I've been busy at my Ashford spinning wheel, spinning up skeins of my own Romney wool 3 ply handspun yarn. I've decided to use just my white wool so that the handspun yarn can be used in hand dyeing which is very popular right now.
Spinning 3 ply yarn requires a number of steps. The first is to spin 3 bobbins of very fine one ply yarn. I need to keep in mind that the finished yarn will be a combination of 3 different threads, each one adding bulk. This spinning step is spun using a "S" spin, the spinning wheel is rotating in a clockwise direction.
The second step is to spin together all 3 of the yarns, now called "plys". The three filled bobbins are mounted on a "lazy kate" which is a wooden device that holds a number of bobbins that are then able to be wound off. When plying. the 3 individual bobbins are spun together using a "Z" spin which is counterclockwise. Plying yarn not only strengthens the yarn, it also is best to use for knitting. One ply yarn will often knit at an angle, following the twist of the yarn. This does not happen when the yarn is plyed because of the multiple directions of the twists. A plyed yarn is often smoother and "rounded" resulting in a better looking finished garment.
I ply my 3 filled bobbins of yarn onto a jumbo bobbin which will hold lots more yarn than the standard 2 oz bobbin will.
The jumbo bobbin is now filled with 6 oz of 3 ply handspun wool yarn. That doesn't sound like much but it does involved a lot of treadling and time!
Now it is time to wind the yarn off of the bobbin. I do that by winding it between my hand and elbow. I will later wash, weigh, and measure the yardage before skeining it into hanks for sale.
Wound off the spinning wheel bobbin
ready for a gentle hand wash and dry
5.9 oz, 572 yards
ready for use or dyeing
OMG! Beautiful yarn! I love, love, love it....so perfectly some, balanced and smooshable.
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