twist travels to thinner spots as you spin the single. So, thicker spots will have less twist in them. If you have a thin spot, followed by a longish thick spot, followed by a thin spot, alot of the twist in that length will be in the thin spots.
  
  When you ply, that thick spot could be completely unspun ... and if it's longer than your staple length, chances are good it will drift apart, too. Oopsie.
  
  
• could be your rhythm changed for a short period of time -- one of the kids called and you let some of the fiber feed onto the wheel with less twist on it. Or something exciting happened in the movie you had on the telly. Or the phone rang. Or you got the hiccups. If your treadling slowed or your drafting sped up, then a length of fiber is likely to have less twist in it.
  
  When you ply, that underspun spot could be completely unspun ... and if it's longer than your staple length, chances are good it will drift apart, too. Oopsie, again.
  
  
• could be the fiber drafted muuuch more easily for a short piece of time, or even got a bit away from you in the drafting; you didn't hang onto it to get the same twist in, and so it's on the bobbin or spindle with alot less twist than the surrounding singles.
  
  Say it with me this time ... When you ply, that underspun spot could be completely unspun ... and if it's longer than your staple length, chances are good it will drift apart, too. Oopsie!
  

So, you're getting the idea ... drifting apart of singles during plying is caused by irregular twist in the singles. Can you fix this during plying? If it's already separated, you can overlay the two separated ends and continue plying past that point. You can keep an eye open for underspun parts and put less plying twist in so they don't separate ~ though likely it's only one ply that's underspun, so the other ply will be underplied.

Irregular twist in the singles can be reduced by placing the singles on a kate (for spindle or wheel) as far from you as possible, across a room, and plying from that onto your spindle or wheel. As the singles travel to your hand, the twist in them gets a chance to move along that length. Now, if you have let your singles sit for a month or set their twist already, then the twist isn't going to shift much. But this can help some.

Can you fix this while you spin your singles?

On a spindle, there's a clever way to even out twist in the length of yarn as you spin -- unroll some of the old yarn from the spindle before you wind on the new yarn. This lets twist move between lengths to average twist out between twirls.

On a wheel, you can put your bobbin of singles far away from you (the further the better) and then quickly run it through, not trying to add twist, but spinning it back onto another bobbin. This lets the twist move along that long length between kate and wheel. This is easier to do than plying, when your singles are fresh -- since there isn't another single getting tangled up with the one you are rewinding.

Beyond that, practice. Practice getting twist consistent in your singles. Do alot of checking of samples against your base-line sample. And just keep spinning!

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Next time: Do I Move to a Higher or Lower Ratio to Ply?

And also now in the queue: Why does my yarn drift apart when I'm spinning singles?

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Got a spinning fiber question you'd like answered? Ask The Bellwether! Thanks!

Do I move to a higher or a lower ratio to ply?

(Author's note: sorry for the long delay since the last few posts ... show season has started, not to mention taxes weighing on my mind; I've a list of plying topics, so I hope to cover them a few a week moving forward...)

First, let's talk about twist: for a balanced two-ply yarn, you start with two singles each with the same amount of twist (generally Z, clockwise twist), and you ply them together with 2/3 the singles twist in the opposite direction (generally S, counter-clockwise twist). This takes 2/3 the twist out of each, so in the end, each single twists 1/3 Z (assuming Z singles), to the ply's 2/3 S twist -- a balanced yarn. The fibers will show you they are balanced by being parallel to the surface direction of the yarn, lining up like this ==== despite the S twist in the yarn plies. \=\=\=\= would be a typographical representation in this camera-shy article.

Now, how do you measure twist? When you are comparing singles to ply, it's handy to look at the twists per inch (TPI). You can determine the singles TPI by letting a freshly spun length self-ply back on itself and counting the number of complete twists (half the # of bumps) in an inch. This is the TPI of the 2-ply, which in a balanced 2-ply such as this, is 2/3 the TPI of the original, un-plied singles. So a TPI of 6 in the 2-ply test means the unplied singles are 9 TPI.

When you are walking up to some random yarn, however, it's handy to look at the twist angle -- the angle at which the ply puts the yarn strands. It takes about a 15 degree angle to make roving into yarn generally speaking; and 20 degrees is a nice soft knitting yarn. Most sock yarns are about 30-35 degree angle of twist, and weaving yarns can have an even higher twist angle. If you want to measure twist angle, here's a handy-dandy online angle-gauge you can print and laminate from the Memphis Spinning on the River Fiber Guild.

One interesting mind-bender is this: at the same twist angle, a finer yarn will have a higher twists-per-inch than a thicker yarn. A picture would make that crystal clear!

And while I'm on this twist tangent, let me point you to the Spring 2008 Spin-Off and Abby Franquemont's most excellent article on twist and plying.

But, back to plying on your wheel ... do you move to a higher or a lower ratio to ply?

There are two considerations here ... first, since you are generally putting in less twist when you ply than when you spin the singles, you might think, that you would move to a lower ratio. On the other hand, when you ply, you are dealing with two very well prepared singles -- you won't be drafting things out, measuring thickness, or generally fussing with the fiber any longer; so there is less work to be done.

Most folks who have been spinning for a while, then, ply at a higher ratio than they spin singles, and rocket through it fairly quickly. Moving to a higher ratio also helps you get enough twist into your ply -- spinners (I raise my own hand to admit this) tend to underestimate the amount of plying twist needed, and end up with underplied yarns.

Now, if you have a default speed of your feet generally, you may find staying at the same ratio gives you a nicely balanced yarn; or possibly even lowering your ratio. In truth, I hear you -- "she's waffling" you say -- but honestly, there are no hard-and-fast rules here. Try what works for Abby (she moves from rocket ship for her singles to light speed for her plying); ply your skein, wash it, and see if the skein is overplied or underplied. If it's overplied, then try staying at the same ratio when you ply; if it's waaay overplied, try stepping down a ratio on your wheel. If it's underplied, move up and treadle faster.

If your wheel has only one ratio, what can you do? Basically, you need to determine how much twist is needed to ply, and how much effort is required to get that twist in there -- draft out a length of your two singles and then treadle until the fibers within them line up parallel (for a balanced yarn). Get into a rhythm of drafting and treadling to get the yarn you want, and repeat that rhythm for each length you ply.

***

Earlier and related articles:
Why does my yarn drift apart when I'm plying?
How do I use the ratio on my spinning wheel?
How can I fix my 2-ply yarn?
How do you make a good-looking two-ply yarn?
See all askthebellwether articles that include "ply"...

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Did this bring to mind more questions on plying? Let me know, I'll add them to the list. Next up ... How do I spin thicker plied yarns?

See the whole blog at http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/ ... and stop by the shop for lovely fibers, at http://www.thebellwether.com/.

When do you set the twist?

By Amelia © November 6, 2009

"When do you set the twist?" comes up in almost every conversation I have with a new spinner. They're curious to know if they need to set the twist in the singles before plying, how to finish their skein once it's plied, or they want their skein of singles to relax and stop being so curly and twisty.

First, let me jump in with: you don't need to set the twist in your singles, or skein them up and wash them before plying. Just take them as they are, and ply them.

What we do as spinners, is not set the twist so much as either strive for balanced twist so the skein won't be curly and twist -- only possible with plied yarns -- or make the twist go dormant, so an over-plied or under-plied skein, or a skein of singles, seems relaxed and calm. (Secretly, however, it's not -- the twist is sleeping, waiting for a tap on the shoulder to wake it up.)

In fact, the moment you start winding yarn onto your spindle or wheel, you are stretching it out taut as you wind it on (right? right!). Winding the yarn under pressure like that will help the twist go dormant. Even after five minutes, the twist has started to get sleepy. After a weekend, it's snoozing; after a month, a moderate twist single is fairly comatose.

So, when you ply those dozy singles, you need a "live" sample to compare to, if your goal is balanced twist. Balanced twist is cool -- like an arch, the twist in the singles leans against the twist in the ply, each balancing the other out so your yarn appears calm and relaxed, behaves calm and relax, despite having all that twist stored in it. That is what makes yarn stronger than fiber -- the twist, holding the strands together, making the whole appear stronger than the sum of its parts (because we discount the 'invisible' force of the twist).

