Notes on Spinning by Design

One of my readers recently wrote inquiring about spinning for lace knitting. While I was thinking about her question, I started wondering about spinning for a variety of special purposes, for example, spinning warp yarn for weaving, spinning sock yarn, and, in general, spinning the kind of yarn you need for a particular project.

Some basics for duplicating commercial yarn: You can spin any yarn you want for knitting, weaving, or crochet. One way to do this is to find a commercial yarn that you like, analyze it, and duplicate it. Examine the yarn closely and ask yourself the following questions:

1. How many plies is it?
   
2. How thick is each ply? (They might not be identical.)
   
3. Is the yarn made of one fiber or two or more?
4. Is the yarn smooth (worsted) or fuzzy (woolen)?
   
5. How many wraps per inch (wpi) is the yarn? (You can determine this by wrapping the yarn around a ruler between two inch marks and counting the wraps.)
   
   

You may also look at the angle of the twist in both the plied yarn and the singles, although it's sometimes hard to see in the singles.

Once you know what kind of yarn you need for your project, you can begin to experiment. First, you need the proper fiber, properly prepared. If you need a worsted yarn, the fiber should be combed. Carded fiber is better for a woolen yarn. Some breeds of wool are more suitable for fine spinning and some are better for a soft, thick yarn. Spin long-draw and short-draw and treadle quickly or slowly. Try spinning some different fibers and compare the finished singles for strength, softness, and luster.

When you've achieved a yarn you think will work for your project, you might want to stop spinning for a day, wash the yarn, and make a swatch. If you're doing lace, knit a big swatch in the lace pattern you plan to use (4 inches by 4 inches or preferably larger). Then dampen the swatch and block it. This seems like a lot of work, but if you're making an heirloom garment like a Shetland shawl or a christening gown, it's definitely worth it.

Here is a tip on spinning a singles yarn for lace that I've picked up from other spinners on email lists:

If you knit with a handspun single in solid stockinette, you might see bias - one side of each stitch will be raised. I enjoy this effect myself, but many don't. If you use the same handspun single for garter stitch lace, though, you probably won't notice any problem with biasing. To reduce this effect for an attractive stockinette lace, reduce the twist when you're spinning. Blocking the finished project is essential and will make a big difference in the appearance of the lace.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic