# Spinning-first finished ply off the EEL wheel



## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

I finished my first spin and ply with the EEL wheel. It is a dream to spin and ply with such control of the speed. I really love it! I think the spin and/or ply is too tight and it has a ton of twist but for my first spin, I am ok with it. I am hoping that soaking and thwacking or snapping will loosen it. If anyone has any other suggestions re the twist, please share. Thanks.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

If it is the plying that is over twisted, just run the yarn back through in the opposite direction. If there are sections that are not over twisted let it shoot through faster to the bobbin. Badly twisted areas watch them unply and loosen up, being careful not to let to undone.

You can to the same to singles before you ply them together.


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## BirchPoint (Feb 12, 2016)

Life has gotten in the way of playing with my wheel for now. I have yet to ply. It is good to see more done with the Eel wheel. Thanks


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## sbeth53 (Mar 29, 2011)

Waiting for my EEL wheel...watching all related posts... :sm24:


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## crivitz (Apr 12, 2015)

Your skein does not look like it is overplied. If it was it would be twisting up like your singles did before you plied them. But wordancer's suggestion is excellent for now and in the future. This technique of replying is very good to know if you spin up singles and then don't get to plying them, for whatever reason, very a long time. The twist settles into the singles so that when you ply it's difficult to know if your plying is correct. You can go ahead and ply, wash the skein and if it then ends up underplied or overplied you can run it through the spinning wheel, correct the problem, and wash it again to set the new twist. There are lots of fixes for our little booboos like this. As for other suggestions concerning your plying, just work on consistency. Work at eliminating the spots that have very little ply at all.


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## JuneB (Oct 10, 2014)

Wow great job for the first time .... sorry to say mine wasn't t even close to looking like that. You had a lot of control so it wasn't t thick and thin . Very nice indeed and I bet that spinning wheel is just wonderful.


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## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

It looks great to me too. What is thwacking and snapping?


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

gardenpoet said:


> It looks great to me too. What is thwacking and snapping?


Well, someone else may have a better explanation but....the yarn I spun will need to be soaked in water and I have wool wash specific for yarn that I put in the water. After it has soaked, you squeeze it our and wrap it in a towel giving that pressure (some people walk on it) then take the skein and thwacking it by finding a flat surface (I use my counter) and just holding one end of the loop and hitting it against the counter a few times. Or, snapping it by putting your hands in the loop and quickly snapping the loop out. It evens out the stitches and in my case, I thought it might loosen the tightness.

I am relatively new at this so I am still learning. I love that so many here have such a wealth of knowledge and are so happily sharing.


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

JuneB said:


> Wow great job for the first time .... sorry to say mine wasn't t even close to looking like that. You had a lot of control so it wasn't t thick and thin . Very nice indeed and I bet that spinning wheel is just wonderful.


Thanks. It is a wonderful wheel to use. I love how the spin is so controlled by just turning the knob. My problem now will be going back to the pedals. Lol


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## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

Cdambro said:


> Well, someone else may have a better explanation but....the yarn I spun will need to be soaked in water and I have wool wash specific for yarn that I put in the water. After it has soaked, you squeeze it our and wrap it in a towel giving that pressure (some people walk on it) then take the skein and thwacking it by finding a flat surface (I use my counter) and just holding one end of the loop and hitting it against the counter a few times. Or, snapping it by putting your hands in the loop and quickly snapping the loop out. It evens out the stitches and in my case, I thought it might loosen the tightness.
> 
> I am relatively new at this so I am still learning. I love that so many here have such a wealth of knowledge and are so happily sharing.


Interesting. Thanks for the explanation. Let us know how this works out for you.


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## Spooly (Oct 22, 2011)

The yarn looks wonderful. A good soak and some thwacking will finish it up nicely.


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee (Sep 9, 2011)

It looks wonderful!

I bought a used Electric Eel some months back, and I blush to admit that I have yet to try it out! MUST get to that!

Hazel


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## ilmacheryl (Feb 3, 2013)

Haven't had enough time to get much spinning done on my EEW5 yet. What happened to all that time I was supposed to have after I retired? What I have spun looks good so far and was easy to spin.


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## BirchPoint (Feb 12, 2016)

Don't tell me retirement is too busy for fun. Don't want to hear, don't want to hear.


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## ilmacheryl (Feb 3, 2013)

Oh, I have fun. That may be part of the problem. Also trying to get rid of stuff in the house, which means less time for playing with fiber. Unfortunately, dr appts for hubby are way too frequent and usually mean trips to Wichita which is an hour away. I do usually knit in the car and in the waiting room, but I sometimes have to drive. When I go to knit with friends, I find that I do more talking than knitting, and I usually don't get any knitting done when I meet mostly non knitting friends for coffee once a week. And then there is way too much time spent on KP.????


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## Reba1 (Feb 5, 2012)

A good soak and thwack work wonders for many fibers. I do the hands in the loop and snap it out style most of the time. Your yarn doen't look overspun or overplyed from what I can see.


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## Goodshepfarm (Jul 20, 2014)

Cheryl. I think it looks really good! I would be curious to see how it hung when you took it off the niddy niddy. Did it twist back onto itself or did it hang straight without twist? From what I see in the photo it looks good! After soaking I always use my arms, just habit.


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## kwharrod (Jul 24, 2012)

Looks like your spinning is a success.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

It is so easy to overply on an e spinner. That has been my biggest lesson to learn.


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