I usually ply a short length as I am first spinning my singles and save that sample to compare to when I ply. If I've forgotten, then I'll break off a length of singles, say 8", fold it in half, knot the ends together, and put it in a sink of warm water. It will writhe and twist on itself (very cool to see!). Once it's done with its water dance, I take it out, run my fingers along it so the twist is evenly distributed, and dry it in a towel. That sample shows how the singles can balance each other in the ply. If I match that when I'm plying, then I will have a balanced yarn.

Another way to test for balance, while plying, is to look at the fibers in the yarn. A balanced yarn has the fibers aligned along the length of the yarn. It takes strong eyes and good light -- and the right fibers -- to see the individual strands in the yarn.

Once you have plied your yarn, putting the skein in a warm bath will wake up any dormant twist and let you see if the skein is balanced or not. If the skein twists on itself more than 2 complete rotations, then it's underplied if it's twisting in the ply direction; or it's overplied, if it's twisting in the direction the singles were spun. If the skein is overplied or underplied, you can alter the amount of twist with another trip through on your spindle or wheel, adding whichever type of twist it needs (more ply twist or less ply twist).

All this warm bath is doing is waking up dormant twist. If you want to permanently alter the characteristics of your yarn, you have to look at methods that change it in irreversible, or hard to reverse, ways.

The primary method available to the handspinner is fulling -- have a sink of hot water and a sink of cold water, and a skein with plenty of figure eight ties on it. Agitate the skein in the hot sink for a few minutes; squeeze it out. Agitate the skein in the cold sink for a few minutes; squeeze it out. Keep going between sinks a few times -- you may see or feel the skein shrinking down as you do this. You are actually felting the yarn. Be careful, because extremely feltable fibers could become a yarn donut rather than a fulled skein -- test for strand separatability as you do this. You'll want to reskein the skein when you are done, carefully tugging apart any strands that have adhered (lightly, I hope!) to their neighbors.

Oh, and -- fulling only works with feltable fibers; superwash wool and cotton won't full, or not much anyway. I have managed to somewhat full superwash skeins such as the one at the top of the page -- an overplied sock yarn (socks below show no bias) Some wools are more feltable than others, as well. So if you plan to do this, try to felt some of the unspun fiber before committing yourself to the full project.

A milder fulling is to take your freshly washed (not agitated) skein, wrap it in a towel, and whack it really hard on a countertop or other hard surface. Do this a few times from both ends of the skein. This shocks the surface fibers and makes them grab onto the strands more. It helps develop a halo in fibers that do that -- yak, angora, mohair, for example.

Now, I won't do either of these more "shocking" things -- fulling or whacking -- until I've verified that my skein is either balanced, or has the amount of twist I want. I do overply my yarn on purpose -- it's a great way to add durability to sock yarns -- and then full the yarn so that it will knit into a straight fabric. I will shock my singles to get them to quiet down just a touch.

I typically only dry my skeins with weights if I intend to weave with them. That is because I need them to be inelastic to behave well as warp on my loom. But, I don't want to lose their elasticity with a permanent change -- the fabric, once removed from the loom, will be fulled, and in the process the yarn will wake up and regain its elasticity (which is then transformed in the fulling process).

If you wet-block a skein -- dry it with weights or while stretched out -- any active twist in the skein is still in it, dormant, similar to the old singles or yarn still on a spindle or bobbin. If you knit with the wet-blocked yarn and then wash the knit fabric, any twist dormant in the yarn will wake up and can cause the fabric or stitches to bias.

How can you know if your fabric will bias? My usual test is to hold up my just-washed-and-squeezed-out skein. If the skein twists on itself more than two complete rotations, then the fabric is likely to bias. If it's less than two full rotations, I might see some biasing in the stitches -- one leg upright, the other at an angle, on the knit-face of the fabric -- but I won't see any in the fabric. There are knitting methods you can use to overcome bias, as well -- garter stitch and seed stitch are less likely to bias. My crochet friend tells me she doesn't see any biasing in her crocheted fabric, often made with her own handspun, moderately high twist singles.

