# S: When you ply?



## wordancer

Do you ply from the bobbins or from a ball(s)?

Back when I first learned to spin we had several spinners at the farm and not enough bobbins. So it was one bobbin per spinner. Fill up a bobbin, wind it off with ball winder. Fill up the bobbin again, wind it off. Then ply using that same bobbin and 2 or 3 balls of yarn (I like to do three ply). I very quickly realized that when one ball ran out, I could take the outside strand of the second ball, spit splice it and keep on plying with one ball of yarn. No more left over yarn on a bobbin.

Yes, winding off a bobbin is an extra step, but this also allows me to inspect what I just spun and tease off any noticeable bumps that I missed.

So tomorrow I'm winding into a ball the single ply I just finished and will ply into into 2-ply using both ends of the ball. Its a little tricky but once you figure it out...

This will be the first 2+ oz's of the white and purple roglags


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## BirchPoint

Anxious to see your finished yarn!


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## Linda6885

Great idea. I think I will try this.


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## Cdambro

That is a good idea. I ply from the bobbins and more than not, I run out of yarn on one bobbin and then don't know what to do. I make a mess trying to figure it out. Then, I end up finishing where I ran out on the one bobbin and not using the rest. I will give your way a try. Thanks.


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## nittineedles

I suspect you will end up with a big knotty mess. You really need two balls for 2 ply, three balls for 3 ply, etc. When you ply you do it in the reverse direction from how the yarn was spun. One end of the ball will be spun in the correct direction but the other end is not.
I just ply from my bobbins. No need to wind into balls.


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## wordancer

nittineedles said:


> I suspect you will end up with a big knotty mess. You really need two balls for 2 ply, three balls for 3 ply, etc. When you ply you do it in the reverse direction from how the yarn was spun. One end of the ball will be spun in the correct direction but the other end is not. I just ply from my bobbins. No need to wind into balls.


Nope, no knotty mess, really! Just figure out how to hold the ball so the yarn pulls off nicely for you.

I found last night this method that looks even easier that what I was doing, 




Doesn't matter which end the yarn is pull from the ball, its original twist is the same on both ends. Just ply in the reverse as you normally do.

Note, do let your freshly spun single rest at least 24 hours before plying by any method. Fresh spun is very energized :sm06: :sm04: :sm09:


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## BirchPoint

I was going to recommend letting your singles stay on the bobbin at least 2 days, especially if it is a fine singles, before winding into center pull balls to ply. You beat me to it.....I ply most of my yarns that way - from both ends of one bobbins' worth. Works beautifully and no left overs!


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## Goodshepfarm

I prefer 2 ply yarn, and have plied from a center pull ball so many times. But, it's been about a year now that I have gone back to using my lazy Kates which are my current preference. I then make a ball of any singles left on the bobbins and when I have a good selection I make a really fun yarn out of the variety!

I spin very thin and did have a tangled mess once, but, it was probably because I didnt wait 24 hours to ply. Do you think the waiting period is critical? Won't it balance when soaked? 

I have heard concerns that the direction of one of the singles would be reversed coming off the ball, but when I sit back and think about it, I don't think that's true. 

Thanks,
~Michelle


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## Cdambro

wordancer said:


> Nope, no knotty mess, really! Just figure out how to hold the ball so the yarn pulls off nicely for you.
> 
> I found last night this method that looks even easier that what I was doing,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Doesn't matter which end the yarn is pull from the ball, its original twist is the same on both ends. Just ply in the reverse as you normally do.
> 
> Note, do let your freshly spun single rest at least 24 hours before plying by any method. Fresh spun is very energized :sm06: :sm04: :sm09:


That is a great video...thanks


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## Cdambro

Goodshepfarm said:


> I prefer 2 ply yarn, and have plied from a center pull ball so many times. But, it's been about a year now that I have gone back to using my lazy Kates which are my current preference. I then make a ball of any singles left on the bobbins and when I have a good selection I make a really fun yarn out of the variety!
> 
> I spin very thin and did have a tangled mess once, but, it was probably because I didnt wait 24 hours to ply. Do you think the waiting period is critical? Won't it balance when soaked?
> 
> I have heard concerns that the direction of one of the singles would be reversed coming off the ball, but when I sit back and think about it, I don't think that's true.
> 
> Thanks,
> ~Michelle


Good idea to make little balls out of extra and then used them together. Thanks.


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## BirchPoint

Just watched the video. Duh... can't wait to give this a try! Brilliant if it works!


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## Goodshepfarm

Cdambro said:


> Good idea to make little balls out of extra and then used them together. Thanks.


It makes a really fun skein! I love to save what's left on the bobbin in a little ball for my special yarn, nothing goes to waste


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## ilmacheryl

I sometimes use what is left on the bobbin as a leader, add in another color and then attach the leftovers from a different bobbin & repeat until I have a bobbin full. When I have two full bobbins, I ply them together. The resulting yarn can be "creative & interesting" but seldom boring. I also sometimes use the leftovers to practice Navajo plying - I need LOTS of practice - haven't been able to get the rhythm down yet for a successful yarn.


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## spins2knit

Have done it just like the video. It works. Her idea of putting the source facing down is a good one. You have much more control. As I recall -it has been a while- it was fairly easy to manipulate and no more difficult than using a lazy kate.


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## Alpaca Farmer

This was new information for me. Thanks for sharing.


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## nittineedles

Thanks for the info wordancer. Will have to look into that. I'm a self taught spinner who probably picked up that bit of misinformation from another self taught spinner.


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## sockyarn

I do it from cakes done on my ball winder. So easy to control.


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## Linda6885

Looks much easier. I have plied from bobbins set on floor from lazy kate, but sometimes one would spin off faster when pulled or one bobbin would be more energized than another. Winding into one large cake and letting it rest and then plying looks like it works well.


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## sbeth53

Thanks for this video...great information :sm24:


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## Cdambro

ilmacheryl said:


> I sometimes use what is left on the bobbin as a leader, add in another color and then attach the leftovers from a different bobbin & repeat until I have a bobbin full. When I have two full bobbins, I ply them together. The resulting yarn can be "creative & interesting" but seldom boring. I also sometimes use the leftovers to practice Navajo plying - I need LOTS of practice - haven't been able to get the rhythm down yet for a successful yarn.


Another great idea. Thanks.


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## mama879

A couple of years ago when I went to a fiber festival a women there was spinning and made a center pull cake out of her 1 ply to ply later on. She had only bought the one bobbin by mistake she said she did it a lot. I have done it in the past now I have bought extra bobbin so I could use 4 at a time I also bought extra bobbins for the jumbo flyer.


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## Reba1

I learned plying from a single center pull ball last spring. I love her idea of turning the ball over and will try that for my next endeavor!


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## desireeross

I've only done this with a small amount of yarn, usually what's left over and I use that to practice my n plying


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## IndigoSpinner

The general idea is to ply from the bobbins. Why do you think they make lazy kates?

I like to knit larger projects from my yarn, so I usually buy a pound or two and work from that. I fill some of my bobbins, ply, and then use whatever is left over on the bobbin to start the next batch of spinning. 

When I'm down to the last left-over on the last bobbin, then I wind it into a cake and ply from both ends.

BTW, on the subject of bobbins, my feeling is that you can never have too many bobbins.


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