Other finishing techniques include steaming a stretched-out skein, simmering a skein (often done with cotton), and, I suppose, ironing a skein -- though I haven't tried that one. Commercial mills have much higher temperatures and more specialized equipment than the home spinner, I am curious to know how they create the calm singles that are Malabrigo laceweight, for example -- if you try a warm-water folded-back length of that yarn, it barely twists on itself at all. But the fibers are not aligned. I've tried fulling, and kettle steaming, but so far have not managed to produce a similar skein of yarn despite copying fiber and twist amount. The trick is in the finishing -- so there's yet another way to finish a yarn that I have not yet uncovered.

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The Bellwether is having holiday sale -- 15% off select items through the end of 2009. Shop early for the best selection, and thanks! for supporting Ask The Bellwether!

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Related posts on finishing yarn:
How do you set the twist in handspun cotton?
What makes my handspun yarn bloom?
How do you steam block handspun yarn?
What do I do with my very first full spindle?
Do you set the twist in handspun singles before you ply?
How do I ply set singles?
Is my yarn's twist set when I ply it?
Why do you wash the finished skein in warm or hot water?
How do you set the twist in singles yarn?

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© 6 November 2009 by Ask The Bellwether, posted at http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/

How much ply twist is "balanced"?

By Amelia © March 30, 2026

Typically we tell new spinners to seek balance in their plied yarn ... see How Much Twist do I Need When I Ply? for that advice. If you let singles rest, the twist in the single is still there, but dormant. Don't wake it up before plying! Instead, keep a fresh ply-back from when the singles were spun to guide plying twist and realize that the dormant twist will show up when you wet-finish your skein after plying.

However, I would really like more specific advice. Some authors talk about counting treadles - clearly not spindle spinners!

What follows is from an old Ravelry post of mine:

"Mabel Ross’s theory, in Essentials of Yarn Design, is that ply twist is 2/3 singles’ twist. So, your final yarn has 8 TPI [twists per inch] in the 2-ply and each single has 4 TPI remaining in it. But why would two, skinnier, 4 TPI singles “balance” with an 8 TPI 2-ply? I know, 4 + 4 = 8, but does that hold true here, isn’t it more like 4 and 4 in parallel, not in series, pulling against 8? Clearly I’m thinking about this too hard, muddying my ability to understand what I’ve always taken as fact in my desire to get at its underpinnings.

"Alden Amos’s theory, in The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning, states that ply twist is 1/2 singles’ twist. I read that 10 times last night trying to figure out what he meant. Does he mean, once it’s plied, that your 2.5 TPI 2-ply has singles that each still contain 5 TPI? or that your 2.5 TPI 2-ply has singles that when not plied were 5 TPI? And do either of those things match up to Mabel Ross’s statements?

"Anne Fields (Spinning Wool: Beyond the Basics) quotes Mabel Ross, so she’s taking her numbers as a given. And Peter Teal (Wool Combing and Spinning, the original version) doesn’t really discuss balanced yarn, since he wants to be aware of what the twist is in his singles, and he wants there to be a certain amount, so he discusses plying twist in those terms."

End of quote

Well, that didn't really help. Especially the TPI of the single after plying - I want to know how much twist to put in the single and then how much twist I put in the ply.

These days, I do still use the freshly spun ply-back sample as a sample to match to when plying. And rather than TPI, I use twist angle to let me know what type of yarn I'm spinning. Medium knitting yarn wants a 25° angle of twist while durable sock yarn wants a 35-38° angle of twist. This is true no matter what my yarn diameter (WPI, wraps per inch) is.

If I don't have a sample, I can make one by folding a length in half and knotting the ends, being careful not to let any twist come out. Put it in warm water and the dormant twist wriggles the sample up to show what balance is in the 2-ply.

If I have no access to warm water, I can visually inspect the plying. When balanced, the fibers in the singles area straight, and the plied yarn is at maximum diameter. Before it's balanced, the singles are compressed and after the balance point, the plied yarn compresses.

You can find many posts on this blog about balance in plying if you'd like to dive into the topic further.

I may never get to the bottom of the singles-vs-plied twist question - but perhaps someone else will rig up an Alden Amos-style twist counter and then we'll all know. Will it be you?

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© March 30, 2026 by Ask The Bellwether, posted at http://askthebellwether.com/

How do I spin for a sweater?

By Amelia © November 1, 2013

A ravelry member contacted me recently: she had the perfect sweater pattern, and wants to spin the yarn for it. Her question was: How do you make sure your handspun yarn will work, and that you have enough?

To spin yarn to substitute for a commercial yarn, there are several things to measure: fiber, yarn thickness, yarn construction, and amount of twist. Most of them lead you back to grist.

Ahh, grist. I didn't get what grist was about as a "young" spinner. It wasn't until I started spinning tapestry yarn on commission that I realized how important grist was.

Grist is a measure of yarn density, relative to yarn thickness. It is measured by yards-per-pound. It's a bit of a tricky duck -- I can have two yarns with different thicknesses and the same grist. The thicker yarn has more air in it, or a less dense fiber. How can fibers have different density? Easily. Angora fiber, for example, has a hollow core. So it has a definite lightness to it. Alpaca fiber is quite dense, so it drapes really well,  almost flowing over whatever it is placed on -- its own weight pushes it down. That's part of why alpaca sweaters "grow".

First, if the pattern lists a commercial yarn, then look at the fiber content of that yarn. If it's acrylic, medium to fine wools should spin up with a similar grist. If it's a wool/alpaca blend, then start there, with wool and alpaca. Then, look at the yards in a ball of the yarn relative to the skein's weight. If it's 400 yards in 8 ounces, then multiply by two to get the yards in a pound: 800 yards in 16 ounces. So, that yarn would be 800 yards per pound (ypp).

So, choose a fiber similar to the fiber in the commercial yarn. This is so you have less issue spinning to match both the thickness of the yarn and its grist. It's important to match yarn thickness so you can match the gauge it calls for -- if you don't match both stitch and row gauge, the shaping in the pattern as written won't work. That would mean figuring out how to redo the shaping.

Then, see if you can find out the yarn construction of the commercial yarn. 2-ply? 4-ply? a 6-ply cable yarn?  The yarn construction tells you a bit about the roundness of the yarn, as well as its toughness. As a straight plied yarn (not cabled), the more plies there are, the rounder the yarn is. A single, though, is the roundest yarn (obviously...). If the yarn is 3 or more plies, I will usually spin a 3-ply yarn and call it good enough. I only spin a 2-ply when matching a commercial yarn if it, too, was a 2-ply. That's because 2-ply yarns knit into a flatter fabric -- my row gauge is likely to be off if I use a 2-ply in a pattern that calls for a 4-ply yarn. I spin a single when the commercial yarn was a single, or one of the faux-singles which are actually an odd 2-ply with the same direction in the singles and the ply.  

Cabled  yarns are very strong. Usually, a commercial cabled yarn is cabled due to the fineness of the fibers -- many thicker cotton yarns are cabled yarns. Some sock yarns are cabled for strength. If I'm just not up for spinning a cable, I will add strength to the yarn by  spinning with a high twist. Cabling also compresses down the yarn quite a  bit, so I will also pick a denser fiber if I  am choosing not to cable the yarn.

Many commercial yarns just say "wool", without providing a breed. And different breeds will have  different densities in yarn. From more  dense to left, we have longwool,  medium wool, and fine wool. There are some outliers -- high crimp down breeds are less dense than other medium wools, as their high crimp keeps a lot of room in the yarn for air; and Shetland, a fine wool, has less crimp than other fine wools, so spins into a denser yarn. It will be up to you, to decide what to use. If you can feel the commercial yarn, you can decide what class of wool might work best. Or, you might be spinning the yarn because you need to use merino for softness or want to use a superwash so it will be washable.

When yarns provide percentages for fiber content, those are by weight -- so a 60/40 wool/alpaca yarn is 60% wool by weight. That means when you blend fibers to match the yarn's  content, you would weigh out 6 ounces of wool for every 4 ounces of alpaca.

Finally, you need some idea of the thickness of the yarn. If you have a sample, you can measure the wraps per inch (here's how: http://blog.knitpicks.com/wpblog/measuring-wraps-per-inch/ ). You can use the Craft Yarn Council of America's standard yarn sizes to determine what wraps per inch range should work, as shown on that link. Or you may find WPI information about the yarn on ravelry.com's yarn database. 

The last piece of information is the amount of twist in the final yarn, and any information about finishing that might be discernable. There is no general inclusion of twist information on the yarn ball band. However, pictures will give you a general idea of low twist or high twist. Low twist yarns tend to look  puffy in the ply; high twist yarns look shiny due to the smoothness the high twist puts on the surface of the yarn and how compressed the singles are in the ply structure. The item itself may give an idea about twist amount: socks are best knit with durable yarns, which typically have high twist. Sweaters with cables need fairly crisp yarns, so a moderate to moderate-high twist might be appropriate.

So, you have your blend, you have your yarn construction, your grist, your twist, and your thickness. Next: sampling. That's right, you need to spin some and measure it. 

The first sampling hurdle is determining singles' size to get the desired plied yarn thickness. The general guideline I use is that, with moderate twist, a 3-ply uses singles that are half the final wraps per inch; and a 2-ply uses singles that are 2/3 the final wraps per inch. I start there, and adjust the singles as needed to get the plied wraps per inch that I need. I have some tips on sizing singles for plying here:  http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/08/how-fine-do-i-spin-my-singles-to-get.html

If you are having trouble getting yarn thick enough, you'll either need to spin thicker singles, or add more singles to the ply. If you are having trouble getting yarn thin enough, you'll either need to spin thinner singles, or take some singles out of the ply. I have some other tips on how to get more (or less) out of plied yarn here: http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-do-i-spin-thicker-plied-yarns.html 

You use a McMorran Yarn Balance (or the new Yarn Yardage Tool from www.eugenetextilecenter.com ) (and there is a DIY one on www.spinningdaily.com )That will give you the yards per pound, to compare to the commercial yarn. If the grist is too many yards per pound, your sweater would be lighter than one from the commercial yarn -- it also likely will not be as drapey, something to keep in mind for a Kimono Swing Sweater but less important for a waist-hugging ribbed fitted sweater.  To get the grist lower, a more worsted style of spinning, pinching as you draft, helps make the yarn denser at the same wraps per inch. 

If the grist is too few yards per pound, your sweater would be heavier than one from the commercial yarn -- this could cause stretching of the sweater from its own weight, especially with inelastic fibers like silk and alpaca. To get the grist higher, a more woolen style of spinning, allowing more air in the yarn, helps make the yarn less dense. Another thing to examine is the fiber content -- if it has wool,  perhaps a crimpier wool, or if it is a blend, a larger percentage of wool in the blend will help get more air in the yarn.

Whew! Once you have grist close, it's time to knit a gauge swatch. Remember, we don't want to have to rethink the shaping, so row gauge is as important as stitch gauge. Altering your needle size up or down from the recommended size can help adjust row gauge without overly impacting stitch gauge. Remember that finishing the swatch is an important step here -- it lets the knit stitches wriggle as they can a little so your final fabric is more consistent.

If your row gauge is too low, you may  find a thicker yarn at the same grist helps get you to row gauge. To keep grist the same and increase yarn thickness:

• use crimpier wool
• use a woolen prep -- carded batt or rolags
• don't use commercial wool top, as it is so compressed that it tends to result in more compressed yarns (be sure to wet-finish the yarn before meassuring its grist, so the top can open  up in the finishing)
• use more of your less dense fibers: fine wool, angora, cashmere
• use less of your dense fibers: alpaca, llama,  long wools, mohair, silk, rayons
• use less twist in the singles (so plying also uses less twist, letting the singles be puffier in the final yarn; this is even true in cabled yarns).
• use a more woolen spinning technique

If your row gauge is too high, you may find a thinner yarn at the same grist or a 2-ply helps reduce it. To keep the same grist and decrease yarn thickness:

• use less crimpy wool
• use a worsted prep, or if drum carding, keep all fibers aligned for smooth batts
• don't use roving, as it randomizes the fibers and keeps air in the yarn unless spun to a very high twist
• use less of your less dense fibers
• use more of your more dense fibers
• use more twist in the singles (and thus have a higher twist final yarn)
• use a more worsted spinning technique

Whew!  If you can work through all of that, then next you need to figure out how much fiber to start with. The pattern will give you the number  of balls; and should provide the ball weight -- if not, the yarn manufacturer's website, the ravelry.com yarn database or the yarn library on yarndex.com.

number of balls * ball weight = total weight of fiber

If the yarn was a blend, or your sampling led to blending, then you need to use your final percentages rather than the ball band's.

So, a sweater calling for a pound of a 50/50 wool/alpaca blend means I would want to have about 9 ouunces each of wool and alpaca.  It would be hard to buy all the fiber up front correctly since you don't know if the blend will spin to the same grist for you, or if you might adjust it. If you had to get it all up front, then I'd recommend that you get about 25% extra of each fiber to have room to make adjustments. And, have some "adjusting fiber" ready in your stash so you can adjust grist if needed.

You can stop spinning when you have the yardage the pattern calls for. Again, look at the number of balls the pattern calls for, and this time, the yards per ball:

number of balls * ball yardage = total yardage

Most patterns, especially if they use multiple colors, will have excess yarn, which means if you spin to that yardage, you will also have some wiggle room.

If you can get your hands on a sample of the yarn the pattern uses then you can see its number of plies, how tightly or loosely it’s spun, and possibly even knit a gauge swatch to see drape and hand of the yarn … All useful if you plan to mimic it.

I prefer to mimic drape, so the garment behaves like it would if the commercial yarn had been used. If you get more ypp in your handspun than the commercial yarn has, your item will be more drapey -- that may be good, or it may be too floppy. If you get fewer ypp, then yours is denser yarn, and your knit item is likely to be stiffer and heavier.

Also, if your ypp is less than the commercial yarn, you will need more fiber by weight than the commercial yarn’s total weight.

Sampling and swatching is important when using handspun. Knitty had a good piece on yarn substitutions in general, with commercial yarns, which also applies here: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/FEATwin03TBP.html

I enjoy using my handspun yarn for many handcrafts: knitting, weaving, crochet, Nalbinding, and even embroidery. With an understanding of fiber and grist, I can substitute yarns with great results. Here is an early substitution, handspun 2-ply used to make Fiber Trend's felted clogs pattern (pre-felting):

If you'd rather work things the opposite direction: spin first, then pick what to use the yarn in, see my post on choosing knitting patterns to match handspun yarn: http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-size-needle-do-i-knit-my-handspun.html 

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© November 1, 2013 by Ask The Bellwether, posted at http://askthebellwether.com/

How do I prepare my newly spun singles for knitting or crocheting?

To use newly spun singles for knitting or crochet, all you need to do is wash the skein and hang it to dry. Since it's singles, it may twist on itself a bit; I don't like to put too much weight on my singles if I'm going to knit or crochet them, as the yarn will re-twist on itself when you wash the knit/crochet item -- so usually I hang a handtowel through the lower loops of the skein while it's drying, and that's enough to keep the yarn tame without stretching the flex out of it while it's drying.

Singles can be great fun to knit with -- if they are super-energized, you can use that to your advantage to knit zig-zag scarfs (do 20 rows stockinette, 20 rows reverse stockinette, repeat until yarn ends); or you can knit garter stitch to "even out" the biasing of the yarn. Most of my singles are fairly low twist, and they merely have one "post" of the knit stitch vertical and the other at an angle, without any noticeable bias in the knit fabric at all.

I haven't experimented with singles in crochet, but a friend who spins-and-crochets crochets with her singles all the time and I've not noticed a bias in her fabric.

For details on washing skeins I can recommend this blog entry of mine.

And I've a few postings on spinning singles yarn, feel free to browse the list that comes up in del.icio.us.

The singles in the picture are from a Totally Tubular Spinning Kit, the knitting is the start of the newest Ewe'niquely Yours pattern, Touche: Arm and Wrist Warming Sleeve.